THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 17              Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Nov. 19               Alaska Fairbanks at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion, (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)

SEATTLE – Where did the time go so fast?
 
What seemed like only yesterday when the Seattle Pacific Falcons opened their volleyball season against Concordia Irvine has fast-forwarded all the way to the final two matches on the 2016 calendar against their Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivals from Alaska.
 
And, SPU will get to play those two matches at home, as No. 9-ranked Anchorage comes to Brougham Pavilion on Thursday night, followed by Fairbanks on Saturday.
 
The first serve for both contests is at 7:00 p.m.
 
Seattle Pacific will be seeking to end its season on an up note after falling short in its final two road contests of the year last week at Western Washington and Simon Fraser. The Falcons also will be seeking to get even, as the Seawolves and Nanooks both came out on top when they hosted SPU to start conference play back in September.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Fans can keep up with this week's matches with live stats and free live Webcasts. The Webcasts are through Stretch Internet, the conference's official internet provider. The appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
SAYING GOODBYE TO TWO SENIORS
Prior to Saturday's first serve against Alaska Fairbanks, the Falcons will honor outside hitter Lexi Biondi and middle blocker Maddi Hommes as they play the final match of their careers.
 
Biondi (Albuquerque, N.M.), after missing all but three sets of her sophomore season with a knee injury, logged more thn 200 kills last year and is almost at 200 this year. Earlier this fall, she slammed her 500th career kill, and has recorded her 500th  and 600th career points. She is a communications major with two appearances on the GNAC All-Academic team.
 
Hommes (Lynden, Wash. / Lynden HS), who also had to deal with a season-long knee injury during her career, was voted SPU's Most Improved player as a freshman in 2013. As a sophomore, she led the team in total blocks with 85, and also had 95 kills. Last month at Western Oregon, her first kill of the night was the 100th of her career. Hommes is a nursing major with one GNAC All-Academic honor.
 
TICKET TALK
The ticket windows at Brougham Pavilion will open one hour prior to every match. All seats are general admission. Prices are $6 for adults, and $3 for youths, students, and senior citizens. SPU students with current ID are admitted free.
 

FALCON THURSDAYS
Fans are encouraged to wear SPU gear to all games, but especially on Falcon Thursdays. Every Thursday throughout the academic year, students, faculty and staff on campus will be showing their maroon colors and wearing SPU apparel to celebrate Falcon Thursdays.



 

IT'S A GRAND FOR TRAN
Last Saturday night in Canada, Symone Tran got to a place where no Falcon has been since 2012:
 
The sophomore setter racked up her 1,000th assist of the season.
 
Tran (Portland, Ore.) came into the match against Simon Fraser with 983. Her 17th of the night – and 1,000th of the season – came early in Game 3 when she set up a kill by Colleen Hannigan for a 2-1 SPU lead. She is now at 1,017.

 

The last player with 1,000 in a year was Shelby Swanson, who had 1,105 in 2012. Tran finds herself on a similar trajectory, with a chance for three consecutive seasons in four figures. Swanson achieved that as a sophomore (1,122), junior (1,147) and senior (1,105).
 
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
--  SPU is 5-3 on its home court.
-- This is the second straight week the Falcons will square off against a nationally ranked opponent, as Alaska Anchorage is No. 9 on this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association list. Last week, Western Washington was No. 18 when it hosted SPU in Bellingham.
-- It will be Seattle Pacific's fourth match against a ranked team this season – two against Anchorage and two against Western. UAA was No. 12 when the Falcons went to Alaska during the first week of GNAC play in September.
-- SPU's most recent win against a ranked team was at Western Washington on Oct. 24, 2013.
-- Alaska Anchorage has clinched at least a tie for the GNAC title, and can claim it outright with a win at either Seattle Pacific or at Saint Martin's.
-- The Seawolves were in the middle stage of a hot streak when the Falcons visited them on Sept. 17. And there was no cooling off the hosts, whose win against Seattle Pacific was No. 11 in a streak that would reach 21 in a row before it ended in a five-game battle against Western Washington in Alaska on Oct. 22.
-- Seattle Pacific played a gritty third game at Anchorage in September, building leads of 19-14 and 23-21 before the Seawolves closed out the match with a 27-25 win.
-- But of late, Fairbanks has been just as much trouble for SPU as Anchorage has been. The Nanooks have defeated the Falcons three straight times.
-- The last two of those have gone to the five-game limit. In fact, three of the last four have gone that far, including the Sept. 17 contest in UAF's Patty Center.
-- SPU hit .211 at Fairbanks, ending a string of matches below .200. It has gone on to hit better than .200 in six matches this fall, with a high of .327 at home against Western Oregon on Sept. 22.
-- The most recent such performance was .260 in a three-game sweep at Saint Martin's on Nov. 1.
-- SPU junior Sophie Kuehl served a career-high five aces at Fairbanks in September.
-- Coach Chris Johnson is 9-14 all-time against Anchorage and 18-5 against Fairbanks.
 
SCOUTING THE ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES: 27-2, 17-1 GNAC (1st)
All-time series: SPU leads, 28-24. Current series streak: UAA won 7. Last time: UAA 3, SPU 0 (25-18, 25-20, 27-25; Sept. 17 at Anchorage). Seawolves on the Web.
Seawolves in a nutshell: On the night their school-record 21-match win streak came to an end with a 20-18 fifth-game loss to Western Washington, UAA was ranked No. 7 in the country. Since then, the Seawolves have run off another six wins in a row and are back up to No. 9 nationally. Anchorage comes into the week as the GNAC's second-best hitting team (.230, which included .248 against SPU last time) and toughest team to hit against (.117). Sophomore 6-foot outside hitter Leah Swiss and 5-8 sophomore outside Chrisalyn Johnson are both among conference's top 10 for kills, with Swiss third at 3.49 per game (359 total) and Johnson 10th at 311 (314 total). Senior 6-foot middle blocker Erin Braun is the third-best hitter in the GNAC at .312. Anchorage is the conference's best-serving team, and it's no wonder: Of the top 12 in aces per game, five of them are Seawolves. The highest total belongs to Swiss, with 41. Sophomore libero Kyla Militante-Amper has the most digs in the GNAC (605) and the second-best per-game average (5.87).
 
SCOUTING THE ALASKA FAIRBANKS NANOOKS: 2-23, 1-17 GNAC (11th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 36-12. Current series streak: UAF won 3. Last time: UAF 3, SPU 2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 18-25, 16-14; Sept. 15 at Fairbanks). Nanooks on the Web.
Nanooks in a nutshell: The Nanooks enter this week having lost 17 in a row. Leading the way on offense for Alaska Fairbanks is 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter Angela Molesworth with 216 kills (2.57 per game). Also topping 200 is 5-9 sophomore outside Amberly Jeane with 208 (2.31). Jeane came up big against the Falcons in September with a team-high 20 kills, a .366 hitting percentage, and four block assists. SPU did limit Molesworth to just one kill that night. Freshman 5-10 middle blocker Kim Wong is the team's top hitter at .233, and that includes a mark of .357 (13 kills 3 errors-28 attacks) the first time vs. the Falcons. Another dangerous one is 6-foot junior outside Maddie Davis, who had a double-double of 19 kills and 11 digs in the first match. Riley Podowicz, a 6-foot junior middle, is a tough challenge all-around with team highs of 71 blocks and 35 service aces, along with 140 kills.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
The Falcons put three more double-doubles onto their season list last week. Symone Tran had two of those, giving her 16 for the year, 29 for her career, and three in a row heading into the final week of the season. Junior outside hitter Colleen Hannigan added her third.
 
Seattle Pacific now has 39 double-doubles in 2016.
 
Colleen Hannigan (3 season / 3 career)
16K-15D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 9;
16K-20D vs. Central Washington, Oct. 27;
11K-12D at Western Washington, Nov. 10.
 
Hannah Lautenbach (7 season / 11 career)
14K-19D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 9;
10K-10D vs. Western Oregon, Sept. 22;
13K-14D vs. Concordia-Oregon, Sept. 24;
20K-21D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 29;
10K-13D vs. Montana State Billings, Oct. 6;
13K-20D vs. Western Washington, Oct. 15;
14K-19D vs. Central Washington, Oct. 27.
 
Gabby Oddo (13 season / 13 career)
14K-11D at Concordia Irvine, Sept. 2;
10K-10D vs. Colo. Christian, Sept. 3;
16K-21D vs. UC San Diego, Sept. 3;
14K-13D vs. Humboldt State, Sept. 8;
19K-13D vs. Azusa Pacific, Sept. 10;
19K-10D at Alaska Fairbanks, Sept. 15;
10K-12D at Alaska Anchorage, Sept. 17;
12K-18D vs. Concordia-Oregon, Sept. 24;
16K-12D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 29;
16K-10D at Central Washington, Oct. 1;
16K-10D vs. Montana State Billings, Oct. 6;
14K-17D vs. Simon Fraser, Oct. 13;
14K-32D vs. Western Washington, Oct. 15.
 
Symone Tran (16 season / 29 career)
32 AST-21D at Concordia Irvine, Sept. 2;
43 AST-13D vs. UC San Diego, Sept. 3;
48 AST-16D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 9.
36 AST-24D vs. Azusa Pacific, Sept. 10;
42 AST-13D vs. Concordia-Oregon, Sept. 24;
55 AST-13D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 29;
55 AST-18D at Central Washington, Oct. 1;
39 AST-15D vs. Saint Martin's, Oct.4;
48 AST-13D vs. Montana State Billings, Oct. 6;
31 AST-11D vs. Simon Fraser, Oct. 13;
58 AST-35D vs. Western Washington, Oct. 15;
40 AST-14D at Western Oregon, Oct. 22;
53 AST-18D vs. Central Washington, Oct. 27;
31 AST-11D at Montana State Billings, Nov. 5;
33 AST-11D at Western Washington, Nov. 10;
34 AST-11D at Simon Fraser, Nov. 12.
 
CRESPI'S CREAMIN' IT
Shaun Crespi was on target in a big way last Saturday night at Simon Fraser.

 

The sophomore middle blocker hit for a career-best .550 percentage in the four-game match. Crespi (Camarillo, Calif.) swung 20 times, putting 12 balls onto the floor, with just one error.
 
Crespi's mark beat her old high of .500, which she achieved four times, most recently on Oct. 15 in Seattle against Western Washington. In that five-gamer, she had a career-high 17 kills with just three errors on 28 attacks.
 
In matches when an individual player records at least eight kills, Crespi has SPU's four highest hitting percentages this season: the .550 at Simon Fraser, the .500 against Western, plus a .500 (10 kills-2 errors-16 attacks) at home against Western Oregon on Sept. 22, and a .467 (9-2-15) at Saint Martin's on Nov. 1.

 

AWESOME ABBEY
If last week's two matches are any indication, middle blocker Abbey Lautenbach is on the way to ending her freshman season in fine style.

Lautenbach (Portland, Ore.) started her week with a career-high .500 hitting performance in the match at Western Washington. She had four kills and no errors on eight attacks, and also had a pair of block assists.
 
Then, two nights later at Simon Fraser, Lautenbach delivered seven kills (coming with one of her career high), hit .263, and had two more block assists. For the week, she put together a .333 hitting mark (11-2-27).
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Here's how the Falcons rank in NCAA Division II:
 
TEAM
7th attacks per game 39.93 (2nd GNAC).
8th blocks per game 2.37 (2nd GNAC).
33rd total blocks 237.0 (3rd GNAC).
29th digs per game 18.10 (5th GNAC).
89th total attacks 3,993 (2nd GNAC).
91st total digs 1,810 (3^rd GNAC).
 
INDIVIDUAL
Shaun Crespi 3rd total blocks 144 (1st GNAC).
Shaun Crespi 6th blocks per game 1.44 (1st GNAC).
Amanda Ganete 67th digs per game 4.94 (5th GNAC).
Amanda Ganete 88th total digs 494 (4th GNAC)
Gabby Oddo 24th attacks per game 11.49 (2nd GNAC).
Symone Tran 60th assists per game 10.17 (5th GNAC)
Symone Tran 74th total assists 1,017 (4th GNAC).
 
Click in this link to see where the Falcons rank nationally. Click on this link to how other GNAC teams and players stack up in D2.
 
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING … FOR 2017
With the curtain coming down on 2016, it's never too early to start thinking ahead to next fall and some of the statistical milestones that will be possible.
 
Shaun Crespi 300th block (currently has 224, including 144 this season).
Amanda Ganete 1,000th dig (has 677, including 494 this season).
Colleen Hannigan 200th kill (has 168, including 132 this season).
Sophie Kuehl 500th dig (has 423, including 182 this season).
Abbey Lautenbach 100th kill (has 72), 100th block (has 37; both this season).
Hannah Lautenbach 1,000th kill (has 603, including 236 this season), 1,000th dig (has 655, including 297 this season), 1,000th point (has 748.5, including 294.0 this season).
Gabby Oddo 500th kill (has 242), 500th dig (has 237; both this season).
Symone Tran 2,000th (and 3,000th) assist (has 1,849, including 1,017 this season), 1,000th dig (has 553, including 319 this season).
Coach Chris Johnson 200th win (has 192, including 10 this season).
 
AROUND THE WEST
Alaska Anchorage has all but officially won the GNAC title and the automatic NCAA qualifying berth that goes with it. A win at either Seattle Pacific or Saint Martin's, or a Western Washington loss at home to Simon Fraser or Montana State Billings will seal the deal. Based on last week's West Region rankings, UAA (No. 1), Simon (No. 3) and Western (No. 4) seem good bets to make the NCAAs. Northwest Nazarene (No. 6) and Central Washington (No. 7) are getting close.
 
Cal State San Bernardino 21-4,15-2 CCAA) finished atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division, and also had the best record in division play at 9-1. Chico State is listed atop the North standings at 15-3 in CCAA play (21-6 overall), but Sonoma State 14-11, 12-6 CCAA) actually had the best in-division record at 10-2. Bernardino, at No. 2 in the region rankings should easily make the NCAAs. Cal State L.A. (15-10, 11-6 CCAA, No. 8 in the rankings) or Chico (No. 9 in the rankings) might have to win this week's conference tournament to get in.
 
Concordia Irvine (25-2, 16-2) has clinched at least a share of the Pacific West Conference title with two regular-season matches left. Cal Baptist (20-7, 15-4), with just one match remaining, can do no more than tie for the crown. But the Lancers have officially clinched the Pac West's automatic NCAA berth, as it can't be caught by third-place Dominican or Hawaii Pacific (both 12-6 in conference play). Concordia Irvine, still transitioning into D2, is not eligible for this year's NCAAs.
 
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                Conference          Overall
Alaska Anchorage               17-1                        27-2
Western Washington           15-3                        19-7
Simon Fraser                        13-5                        20-6
Northwest Nazarene           11-7                        18-7
Central Washington             11-7                        15-11
Concordia                              11-7                        15-11
Western Oregon                      7-11                     10-15
Seattle Pacific                         6-12                     10-16
Montana State Billings          5-13                       7-21
Saint Martin's                           2-16                       6-16
Alaska Fairbanks                   1-17                       2-23