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        SPU-Concordia Irvine box score, play-by-play (HTML)
        SPU-Azusa Pacific box score, play-by-play (HTML) 

IRVINE, Calif. – Before heading to California for Seattle Pacific's season-opening volleyball tournament, coach Chris Johnson said the future of this year's freshman class "is really bright."
 
A couple of them are shining already.

 

Gabby Oddo slammed 10 kills for her second double-digit performance of the day, and Nicole Tchabanov had seven kills with a team-high .429 hitting percentage as the Falcons swept past Azusa Pacific to gain a split of two matches on the first day of the Concordia Irvine Labor Day Classic
 
Scores in CU Arena were 25-16, 25-22, 25-18.
 
Not only was it SPU's first victory in three all-time matches against Azusa, it was the first time the team had even won a game against the Cougars. APU swept at the 2013 Route 92 Invitational in Hayward, Calif., and again last year at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference-Pacific West Crossover Tournament in Seattle.
 
The Falcons, who play Colorado Christian at 8:45 a.m. and UC San Diego at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, bounced back from Friday afternoon's 21-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-20 loss to host Concordia Irvine.
 
Outside hitter Oddo (Alta Loma, Calif.) hit .286 (10 kills, just two errors on 28 attacks) and came within one dig of her second straight double-double. She had 14 kills and 11 digs against Concordia.

 

Tchabanov (San Ramon, Calif.) had SPU's top hitting mark in both matches, having gone .385 (7-2-13) in the opener.
 
"Gabby and Nicole are playing great – we're excited about both of them," Johnson said. "Gabby was just killing it in both matches – 10 kills and .286 hitting (against Azusa) is nice from an outside hitter in just three games."
 
Sophomore middle blocker Shaun Crespi (Camarillo, Calif.) had six kills, hit .333, and recorded a team-high six blocks against Azusa. Sophomore setter Symone Tran (Portland, Ore.) earned 29 assists, and sophomore libero Amanda Ganete (Hillsboro, Ore.) came up with 12 digs.
 
"Nicole is doing great, and Shaun played better in this match," Johnson said. "It was nice to have a really good middle attack tonight."
 
The Falcons (1-1) were in command almost from start to finish against Azusa Pacific (0-2). They scored the first three points of Game 1, then were down 8-7 before running off five straight, part of an 8-1 surge that put them up 15-9.
 
SPU was in front 12-5 and 20-15 in Game 2, only to see the Cougars rally back both times. Tied at 21-21, Seattle Pacific scored four of the final five points to win, a run which started on a kill by Tchabanov.
 
Except for a 1-1 tie, the Falcons led Game 3 all the way, twice by as many as 11 points.
 
"Our defense really frustrated them," Johnson said. "It's not just getting the digs – we're controlling the digs really well. We're able to get a good set and a good swing in transition."
 
Seattle Pacific hit .162 for the match (34 kills-16 errors-111 attacks) and limited Azusa to just .035 (32-28-115). It kept the Cougars to negative hitting in the opening game (minus-.081) and below .100 in the third game (.043).

 

Concordia Irvine 3, SPU 1
Gabby Oddo's double-double of 14 kills and 11 digs was one of two for SPU. Symone Tran had 32 assists and a career-high 21 digs. Her old high was 17. Tran now has 14 career double-doubles, She also served a career-high three aces on Friday.
 
Seattle Pacific went ahead for good in the opening game with a 3-0 run that snapped a 19-19 tie. Concordia got within 22-21 before the Falcons closed it out on a kill by junior outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach, one by Oddo, and a Concordia attack error.
 
The Eagles took charge of Game 2 with a 6-2 surge that expanded a 12-10 lead to 18-12, and never let it drop below four points.
 
SPU seemed on the way to taking the third game, snapping an 18-18 tie and forging a 22-19 advantage. Concordia ran off four straight to go up 23-22, the last two of those points on back-to-back service aces. The Falcons responded with a kill by Lautenbach and then by Oddo to give themselves a try at game point. But the Eagles answered with three in a row to finish it off, 26-24.
 
Concordia had surges of 7-1 and 5-1 in the final game to secure the match.

 

Lautenbach (Portland, Ore.) wound up with 11 kills for Seattle Pacific. Amanda Ganete came up with a career-high 18 digs, topping her previous best of 16.
 
Nicole Tchabanov logged an SPU-high five total blocks.
 
Seattle Pacific hit just .099 for the match (41 kills-25 errors-162 attacks). Concordia Irvine slammed 22 more kills than the Falcons and finished at.240 hitting (63-21-175), and topped.300 in the middle two games.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Concordia Irvine Labor Day Classic
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
CU Arena / Irvine, Calif.
 
Concordia Irvine 3, Seattle Pacific 1
 
Game scores – 21-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-20.
 
Service aces – SPU 9 (Symone Tran 3), CUI 2 (Taylor Dennison 2).
Kills—SPU 41 (Gabby Oddo 14, Hannah Lautenbach 11), CUI 63 (Hannah Andrews 19, Ellie Ladansack 18).
Assists – SPU 35 (Tran 32), CUI 60 (Morgan Nunley 33)
Digs – SPU 75(Tran 21, Amanda Ganete 18), CUI 87 (Dennison 28).
Blocks / solo – SPU 16 / 0 solo (Nicole Tchabanov 5 / 0 solo), CUI 16 / 2 solo (Kyra Auten 5 / 0 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – SPU 41-25-162--.099 (Tchabanov 7-2-13--.385), CUI 63-21-175--.240 (Amber Rose 11-1-19--.526).
Attendance – 88.
 

Seattle Pacific 3, Azusa Pacific 0
 
Game scores – 25-16, 25-22, 25-18.
 
Service aces – APU 4 (4 players with 1), SPU 6 (Sophie Kuehl 2).
Kills – APU 32 (Sara Wagenveld 6), SPU 34 (Gabby Oddo 10).
Assists – APU 31 (Danika Young 13), SPU 34 (Symone Tran 29).
Digs – APU 48 (Bailey Henington 12), SPU 41 (Amanda Ganete 12).
Block assists / solo – APU 6 / 1 solo (Julianne Miller 2 / 1 solo), SPU 12 / 1 solo (Shaun Crespi 5 / 1 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – APU 32-28-115--.035 (Miller 5-2-13--.231), SPU 34-16-111--.162 (Nicole Tchabanov 7-1-14--.429).
Attendance – 90.
 
Next matches – Seattle Pacific vs. Colorado Christian, Saturday, 8:45 a.m.; vs. UC San Diego, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.