THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 27 Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 6:00 p.m. PDT.
Johnson Sports Center / Nampa, Idaho
Live Webcast Live stats
Saturday, Sept. 29 Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 3:00 p.m.
Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash..
Live Webcast Live stats
Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
SEATTLE – They had four winnable matches at home – and won all four.
Next challenge for the Seattle Pacific Falcons is to see if they can keep up their winning volleyball ways on the road.
Having pushed their current streak of W's to five, SPU players will leave the friendly environs of Brougham Pavilion and head out on a two-match trip this week. The first stop is Nampa, Idaho, on Thursday night for a match against Northwest Nazarene. First serve is at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Come Saturday afternoon, the Falcons will be in Ellensburg for a battle with Great Northwest Athletic Conference power Central Washington. That one has a 3:00 p.m. start time.
Not only is Seattle Pacific (7-6, 5-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) on a five-match winning streak, it starts the week tied for second place with Central, one match behind undefeated Western Washington (6-0). The Falcons racked up Nos. 4 and 5 last week at home, sweeping past Saint Martin's, then getting past Montana State Billings in five games.
FOLLOW IT LIVE
All GNAC matches, home and away, will feature free live Webcasts and free live stats. The appropriate links for this week's home matches can be found at the top of this page.
THE (ALMOST-BUT-NOT-QUITE) HALFTIME REPORT
In most other years, the Falcons would be at the exact midpoint of their season now, with 14 matches down and 14 to go. This year, however, the schedule has just 27 matches, since the season-opening Falcon-Wildcat Invitational had just three contests (instead of the four that are customary with most preseason tourneys).
That means it's 13 matches down and 14 to go. So … close enough. Let's call it halftime and compare where things are now to where they were last year through 13:
TEAM 2018 2017
Overall record 7-6 8-5
GNAC record 5-1 4-2
Hitting .146 .190
Kills per set 11.59 12.20
Assists per set 11.13 11.52
Total service aces 73 61
Digs per set 16.50 15.63
Blocks per set 2.21 1.85
INDIVIDUAL 2018 2017
Leading hitter Gabby Oddo .195 Oddo 228
Kills per set Gabby Oddo 3.17 Oddo 3.25
Total kills Gabby Oddo 146 Oddo 172
Assists per set Symone Tran 9.54 Tran 9.69
Total assists Symone Tran 439 Tran 523
Total service aces Gabby Oddo 18 Sophie Kuehl 14
Digs per set Amanda Ganete 4.65 Ganete 4.26
Total digs Amanda Ganete 214 Ganete 230
Blocks per set Shaun Crespi 1.22 Crespi 1.44
Total blocks Shaun Crespi 56 Nicole Tchabaov 47
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- Northwest Nazarene's cu
rrent 11-match winning streak against Seattle Pacific is the
longest of any GNAC opponent.
-- SPU's
last victory against the Nighthawks (then the Crusaders) was a five-gamer in Seattle on Sept. 29, 2012.
- -Of
those 11 matches since then,
four of them have gone to the five-game limit – twice in Seattle (including last season) and twice in Nampa.
-- Junior outside hitter
Gabby Oddo has played three times against NNU and has been in
double-digit kills all three times – 16 in her one match as a freshman (she missed the second one with an injury), then 12 and 10 in last year's two matches.
--
Oddo currently ranks No. 6 in kills for the GNAC at 3.17 per set.
Shaun Crespi
--Senior middle blocker
Shaun Crespi has had
some of her best blocking performances versus the Nighthawks, with one match of seven total blocks (including three solos), three matches of six, and two matches of three.
-- Matter of fact, she
has had some big ones against Central, too, with 26 total blocks in six matches, with 17 of those (nine in one match, eight in the other) coming as a sophomore.
-- Over the years, the
series against Central Washington has been the closest of any SPU opponent. The Wildcats now lead it, 39-35, and have had the upper hand for the past five seasons. Seattle Pacific had a 34-30 lead following the 2012 campaign, but
Central has won nine of the last 10, taking both matches in 2013, '14, '15, and '17. The teams split in 2016.
-- The
lone win for the Falcons during that stretch was a five-gamer at home in 2016.
-- Of the
other nine matches,
three have gone to the five-game max.
-- Seattle Pacific has
played Central Washington more than any other opponent – 74 times. The
second-most is 73 against Western Washington, including this year's GNAC opener on Sept. 6 in Bellingham.
-- Same goes for
total sets played. The
Falcons and Wildcats have played 273 dating back to their very first meeting in 1986, with
CWU owning a 139-134 edge.
-- The Falcons are
2-5 outside of Brougham Pavilion.
Both wins have come in true road matches: a sweep at Fresno Pacific on Sept. 1, and a four-game victory at Simon Fraser on Sept. 8.
-- Head coach
Abbie Wright is looking for her first win against both of this week's opponents. Last year, NNU escaped with a five-game victory in Seattle, then swept in Nampa. Central took a four-gamer in Seattle and swept in Ellensburg.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE NIGHTHWKS: 2-11, 2-4 GNAC (tie 7th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 20-16.
Current series streak: NNU won 11.
Last time: NNU 3, SPU 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-21; Nov. 4, 2017 at Nampa, Idaho).
Nighthawks on the Web.
Nighthawks in a nutshell: NNU took a couple of big hits via graduation, with the departure of two-time All-America middle blocker
Madi Farrell and 2017 All-America honorable mention outside hitter
Kendra Bodine. Farrell hit a monster .414 last year (fourth-best in all of D2), averaging 3.93 kills and 1.37 blocks. Bodine averaged 4.29 kills. Setter
Hailey Cook, with her 11.38 assists per game, also graduated. Bodine had 33 kills and Farrell 29 in the two matches combined against SPU last fall. Stepping up has been 6-foot sophomore outside hitter
Abbey Blum, who is averaging 3.38 kills per game, ranking No. 4 in the GNAC and well above last year's average of 1.38. Senior 5-10 outside
Cami Heninger, a returning starter from last year, is among the conference's top 20 at 2.51 kills per game. Senior libero
Shayli Siegfried is No. 3 in the GNAC at 5.33 digs per game. Northwest Nazarene lost its first eight matches before snagging a four-game victory at Alaska Fairbanks on the first weekend of conference play, then split with the Oregon schools last week, falling in three at Concordia-Portland, then winning in four at Western Oregon.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON WILDCATS: 11-2, 5-1 GNAC (tie 2nd)
All-time series: CWU leads, 39-35.
Current series streak: CWU won 2.
Last time: CWU 3, SPU 0 (28-25, 25-19, 25-22; Nov. 2, 2018 at Ellensburg, Wash.).
Wildcats on the Web.
Wildcats in a nutshell: Central's only two losses have come to nationally ranked teams: No. 11 Cal State San Bernardino in the Falcon-Wildcat Invitational, and No. 13 Western Washington in a GNAC showdown on Sept. 15 in Ellensburg. In between, the Wildcats scored an impressive five-game victory at Alaska Anchorage. Last week, they took care of both Oregon schools on the road. Central Washington has some big weapons across the net.
Makala Swart, a 6-foot-1 sophomore outside hitter, and 5-10 senior outside
Shelby Mauritson are tied for second in the GNAC at 3.83 kills per game.
Madison Weg, a 6-foot senior outside, averages 2.89 kills and hits at a .255 clip. The Wildcats also have a pair of hitters among the top 10 in the conference: 6-0 senior middle blocker
Sarah Joffs (No. 7 at .296), and 5-11 sophomore middle
Julia Mellander (.279). Mellander (1.24) and Joffs (1.22) rank 3-4 among GNAC blockers.
Gabrielle Aihara, a junior, is the conference's leading setter at 11.94 assists per game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
Junior outside hitter
Gabby Oddo had double-doubles in both matches last week, and
Symone Tran logged one against Montana State Billings. The Falcons have 14 for the year.
Maddie Batiste (1 season / 1 career)
13K-13D vs. Metro State, Aug. 25
Shaun Crespi (0 season / 1 career)
Gabby Oddo (6 season / 26 career)
19K-12D vs. Fresno Pacific, Aug. 24
13K-17D vs. Metro State, Aug. 25
11K-16D vs. UC San Diego, Sept. 1
15K-11D at Simon Fraser, Sept. 8
12K-11D vs. Saint Martin's, Sept. 18
15K-16D vs. Montana State Billings, Sept. 20
Symone Tran (7 season / 52 career)
38 AST-19D vs. Fresno State, Aug. 24
39 AST-20D vs. Metro State, Aug. 25
27 AST-10D vs. UC San Diego, Sept.1
43 AST-21D at Western Washington, Sept. 6
45 AST-10D at Simon Fraser, Sept. 8
34 AST-13D vs. Concordia-Portland, Sept. 15
54 AST-17D vs. Montana State Billings, Sept. 20
TOP 5? WHY NOT GO FOR TOP 4?
With just four more digs, senior libero
Amanda Ganete will take over the No. 5 spot on Seattle Pacific's all-time list. Ganete starts the week with 1,376 digs. Tiffany Butac had 1,379 from 2003-06.
Amanda Ganete
But there's no need for Ganete to stop there. At 1,376, she's just 21 away from catching Leilani Kamahoahoa, who came up with 1,398 from 1998 through 2001.
With 14 regular-season matches left, Ganete also has a chance to climb a couple more rungs. Torii Mount is currently No. e with 1,552 from 2005-08, and Brianna Leenders had 1,570 from 2011-14.
The only one out of reach is program record-holder Anna Herold. She came up with 2,316 from 2008-11.
CRESPI'S CREAMIN' IT
Shaun Crespi is in one very productive groove the past couple of weeks.
The senior middle blocker put three consecutive matches of .300-plus hitting into the books during the just-completed four-match homestand. That was capped by a season-best .474 percentage (10 kills, just one error on 19 attacks) in last Thursday's five-game victory against Montana State Billings.
Prior to that, Crespi hit .368 (9-2-19) in a sweep of Concordia-Portland on Sept. 15, and .308 (6-2-13) in a sweep of Saint Martin's last Tuesday.
Taken together, that adds up to .392 (20-5-51).
Through the first 13 matches, has three matches in the .400s and three more in the .300s.
STEGEMOLLER'S STOPPIN' IT
After playing primarily in a reserve role last year as a freshman, middle blocker
Gabi Stegemoller making the most of her status as a regular starter..
Gabi Stegemoller
Stegemoller has been on the court for the first serve in all 13 matches and has played in all 46 games. In last Saturday's five-game victory against Montana State Billings, she came up with a career-high nine block assists, beating her old mark of eight, which she set last Oct. 21 at home against Alaska Fairbanks.
In those 13 matches, Stegemoller has had at least one block in 12 of them. She had a four-spot against Chico State on Aug. 31, and a fiver at Simon Fraser on Sept. 8.
Speaking of blocking, the Falcons rank No. 32 among the 290 NCAA Division II volleyball programs at 2.21 per game. Leading the way is
Shaun Crespi with her 1.22 per-game average. That puts her at No. 22 nationally.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Slowly but steadily, SPU has been adding points to its team hitting percentage. A pair of big – and timely -- performances last week certainly helped.
In Game 3 that helped finish off a sweep of Saint Martin's, the Falcons hit a season-high .517 with 16 kills and just one error on 29 attacks.
The stakes were higher on Thursday, as Montana State Billings forced a deciding Game 5. The percentage was higher, too, as Seattle Pacific hit .667 (7-1-9) on the way to running off 10 straight points and quickly taking care of business to put the win into the books.
Heading into the start of GNAC play in early September, the Falcons were hitting just .116. Since then, they climbed to .125 heading into Week 2, and .133 going into last week. They begin this week's trip to Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington at .146 – still 11
th in the conference, but a 30-point jump from where they had been.
AROUND THE WEST
Western Washington remained atop the
GNAC with home wins against both Alaska schools last week, including a four-gamer vs.
Anchorage. After the Vikings lost Game 2 to the Seawolves, 25-23, they allowed just 24 more points the rest of the way, winning 25-13 in Game 3 and 25-11 in Game 4. The most compelling match on this week's schedule could be Tuesday's contest in British Columbia between Simon Fraser and WWU.
This is showdown week in the
California Collegiate Athletic Association – specifically within the South Division. At least one long winning streak, and maybe two, are going to come to an end. The week starts with
Cal Poly Pomona and
Cal State San Bernardino tied atop the division at 6-0, with
Cal State Los Angeles at 4-0. Pomona (13-1 overall) and L.A. (12-0) are both have won 12 straight. San Bernardino (13-1) has racked up nine in a row. San Bernardino hosts Pomona on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Friday. On Saturday, Pomona visits Los Angeles, which is the last unbeaten team in the entire West Region.
Azusa Pacific has opened a bit of breathing room in the
Pacific West Conference. The Cougars scored a sweep of
Chaminade last Thursday in California, and are now 7-0 in the conference, 11-4 overall.
Hawaii Hilo is second at 5-1, 9-3 overall. Chaminade, which won its first nine, had a California road trip of four matches in six days, and lost three of them. The
Silverswords are now 10-3 overall, 4-3 in the Pac West.
UP NEXT
The first half of the GNAC schedule concludes next week in Brougham Pavilion when the Falcons welcome the Alaska schools to town.
Fairbanks will be in on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., followed by
Anchorage on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The match against Fairbanks will be a Throwback Thursday. Students are invited to wear their Falcon Fest shirt or an outfit from their favorite decade and be entered to win prizes from sponsors.
GNAC STANDINGS
GNAC Overall
Western Washington 6-0 11-3
Central Washington 5-1 11-2
Seattle Pacific 5-1 7-6
Alaska Anchorage 4-2 11-3
Concordia-Portland 4-2 7-6
Simon Fraser 3-3 6-6
Western Oregon 2-4 5-8
Northwest Nazarene 2-4 2-11
Montana State Billings 1-5 7-8
Alaska Fairbanks 1-5 3-10
Saint Martin's 0-6 2-10
