THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 7                 Western Washington at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Nov. 9                  Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific, 1:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 

        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – It's the hottest team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference going against one of the best teams in the country.
 
Could make for quite a volleyball match.
 
The Seattle Pacific Falcons, winners of six straight and current owners of the longest victory string in the GNAC, open their final homestand of the season when the take on national No. 4-ranked Western Washington on Thursday night in Brougham Pavilion. First serve is at 7:00 p.m.
 
Things figure to be just a challenging come Saturday afternoon. That's when Simon Fraser is in town for a 1:00 p.m. match.
 
This will be the second go-round for SPU (11-11, 8-6 GNAC) against both opponents – and seeking some redemption is the order of the day. Last month, the Falcons crossed into Canada and had leads of one game to none and two games to one. But the Clan bounced back both times and prevailed in five. Then two nights later in Bellingham, Seattle Pacific managed just 13 kills and just 29 points for the entire match against Western, losing a 25-14, 25-8, 25-7 decision.
 
Seattle Pacific has been trending upward ever since, and comes into this week off a sweep of its Oregon road trip, winning in three at Western Oregon and in four at Concordia-Portland.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Free live Webcasts and live stats will be available for all GNAC matches, home and away. The appropriate links for this week's home contests can be found at the top of this story.
 
TRIPLE-THOUSAND SET TO HAPPEN AT HOME
Just. One. More. Dig.
 
That's all Gabby Oddo needs on Thursday to reach 1,000 in that category for her career.
 
 

Having already gone well beyond a grand in kills (1,280 to start the week) and points (1,446), that one dig will officially make her just the third player in the 34-year history of SPU volleyball, and just the 19^th player in the 19-year history of the GNAC to accomplish the "triple-thousand" feat..
 
The two other Falcons who already have gotten there are Stephanie Huffman from 1997-2000 (1,135 kills / 1,340 digs / 1,311.5 points) and Leilani Kamahoahoa (1,249 kills / 1,397 digs / 1,461.5 points).
 
Of the 18 GNAC players to go triple-grand, three of them reached it last season. Abby Phelps of Western Washington finished with gi-normous totals of 1,628 kills, 1,915 digs, and 1,853 points (kills-aces-blocks). Shelby Mauritson of Central Washington finished with 1,076 points, 1,112 digs, and 1,223.5 points. Chrisalyn Johnson of Alaska Anchorage totaled 1,083 kills, 1,002 digs, and 1,254 points..
 
Oddo will be the second Seattle Pacific player on the GNAC list, joining Kamahoahoa. Huffman pulled off her triple-thousand while the Falcons were still members of the Pacific West Conference prior to the start of the GNAC in 2001.
 




SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- The last time Seattle Pacific was on a six-match winning streak was Oct. 15-29, 2011.
-- The last one of longer than six? That would be the 16-match streak to open the record-setting 2010 campaign. That one was halted by Western, in three games at Bellingham.
-- In the past year, the Falcons have halted some lengthy dry spells against conference opponents. It started last Nov. 1 at Alaska Anchorage when they prevailed after having lost 11 in a row.
-- This year, SPU beat Northwest Nazarene, also on the road, after having dropped 13 straight in that series. Then on Oct. 26 in Seattle, the Falcons downed Central Washington. Prior to that, the Wildcats had defeated them five straight times.
-- Western Washington now owns the longest win streak vs. the Falcons at 11 in a row. SPU's last win in the series was a four-gamer on Oct. 24, 2013 in Carver Gymnasium – which just happened to be the 500^th overall win in the history of the Falcons' program.
-- The last two SPU-WWU matches in Brougham Pavilion have been back-and-forth five-game marathons. Both times, the Falcons pushed into a 13-12 lead late in Game 5. But both times, WWU tallied the last three points to pull out the victories.
-- Gabby Oddo tied the Seattle Pacific single-match with 32 kills vs. the Vikings last Nov. 10 in Brougham..
-- SPU was up 2 games to 1 at Simon Fraser last month. Then the Clan found a groove, winning Game 4 by a 25-14 count and building an 11-4 bulge in Game .5. The Falcons came all the way back to 14-13, fighting off one match point to do it, before a Betsie de Beer kill clinched it.
-- Oddo and Maddie Batiste combined for 30 kills on 95 attacks in that match.
-- With her 27 points in last week's two matches, Oddo moved closer to No. 3 on Seattle Pacific's career points list. She now has 1,446. Leilani Kamahoahoa accounted for 1,461.5 from 1998-2001.
-- Freshman Delaney Dunham had an error-free match with seven kills on 13 swings against Simon Fraser. She has had another one of those since then, going 5-0-10 in last Thursday's sweep at Western Oregon. In fact, October was quite the productive month for Dunham with 33 kills and just eight errors on 100 attacks for a .330 percentage.
-- Dunham's November is doing even better so far. She hit .375 on Saturday at Concordia-Portland 7-1-16).
-- Batiste and Oddo rank Nos. 2 and 4 in GNAC kills at 3.48 and 3.41 per game, respectively. Batiste has 285 for the season; Oddo has 280.
-- Coach Abbie Wright is seeking her first win in six tries against Western Washington. She is 3-2 against Simon Fraser.
 
SCOUTING REPORT
WESTERN WASHINGTON VIKINGS: 21-1, 13-1 GNAC (1^st)
All-time series: WWU leads, 49-26. Current series streak: WWU won 11. Last time: WWU 3, SPU 0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-7; Oct. 12, 2019 at Bellingham). Vikings on the Web.
Vikings in a nutshell: Since the teams met last month in Bellingham, the Vikings have had one stumble, dropping a four-gamer at Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 19 that ended a 47-match conference winning streak dating back to 2017. But that was merely a speed bump. Western has swept three of its four matches since then, with only Simon Fraser getting a game off the Vikings last Tuesday. Of the seven major statistical categories, Western Washington leads the GNAC in five of them: hitting (.271), lowest opponents' hitting (.139), kills (14.01 per game), assists (13.32) and blocks (2.77). Among the top attackers in the conference, three wear WWU blue. Redshirt freshman Calley Heilborn is No. 5 at 3.35 kills per game (261 total), 510 sophomore outside Gabby Gunterman is No. 7 at 3.18, and all-everything 6-3 senior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper is No. 10 at 3.11. Harper (.368) and 6-foot sophomore middle Chloe Roetcisoender (.333) rank Nos. 2-3 in GNAC hitting accuracy. Harper also sets the conference pace in blocks at 1.35 per game
 
SIMON FRASER CLAN: 14-8, 10-4 GNAC (3rd)
All-time series: SPU leads, 30-16. Current series streak: Simon won 2. Last time: Simon 3, SPU 2 (25-18, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-13; Oct. 10, 2019 at Burnaby). Clan on the Web.
Clan in a nutshell: Simon Fraser recently put together a seven-match winning streak, which included a five-game come-from-behind victory at Alaska Anchorage. That streak ended in four games against Western Washington last Tuesday, but the Clan got right back up, sweeping Montana State Billings two nights later. Simon hits well (.213, third in the GNAC) and makes it tough for opponents to do likewise (.158, the second-lowest percentage allowed). Kirsten Pinkney, a 6-foot senior outside hitter, and 6-1 senior outside Betsie de Beer, rank No. 11 and 12 in GNAC kills per game at 3.04 and 2.97 respectively. De Boer slammed 18 kills in the first match against SPU, one of four Clan in double-figures that day. When it comes to hitting accuracy, two other Simon players are right there with the GNAC's best. Nicole Chevrier, a 6-2 senior middle, is No. 8 at .288, and 6-2 freshman middle Kalyn Hartmann is No. 9 at .276. 
 
COACH ABBIE WRIGHT SAYS …
 

(On coming from 15-4 down to win Game 2 at Concordia)
"We just really played with a lot of grit and tenacity. We served super well and were hitting our locations and putting pressure on them.
 
(On the six-match winning streak)
"I'm just glad we're getting rewarded for the hard work we've put in. We've got buy-in, and that has helped with our confidence and just giving them the ability to see that they're capable and worthy of competing with anybody. … We've been talking about how the second half (of the GNAC schedule) is a new season, and it has been awesome to see them take that and run with it."
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
It was a lucky 13 for Maddie Batiste and Gabby Oddo. Last Saturday at Concordia-Portland, both recorded their 13^th double-doubles of the season. For Batiste, it was the 14^th of her career. For Oddo, it was her 49^th.
 
SPU now has 30 for the season.
 
Taylor Alicuben (1 season / 1 career)
32 AST-10D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 13
 
Maddie Batiste (13 season / 14 career)
14K-10D vs. Cal State East Bay, Sept. 7
11K-14D vs. Concordia Irvine, Sept. 7
12K-10D vs. Point Loma Nazarene, Sept. 8
13K-13D vs. Cal Poly Pomona, Sept. 12
14K-11D vs. Cal St. Monterey Bay, Sept. 12
20K-15D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 13
20K-11D vs. Chaminade, Sept. 14
11K-10D vs. Alaska Fairbanks, Sept. 21
16K-12D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 28
14K-16D at Simon Fraser, Oct. 10
19K-17D at Montana State Billings, Oct. 19
10K-19D vs. Northwest Nazarene, Oct. 24
20K-15D at Concordia-Portland, Nov. 2
 
Lindsey Lambert (3 season / 3 career)
39 AST-10D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 28
36 AST-10D vs. Northwest Nazarene, Oct. 24
47 AST-24D vs. Central Washington, Oct. 26
 
Gabby Oddo (13 season / 49 career)
17K-11D vs. Concordia Irvine, Sept. 7
14K-14D vs. Point Loma Nazarene, Sept. 8
15K-11D vs. Cal Poly Pomona, Sept. 12
14K-16D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 13
12K-18D  vs. Chaminade, Sept. 14
12K-13D vs. Alaska Fairbanks, Sept. 21
20K-14D at Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 28
12K-15D vs. Concordia-Portland, Oct. 3
14K-15D vs. Western Oregon, Oct. 5
16K-13D at Simon Fraser, Oct. 10
16K-10D vs. Northwest Nazarene, Oct. 24
17K-22D vs. Central Washington, Oct. 26
16K-13D at Concordia-Portland, Nov. 2
 
SENIOR NIGHT ON NEXT THURSDAY'S DOCKET
SPU will salute its four seniors next Thursday, Nov. 14, prior to the first serve against Montana State Billings in the final 2019 home match.
 
Taylor Alicuben, Mallie Donohoe, Jaeden Hooker, and Gabby Oddo will be playing their final home match in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Alicuben joined the Falcons last season after playing previously at Highline Community College. The setter has seen an increase in playing time this season, getting onto the court for 14 matches through the first nine weeks of the season. Donohoe took over the libero's role and is the team leader in digs.
 
Hooker has become a regular at outside hitter, either as a starter or as a reserve, and has come up with multiple kills in 19 of her 21 matches coming into this week. Oddo has been her usual effective self at outside hitter, and once again has been among the team's leaders in kills and digs, and is the clear leader in service aces.

A VERY SMART 7 EARN ALL-ACADEMIC
SPU seniors Gabby Oddo and Mallie Donohoe have been named to the GNAC All-Academic volleyball team for the third year in a row. They were two of the seven SPU players earning a spot on the list.
 
Joining the elite group for the second time were seniors Jaeden Hooker and Katie Mansfield, and junior Gabi Stegemoller. Falcon first-timers on the list were junior Maddie Batiste and sophomore Erin Gould.
 
Oddo, an outside hitter, has a 3.69 grade-point average as a business administration major. Donohoe is a business administration major with a 3.63 GPA.
 
Hooker sports a 3.42 GPA as a communications major. Stegemoller is a nursing major has a 3.82 GPA leads the team's regular attackers with a .267 hitting percentage, having recorded 139 kills. Mansfield is majoring in art and carries a 3.33 GPA.
 
Batiste is a communications major with a 3.48 grade-point average. Gould has built a 3.67 GPA as a political science major.
 
COMING UP ACES
In both of last week's Oregon road matches, the Falcons racked up 12 service aces.
 
 

At Western Oregon on Thursday, freshman Paige Dawson had four, just one shy of her career high. On Saturday at Concordia-Portland, sophomore Erin Gould delivered a career-high seven. That included three in a row to start the match, and another one later in the first game.
 
That makes four matches this season SPU has had a dozen, and five matches in double-digits.
 
"We've been emphasizing good contact with the ball – not necessarily needing an ace, but hitting the service zone to go along with the scouting report," coach Abbie Wright said. "Our goal is to get a team out of system, or at least eliminate one hitter to make our job easier."
 
Coming into the week, Seattle Pacific now ranks No. 2 in GNAC aces at 1.87 per game, with 153. That total is tied with Simon Fraser and Alaska Fairbanks, and trails only Alaska Anchorage's 192. And, they're above the serving .500 mark: 153 aces, 136 errors.
 
AROUND THE WEST
Western Washington regained a bit of a cushion atop the GNAC. The Vikings (21-1, 13-1) beat Simon Fraser and Montana State Billings. Meanwhile, Alaska Anchorage (16-6, 11-3) split its two matches, downing Northwest Nazarene, but losing in five games at Central Washington. Simon Fraser (14-8, 10-4) and Central (14-8, 9-5) kept themselves within range of the first set of West Region rankings, which will be released on Wednesday.
 
Cal State Los Angeles got a game, but Cal State San Bernardino got the match against the top two teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division. The undefeated Coyotes (21-0, 14-0 CCAA) prevailed, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 26-24. The Golden Eagles (15-6, 11-2) are still likely to be in those first rankings. Chico State (12-10, 8-6) and Stanislaus State (13-8, 8-6) are tied atop the North Division.
 
It's getting tight in the Pacific West Conference. Chaminade (19-4, 13-2) still leads after losing a five-game battle to Hawaii Hilo on Sunday, 15-12 in the fifth after rallying from a two-game deficit. Azusa Pacific (18-4, 12-2) is just half a match behind, as is Hilo (18-6, 13-3). Hawaii Pacific also is right there at 16-7, 12-3. Chaminade and HPU clash in Honolulu on Wednesday, then the Silversowrds play at Azusa next Monday.
 
UP NEXT
The final two home matches of the season are next week. Saint Martin's visits on Tuesday, Nov. 12, followed by Montana State Billings on Senior Night, Thursday the 14^th. Both are at 7:00 p.m. Seattle Pacific swept the Saints, and downed the Yellowjackets in four games on the road in October.
 
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                                   Conference          Overall
Western Washington        13-1        21-1
Alaska Anchorage          11-3        16-6
Simon Fraser              10-4        14-8
Central Washington         9-5        14-8
Alaska Fairbanks           8-6        11-11
Seattle Pacific            8-6        11-11
Northwest Nazarene         6-8        10-11
Concordia-Portland         6-8         8-13
Montana State Billings     4-10        7-17
Western Oregon             2-12        4-17
Saint Martin's             0-14        0-23