THE SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 19              Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
Saturday, Sept. 21               Alaska Fairbanks at Seattle Pacific, 2:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live Webcast        Live stats
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated season stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – Home at last.
 
After an 11-day road trip to California for the first eight matches of the volleyball season, the Seattle Pacific Falcons get to compete in Brougham Pavilion this week as they begin the Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of the schedule.
 
SPU will host the Alaska schools, with Anchorage in town on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., followed by Fairbanks on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
 
The Falcons (3-5) are coming off a split of last week's four matches in the D2 West Region Showcase at Cal Poly Pomona. They beat the host Broncos in the opener, came up short against Cal State Monterey Bay and Hawaii Hilo, then finished off with a back-and-forth match against Chaminade, prevailing in four games.
 
Seattle Pacific's home schedule will include 10 matches against GNAC opponents, capped by a stretch of four in a row in November.
 
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.
 
FALCONS TABBED FOR 6^TH
Seattle Pacific has been picked for a sixth-place finish in the upcoming GNAC volleyball season.
 
SPU received 63 points in the annual preseason coaches poll. The Falcons also were picked sixth last year, and wound up tying for that spot in the final standings with a 9-11 record. They had an 11-16 overall mark.

As for the favorite? There are two of them, as defending champion Western Washington tied for first in the voting with Central Washington, each receiving 114 points. Western (30-4, 20-0 GNAC) picked up seven of the 11 first-place votes, and the other four went to Central (23-6, 16-4 GNAC).
 
Alaska Anchorage is No. 3 with 93 points, Simon Fraser is No. 4 with 90, and Alaska Fairbanks is No. 5 with 75.
 
HOME COURT NOW HAS A NAME
For the first time in its history, the volleyball / basketball court inside Brougham Pavilion will have a name.
 
The hardwood will be known as Iron Coaching Court, beginning with the home-opening volleyball match on Thursday night at 7:00 against Alaska Anchorage.
 
Iron Coaching is a leadership development firm based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. It works with business and corporations both large and small across a wide swath of industries. It also works with colleges and universities, including Seattle Pacific.
 
While the court will be adorned with the Iron Coaching name, the gymnasium itself will continue to be known by the very familiar Royal Brougham moniker it has carried throughout its history of more than 60 years..
 




SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- The Falcons are 8-10 all-time in GNAC openers. That includes 3-3 when the opener has been at home.
-- Last year's opener was on the road at Western Washington, and the then-No. 12 Vikings won in four games.
-- The most recent conference opener at home was in 2017, when Concordia-Portland was the winner in four.
-- SPU went 5-7 on its home court last fall, with a 4-6 mark in conference play.
-- The 2018 home matches against the Alaska schools both went to the five-game limit, and the visitors prevailed in both – and both by 15-12 scores in the fifth.
-- However, the Falcons turned the tables on Anchorage in Alaska, winning in five (15-11 in the fifth).
-- That snapped an 11-match losing streak to the Seawolves.
-- The last time Seattle Pacific beat UAA in Seattle was a four-gamer in 2011.
-- Of the last seven that the Seawolves have won here, three have gone to the five-game limit, including the last two in a row.
-- Fairbanks has won two straight in Seattle, both of them going to five games.
-- When it comes to serving, Alaska Anchorage and SPU are the two best teams in the GNAC. The Seawolves have delivered 77 aces through 31 games in their eight matches, an average of 2.48 per set. The Falcons are next with 63 aces through 32 games in their eight matches, an average of 1.97.
-- Gabby Oddo is up to No. 7 on the all-time points list for the Falcons. She had 58 points (50 kills-6 aces-4 block assists) last week, and now totals 1,241.0. She passed Lindsey Wodrich, who had 1,212.0 from 2008-11. The current No. 6 total is 1,311.5 by Stephanie Huffman from 1997-2000.
-- Huffman also is next in sight for Oddo on the career kills list. She had 1,135; Oddo now has 1,100.
-- Coach Abbie Wright is 1-3 against both Anchorage and Fairbanks.
 
SCOUTING REPORT
ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES: 5-3, 0-0 GNAC
All-time series: SPU leads, 29-26. Current series streak: SPU won 1. Last time: SPU 3, UAA 2 (25-15, 15-25, 25-15, 18-25, 15-11; Nov. 1, 2018 at Anchorage). Seawolves on the Web.
Seawolves in a nutshell: Anchorage is coming off a 3-1 record in its pod of the D2 West Region Showcase last week at Cal State San Bernardino. The Seawolves beat Cal State San Marcos, Biola, and Point Loma Nazarene; their only loss was to host and No. 2-ranked San Bernardino in three. Eve Stephens, a 6-foot-1 sophomore right side hitter, leads the GNAC in kills per game at 3.81; her 118 total also is tops in the conference. She's a solid hitter as well at .241. Stephens had 26 kills in the two matches combined against SPU last fall, with 18 of those coming in Seattle. Anchorage also has the GNAC's top blocker in 6-2 junior middle blocker / right side Vera Pluharova with 43 total and 1.39 per game. The list of No. 1s continues in the serving department, as 5-8 freshman libero Maggie Schlueter and senior 5-11 outside hitter Vanessa Hayes both have 21 aces. Hayes also is 12^th kills at 3.06 per game (95 total). 
 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS NANOOKS: 3-5, 0-0 GNAC
All-time series: SPU leads, 38-15. Current series streak: UAF won 3. Last time: UAF 3, SPU 1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23; Nov. 3, 2018 at Fairbanks). Nanooks on the Web.
Nanooks in a nutshell: UAF went 1-3 in its D2 West Region Showcase pod at Cal State Los Angeles, the win coming in five games against Hawaii Pacific. Junior Lahra Webber, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, is back as the leading offensive weapon for Alaska Fairbanks. She is tied for No. 13 in the GNAC at 3.03 kills per game, having found the floor 88 times. In addition, she is one of the conference's top servers with 18 aces. Weber had 35 kills in last year's two matches combined against SPU. Kim Wong, a 6-foot middle blocker, is a presence at the net both offensively and defensively. She has 28 total blocks, an average of 1.04 per game that has her No. 7 on the conference list. When it's time for offense, Wong has 53 kills (1.96 per game) and hits .203. Another top two-way talent for the Nanooks is 6-1 junior outside AveRee Reynolds. She is No. 2 on the team in kills at 2.21 per game (64 total), No. 2 in hitting at .215,and No. 2 in blocks at 0.90 (28 total). Sophomore 6-foot outside Markie Miller was in double-digit kills both times against the Falcons last fall.
 
COACH ABBIE WRIGHT SAYS …
(On being picked 6^th in the GNAC)
"It gives us a good challenge in that there people right below us who are talented and people right above us who also are talented. With a young team, that's a pretty good place to be sitting. It's challenging enough to hold that rank, and it gives us something to shoot for at the same time. It's a good balance for us."
 
 

(On her assessment of the preseason)
"Finding our style of play and finding how to compete is something that we're learning daily, and just how to come out confident and competent at the same time. You have to worry about how the team is doing as a group and are we collectively coming out with the same energy and the same fire and the same goal. I think throughout the two weeks (in California), we really grew in how to compete as a team rather than just be successful individuals."
 
(On Anchorage and Fairbanks)
"They are both really, really good. I think Fairbanks is going to surprise a lot of people this year. They've gotten better and return a whole lineup of kids. Both of them are going to be tough."

DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
Maddie Batiste has been making a very nice habit of double-doubles. She pulled that off in all four of last week's D2 West Region Showcase matches at Cal Poly Pomona, and now has seven in eight matches so far this fall.
 
Gabby Oddo had three in four matches last week, giving her five for the year. One of those, her 14-kill, 16-dig performance vs. Hawaii Hilo on Friday, was the 40^th of her career. She now has 41.
 
Senior setter Taylor Alicuben, in her longest stretch of action as Falcon, recorded her first SPU double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs against Hilo.
 
Taylor Alicuben (1 season / 1 career)
32 AST-10D vs. Hawaii Hilo, Sept. 13
 
Maddie Batiste (7 season / 8 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
 
Gabby Oddo (5 season / 41 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
 
SERVING UP PLAYING TIME
As a freshman, you take whatever time on the court you can get, whenever you can get it – and then try to take advantage of it.
 
 

Paige Dawson certainly is making the most of hers.
 
The newbie from across the Cascades in Spokane has earned a shot as a serving specialist, and is delivering in a big way.
 
Dawson has played in seven of the eight matches and 27 of the 32 games. She has sent 15 aces across the net, just one behind team leader Gabby Oddo.
 
Of course, an ace is just one point. But the Falcons have put together several multiple-point scoring runs with Dawson on the serve. Two of those came in last Saturday's four-game thriller against Chaminade: A four-pointer to start off Game 2, and a crucial three-pointer (which she opened with an ace) to spark a three-point burst late in Game 3 that factored into a 27-25 win.
 
Dawson also was serving when the Falcons had runs of five points and three points in Game 4 against Hawaii Hilo last Friday.
 
So far, Dawson has served 86 times, with those 15 aces and just eight errors.
 
ALICUBEN'S AWESOME WEEKEND
 

After playing just one set all of last year and just four sets in the season-opening Seaside Invitational, senior setter Taylor Alicuben got onto the court for all four sets against Hawaii Hilo last Friday, and played so well that she earned her first SPU start last Saturday against Chaminade.
 
Alicuben racked up 32 assists and 10 digs against Hilo for her first double-double. Then against Chaminade, she was just one dig short of another double-double, coming up with nine to go along with 26 assists.
 
She also came up with some well-placed tips at the net, winding up with three tally marks in the kills column. Alicuben even joined the block party in the Chaminade with two of SPU's 30 block assists.
 
ON THE HONOR ROLL
Maddie Batiste's performance at last week's D2 West Region Showcase in Pomona did not go unnoticed.
 
Batiste was named the four-player All-Tournament team for the Pomona pod. In her four matches, she had 67 kills, 50 digs, and 11 block assists.
 
Along the way, Batiste topped .200 hitting in the last three of those four matches and finished the tournament with a .213 percentage.
 
AROUND THE WEST
With preseason tournament play now complete, GNAC co-favorite Western Washington is one of three West Region teams to emerge undefeated. The 8-0 Vikings, who opened the season with two victories against nationally ranked teams, swept through their first three matches at last week's D2 West Region Showcase in Pomona before getting taken to five by Hawaii Hilo in the finale and prevailing 15-10 in the fifth. Alaska Anchorage and co-favorite Central Washington each went 5-3. Western and Central clash on Saturday in Bellingham.
 
Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills are unbeaten among California Collegiate Athletic Association schools. The Coyotes and Toros are both 7-0. The CCAA had four other teams – Sonoma State (7-2), San Francisco State (6-2), UC San Diego (6-2) and Stanislaus State (5-2) get through preseason with just two losses.
 
No one has a perfect record among teams in the Pacific West Conference. Azusa Pacific, Chaminade, and Concordia Irvine are all 6-2. One of Concordia's wins and one of Chaminade's losses came against Seattle Pacific.
 

UP NEXT
The Falcons take their first conference road trip of the season next week. First stop is Ellensburg for a match against Central Washington on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 p.m. Then it's off to Idaho to face Northwest Nazarene on Saturday the 28^th at noon PDT in Nampa.


GNAC STANDINGS
                                              Conference     Overall
Western Washington       0-0      8-0
Alaska Anchorage         0-0      5-3
Central Washington       0-0      5-3
Northwest Nazarene       0-0      4-3
Simon Fraser             0-0      4-4
Alaska Fairbanks         0-0      3-5
Seattle Pacific          0-0      3-5
Concordia-Portland       0-0      2-5
Western Oregon           0-0      2-5
Montana State Billings   0-0      1-7
Saint Martin's           0-0      0-9