PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second year in a row, the Seattle Pacific Falcons have been picked for a fifth-place finish in the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball season.
 
SPU received 61 points in voting by conference coaches.
 
Western Washington, which went all the way to the NCAA Tournament final four last fall, are the overwhelming favorite to win the GNAC title, receiving nine of the 10 first-place votes and 98 points. Central Washington is tabbed for second with 89 points, and Alaska Anchorage third with 74. The Seawolves received the only first-place vote that did not go to Western.
 
The other team picked ahead of Seattle Pacific is Simon Fraser, fourth with 70 points.
 
The Falcons tied for fourth last year in GNAC play, finishing at 11-7, along with Simon Fraser and Alaska Fairbanks. That included one win each against Simon and Alaska Anchorage, and two against Central Washington. All of those schools reached the NCAA West Regional tournament. SPU was 15-10 overall.
 
 

Jason Rhine is beginning his first year as head coach of the Falcons after seven seasons as an assistant at Colorado Christian. He takes charge of a team that returns nearly everyone from last season with 15 returners altogether.
 
At the head of the list is junior 6-foot-1 middle blocker Hannah Hair. She earned All-American honorable mention recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the first Falcon to do so since 2011. Her .333 hitting percentage led the GNAC, and she was No. 2 in blocks per set at 1.35, with 115 total. Her hitting mark included seven matches of .300-plus, two each of .400-plus and .500-plus, and one each of .600-plus and .700-plus.
 
Also back up front are junior 6-3 outside hitter / opposite Sydney Perry, junior 6-foot opposite Maddie Pruden, and junior 6-1 outside / middle Allison Wilks. Perry hammered 150 kills and had 58 blocks in 2021. Pruden recorded 136 kills and 51 total blocks. Wilks added 116 kills on .284 hitting while getting her hands on 85 blocks, the second-highest total on the team. She also delivered 20 service aces.
 
The Falcons have three top-quality setters back on the court. Sophomore Emily Tulino earned All-GNAC honorable mention recognition as a freshman with 542 assists, 133 digs, and a team-high 36 aces. Senior Lindsey Lambert logged 431 assists, 162 digs, and 31 aces. At 5-10, she also can attack, as she has 21 kills on 54 swings, hitting .278. Senor Austin Ibale further solidifies the depth of that position.
 
SPU has options a libero, with sophomore Abigail Cunningham (204 digs, the second-highest total on the team, along with 13 service aces), senior Paige Dawson, junior Lindsay Rosenthal, and junior Zoe Shuckhart. Rosenthal also plays up front, but occasionally has donned the libero's jersey.
 
Seattle Pacific's preseason schedule includes six teams that played in last year's NCAA Division II Tournament. Action begins on Aug. 26-27 at the Concordia St. Paul-St. Cloud State Invitational in Minnesota. The will go against Winona State, co-hosts Concordia and St. Cloud – all of whom reached the NCAAs – and Minnesota Duluth.
 
The Falcons then head to Southern California for the Cal State Los Angeles Invitational. On that docket are Cal State San Bernardino, Biola, host CSULA, and Chaminade. All except Biola qualified for the national tourney.
 
Conference play begins with a road trip to Western Washington on Sept. 8 and Simon Fraser on Sept. 10. The home openers are the following week against Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, Sept. 15, and Alaska Anchorage on Sept. 17.
 
 
2022 GNAC PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL COACHES POLL 
Team (1^st-place votes)                                        2021 record (GNAC)            Points
 1. Western Washington (9)         25-5 (17-1, 1^st)        98
 2. Central Washington             17-9 (12-6, tie 2^nd)    89
 3. Alaska Anchorage (1)           19-12 (12-6, tie 2^nd)   74
 4. Simon Fraser                   17-9 (11-7, tie 4^th)    70
 5. Seattle Pacific                15-10 (11-7, tie 4^th)   61
 6. Alaska Fairbanks               18-12 (11-7, tie 4^th)   50
 7. Northwest Nazarene              7-19 (4-14, 8^th)       43
 8. Montana State Billings         12-16 (7-11, 7^th)       25
 9. Saint Martin's                 10-18 (3-15, 9^th)       22
10. Western Oregon                  4-21 (2-16, 10^th)      18