SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University athletics opens the 2025-26 academic year with three fall sports opening their seasons this weekend, highlighted by women's soccer hosting #9 Point Loma on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
 
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 4 – 7:00 p.m.
vs. #9 Point Loma – watch – live stats – tickets
 
ABOUT THE FALCONS

• The Falcons finished the 2024 regular season with a 9-2-7 record, tying for second place in the GNAC standings.
• SPU made its 12th appearance at the GNAC Championships, having never missed the tournament since its inception
• The Falcons were picked third in the 2025 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
• SPU had seven players earn GNAC All-Conference recognition last season, with four returning in 2025.
• Taylor Krueger was honored as GNAC Newcomer of the Year in 2023 and won GNAC Co-Player of the Year in 2024.
  • Krueger was a unanimous First Team All-GNAC pick. She was also named a D2CAA First Team All-Region selection, chosen by the United Soccer Coaches as an All-West Region honoree, and received a D2CCA Third Team All-American selection.
• Ashlyn Valdovinos, who earned a Second Team All-GNAC selection, returns after scoring three goals and making three assists for nine points in 2024.
• Nora Patterson, named Honorable Mention All-GNAC, had a breakout 2024 season with four goals, including two in the 3-2 win over the Red Leafs on Oct. 17.
• Mercedes Cullen returns after a GNAC Honorable Mention selection as well. She finished the season with 80 saves, an .808 save percentage, and 1.19 goals against average. Cullen tied the single-game save record with 13 against Western Washington last September.
• The Falcons have welcomed 12 newcomers to the roster in 2025. 

 
MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 4 – 7:30 p.m.
at Stanislaus State – watch – live stats
 
Saturday, Sept. 5 – 12:00 p.m.
at Chico State – watch – live stats  

FROM THE COACH
"Playing two games on the road to start the season is a big challenge, but we are excited for the opportunity and are ready to meet that challenge head-on," head coach Kevin Sakuda said. "Our guys sign up to play in big games, and starting the season off this way will be a fantastic test for us. Stanislaus isn't someone we've seen recently, but I know John from his time in the GNAC, and I know we will see a well-coached and organized group. We are more familiar with Chico. There is a lot of history with them, and those games are always competitive and fun to be a part of."
 
ABOUT THE FALCONS

• SPU enters the 2025 season after a solid 2024 campaign. The Falcons finished the year 8-6-4, with a 5-4-3 record in GNAC play.
• They finished the year by winning their final two matches of the season and tied for third in the GNAC standings.
• The Falcons were picked to finish fourth in the 2025 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Falcons put seven players on the 2024 GNAC All-Conference team.
• Connor Tollan returns after a breakout season in 2024. He scored five goals and led the GNAC in assists with eight this season. He finished the year with 18 points. Tollan's production led to a First Team All-GNAC selection. 
• Diego Pena-Salgado appeared in 12 matches, scored twice, and dished out an assist.
  • His season earned a Second Team All-GNAC selection.
• JJ Diaz is back after scoring three goals, dishing out three assists, and totaling nine points in 2024. He was a GNAC Honorable Mention selection.
• The Falcons 2025 roster features 12 newcomers for 2025.

 
VOLLEYBALL
Friday & Saturday, Sept. 5-6
Four matches at The Otter Invitational
Watch – live stats – tournament info
 
FROM THE COACH
"Playing four games in two days is always a mental and physical challenge," head coach Jason Rhine said. "Whatever the result of each of the matches, the turnaround to the next match is very quick, and the team needs to reset and play hard again against a new opponent with different strengths and weaknesses. The good news is that we have a fairly deep team and are healthy heading into the weekend. We will have players ready to rotate in and contribute as needed."

"It's super fun to be playing against regional teams that we haven't seen the past few years in Dominican and Monterrey Bay," Rhine said. "CSUMB is typically a threat against whoever they play in their conference, and they have the advantage of being the host team. Lincoln Memorial is coming off a successful year with 17 wins, and I'm sure they will be looking to build off of that and compete at a high level. Westminster similarly has been on the rise and has a lot of good young talent. We look forward to the unusual challenge of seeing them twice in the nonconference season! Finally, Dominican is coming off the first season with a new coach and an increase in wins, so we know that every match this weekend will be a battle."

"We are coming off a lot of hard work in practice the first couple of weeks of the season, and we look forward to seeing the team in action! It will be a great opportunity to develop our identity as a team, to learn to respond well to the challenges in front of us, and hopefully to play freely and aggressively like we have been in practice," Rhine added. "Should be a really fun weekend."

ABOUT THE FALCONS

• The Falcons finished fifth in the conference last season, touting a 10-8 record in GNAC play.
  • SPU closed out 2024 well, winning four of its final five matches of the season. 
• The Falcons were picked to finish eighth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Eight seniors graduated from the program at the end of the 2024 season.
  • Three of whom were named to the GNAC All-Conference team.
  • The 2025 team doesn't have a senior on the roster.
• Sophia Chambers appeared in 21 matches a season ago, scooping up 105 digs while adding 144 assists to the offense.
• Christina Lopez appeared in 22 matches and had 353 digs as the team's libero. 
  • Both Chambers and Lopez were GNAC All-Academic team members in 2024.
• Seven newcomers join the Falcons for the 2025 season and beyond. 

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