SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University women's basketball head coach
Karen Byers announced the Falcons' 2026-27 schedule, featuring an exhibition at Oregon State, nonconference tournaments in California and Colorado, and 18 Great Northwest Athletic Conference games leading to the GNAC Championships on March 4-6 in Nampa, Idaho.
"I am excited about this season as we enter it with more experience and a clearer sense of who we are as a team," head coach
Karen Byers said. "We have discovered our identity, and we're ready to compete with confidence, purpose, and togetherness."
The Falcons open the season with a trip to California for the CCAA/GNAC Crossover on Nov. 13-14. SPU takes on Cal State LA at 5:30 p.m. before facing Cal State Dominguez Hills at 1:00 p.m. the following day. Then, the Falcons head to Colorado for games against Adams State at 6:00 p.m. and Colorado School of Mines at 12:00 p.m. on Nov. 20-21.
SPU then travels to Lacey, Wash., for the Saints Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 27-28. They take on Eastern New Mexico at 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 27, followed by a matchup against New Mexico Highlands at 1:00 p.m. the next day. The Falcons' nonconference schedule concludes when they host George Fox on Dec. 12 at 3:00 p.m. and Edmonds College on Dec. 19 at 12:30 p.m. before beginning a full slate of conference games.
The Falcons open GNAC play at Royal Brougham Pavilion on Thursday, Dec. 3, against Central Washington at 5:15 p.m., followed by Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 4:15 p.m. SPU opens the new year on the road at Saint Martin's on Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m. and Western Oregon on Jan. 2 at 2:00 p.m.
The Falcons return home to host MSU Billings on Jan. 9 at 2:00 p.m., Western Washington on Jan. 14 at 7:00 p.m., and Simon Fraser on Jan. 16 at 2:00 p.m. Then, the Falcons head to Alaska for games against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 21 at 8:30 p.m. and Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 23 at 2:00 p.m. The Falcons close January at home against Western Oregon on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saint Martin's on Jan. 30 at 2:00 p.m.
February features road games at MSU Billings on Feb. 6 at 1:00p.m., Simon Fraser on Feb. 11 at 6:00 p.m., and Western Washington on Feb. 13 at 5:00 p.m. SPU returns to Seattle for the final home series of the regular season against Alaska Fairbanks on Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 20 at 2:00 p.m.
The Falcons wrap up the regular season with road games at Northwest Nazarene on Feb. 25 at 4:15 p.m. and Central Washington on Feb. 27 at 5:00 p.m. before the GNAC Championships begin March 4 at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa, Idaho.
The Falcons return a veteran core led by seniors
Haylie-Anne Ohta,
Layne Kearns and
Naomi Hotchkiss. Junior wing
Grace Mertes and redshirt junior guard
Grace Turley also return, along with sophomore center
Emma Voellger, giving SPU experience across the backcourt and frontcourt.
Ohta returns for her fourth season with the Falcons after starting 26 of 27 games in 2025-26. The Kaneohe, Hawaii, native averaged 6.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while logging 33.2 minutes per contest. Ohta also shot 35.8 percent from beyond the arc and earned GNAC All-Academic honors.
Kearns returns after earning GNAC All-Conference honorable mention recognition in 2025-26. The Hamilton, Montana, native averaged 12.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while adding 49 assists and 12 blocks in 18 starts before her season was cut short by injury. Kearns scored a season-high 32 points against Alaska Fairbanks and recorded a season-best 11 rebounds against Cal State Dominguez Hills. She entered last season on the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team and earned GNAC All-Academic honors.
Hotchkiss provides size and experience in the Falcons' frontcourt. The 6-foot-4 Puyallup, Wash., native appeared in 27 games with nine starts during her first season at SPU in 2025-26, averaging 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game. Hotchkiss recorded a season-high 12 points against Western Oregon and grabbed 10 rebounds against Saint Martin's.
Byers welcomes three newcomers to the program: guards
Tessa Orcutt and
Finley Wichers, along with
Natalie Durbin, a transfer from the University of San Diego. Orcutt arrives from Borah High School in Boise, Idaho, where she earned All-State honors as a freshman and sophomore and helped her teams reach the state semifinals in all four seasons.
Wichers comes from Edmonds-Woodway High School, where she earned WESCO South Second Team All-Conference recognition as a junior and senior. Durbin returns to the Seattle area after competing at the University of San Diego.
SPU women's basketball season and single-game tickets for the 2026-27 season are available online. Action starts in November, ahead of the Falcons' home opener on Dec. 3 against Central Washington at 5:15 p.m.
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