PORTLAND, Ore. - Externally, it comes as a surprise that the Seattle Pacific volleyball team sits in a tie for first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings as the 2026 regular season hits the home stretch.
The Falcons were
tabbed to finish sixth in the GNAC preseason coaches poll released in August. Internally, the team's 14-5 record – including 9-2 in conference play – has been less of a surprise and more of a testament to the squad's combination of talent on the floor and belief in one another. After grinding out a pair of road victories to extend their winning streak to four matches, the Falcons were named the Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week on Monday.
SPU is three seasons removed from its most recent GNAC title, as it went 16-2 in conference play to capture the 2023 championship. After a pair of middle-of-the-pack finishes – tied for fifth in 2024 and tied for sixth last year – Seattle Pacific finds itself in the thick of the title race with seven matches left on the regular-season calendar.
Seattle Pacific swept No. 18 Simon Fraser and Western Washington two weeks ago and continued the success by toppling Saint Martin's 3-1 and holding off Western Oregon 3-2 in its two matches last week. That pulled the Falcons even with Central Washington (13-4, 9-2 GNAC) for first place in the conference standings.
"Our two wins this past week on the road followed two really fun home wins against Simon Fraser and Western Washington," said SPU head coach
Jason Rhine. "Beating those two in the same weekend (for the first time in several years) allowed our team to build confidence and play well on the road against two good GNAC teams again last week. Specifically, our offense put up two balanced performances: four players posted 10+ kills against SMU, and all five of our hitters posted 10+ kills against Western Oregon. Having that balance makes it difficult to defend us, and I think our high hitting percentages over the past two weeks have resulted from that. That success often requires great individual performances as well.
Amaya Evans stands out among multiple great efforts this week by putting up 34 kills over the two matches while hitting over .400 combined."
Evans led the attack for SPU in the win over the Saints, smashing down a season-best 20 kills on a stellar .514 attack percentage. She was 1 of 4 Falcons to reach double figures in the match, as
Megan Omlid and
Maiya Lester each had a baker's dozen and
Audra Rose contributed 11 kills. Sophomore setter
Peyton Ensign dished out 47 assists, and senior libero
Christina Lopez came up with 20 digs in the well-balanced victory.
Saturday's match against the Wolves was a back-and-forth affair, with SPU finishing strong for a 15-11 triumph in the decisive set. This time five different Falcons recorded double figures in kills, Ensign had a season-high 53 assists, and Omlid delivered a 14-kill, 13-dig double-double. It marked the fifth time this season that perhaps the league's most well-rounded attack featured four players in double digits – the first time this year with five players attaining that status in a match.
"Beyond the stats, our team this year has intentionally leaned into several of our team values, perhaps love being the best example," said Rhine. "They have made it a goal to connect closely even across age groups and within their positions – two areas which can be challenging for many teams. The team spends a lot of quality time together, whether studying or hanging out outside of volleyball. Our leadership team of Christina,
Makayla Hickman, and
Megan Omlid consistently demonstrates how to care for their teammates well, and we are lucky to also have many other connectors on our team who make an effort to develop relationships and even navigate conflict in ways that bring us closer together instead of drifting apart."
Lopez, who added 26 digs Saturday for her sixth 20-plus dig match of the season, upped her career numbers to 1,417 digs and an average of 4.29 digs per set, which each rank in the top-30 in GNAC history. Fellow seniors
Avery Veenendall and
Sophia Chambers are the other two Falcons who were also on the roster for the program's most recent GNAC championship-winning squad.
"On the defensive end, both matches evidenced effort of our goal to improve in this second half of the season," Rhine said. "Blocking was a great asset for us, especially in the Western Oregon match. Digging went well in both matches also. Our defensive anchor all season,
Christina Lopez, has continued to pile up digs while building on a great legacy. I am not surprised to see that she may soon enter the GNAC career list for total digs. Ever since she took over as libero partway through her freshman year, Christina has consistently competed at a high level and led our team through her effort and positive communication."
A sophomore and preseason all-conference selection, Omlid has been among the league's top attackers all season long. She enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with 3.49 points per set and eighth with 3.03 kills per set. Lopez meanwhile ranks fourth in the conference with 4.29 digs per set, Ensign is fourth with 6.96 assists per set, and Rose is seventh with 1.00 blocks per set.
In his fifth season leading the team, success has followed Rhine during his tenure at Seattle Pacific. He holds an overall record of 71-53 (.573) and is 53-30 (.639) in conference contests since taking over in the fall of 2022. The Falcons are on the hunt for what would be their fifth GNAC regular-season trophy, with previous crowns coming in 2006, 2010 and 2011 in addition to the 2023 title. SPU's four GNAC championships are tied for third most among the conference schools.
SPU will put its winning streak on the line Saturday at Montana State Billings (3-17, 0-11) before returning home for a powerhouse match against No. 21 Central Washington on Oct. 29 that will have major implications on the winner of the regular-season title.
"Ultimately, that is our goal for these last few weeks of GNAC play - to go about them in a way that upholds our values and continues to bring us closer together," said Rhine. "I am super grateful for this group, the love they have for each other and the joy they express on the court together. We know we need to continue to adapt and improve, and to prepare well for each opponent we will face. In the end, the team loves the exciting feeling of being in high-level matches, and we are looking forward to several more opportunities to compete fiercely together to finish the season."
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions became a GNAC partner in 2025 and is the official sponsor of the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.
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