SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University opened its Northwest Conference volleyball schedule with home victories over George Fox and Pacific (Ore.) last weekend. The Pirates will put their hot start to the test on the road at Linfield and Willamette this weekend.
The Pirates play at Linfield on Friday night at 7:00 pm. The Bucs travel to Willamette on Saturday at 6:00 pm. Check the links on the right for current Covid attendance policies at each school. Also, check the Whitworth volleyball schedule for live links to follow the action.
The Pirates: Whitworth did not let the disappointment of dropping a first set it led late get in the way of a 23-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18 win over visiting George Fox on Friday night. The Pirates hit .247 as a team and posted 10.0 team blocks. Maddie Lee had 18 kills to lead the offense. Kaity Barr contributed 17 points with 12 kills (.524 hitting percentage), three aces, one solo block and one block assist. Cassidy Franklin added 12 kills (.435), two solo blocks and two block assists.
The Bucs looked on the way to a sweep over visiting Pacific on Saturday night, but the Boxers rallied to force a fifth set before Whitworth prevailed 25-18, 25-18, 26-28, 26-28, 15-12. Lee had 17 kills, two service aces and five block assists for 21.5 points. Franklin posted 13 kills (.375) and six block assists for 16 points. Eva Millan finished with 23 digs to lead all players. Saylor Anderson dished 27 of the team's 51 assists and served two aces.
NWC Stat Leaders: Whitworth leads the Northwest Conference in several statistical categories. Most notably, the Pirates lead the NWC and rank fourth in all of NCAA DIII in team blocks per set (2.40). They also rank first in the NWC in kills per set (12.18), assists per set (11.21), team hitting percentage (.183) and opponent hitting percentage (.124).
Individually, Lee is first in points per set (4.05) and second in kills per set (3.46). Barr is second in blocks per set (1.05) and third in hitting percentage (.345). Franklin is third in blocks per set (1.03) and sixth in hitting percentage (.298). Millan is fifth in digs per set (4.77).
NWC Poll: Whitworth was picked first on eight out of nine ballots in the 2021 NWC preseason coaches poll. The Pirates had 64 points to outdistance PLU, who had the remaining first place vote and 56 points. Puget Sound was third in the poll (45 points), while Pacific (Ore.) was fourth (43 points). Coaches cannot vote for their own school.
The Coach: Kati Bodecker, 140-59 heading into her ninth season guiding the Pirates, is a three-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year after leading Whitworth to four NWC championships in her first eight seasons. Bodecker has also directed the Pirates to four appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019). In 2013 she coached the Bucs to a 15-13 record, becoming the first Whitworth volleyball coach to post a winning record in her first season since Margaret Campbell in 1990. She previously had been the head coach at Priest River High School, leading the Spartans to five state tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2012. She was a four-year starter at the University of Idaho, helping lead the Vandals to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances as a sophomore and junior.
The Opponents: Linfield University comes into the week 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the NWC. The Wildcats lost 3-1 at Willamette last Wednesday and 3-1 at Puget Sound on the weekend. Aylea Dixon is the NWC's leader in assists per set (9.45). Raelynn Hammock is all over the court, averaging 3.32 kills, 0.54 aces and 2.93 digs per set. Linfield ranks second in the NWC in aces per set (2.23). Whitworth defeated the Wildcats twice in 2019, 3-2 on the road and 3-1 at home. The Pirates have won four in a row and 16 of the last 18 vs. Linfield.
Willamette University is 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the NWC heading into Friday night's match against Whitman. The Bearcats followed their 3-1 win over Linfield with a hard-fought 3-2 loss at PLU on Friday. Outside hitter Natalie Klotz leads the NWC in kills per set (3.57). Shyla Sato is fourth in the NWC in digs per set (4.86). Whitworth swept Willamette twice in 2019 to extend its winning streak to eight in a row against the Bearcats.
Coming Up Next: Whitworth will return home to host Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran on October 1st and 2nd.
