SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team starts the second half of Northwest Conference play at home this weekend. The Pirates play Pacific Lutheran on Friday night (8:00 pm) and Puget Sound on Saturday night (6:00 pm).
Check the Whitworth volleyball schedule (link above-right) for up-to-date access to video and live stats.
Tickets: Digital tickets are required for entrance to the Whitworth Fieldhouse for all fans. Tickets can be purchased in advance using the Hometown Ticketing App. Follow the Tickets link on the schedule for access. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for senior adults, non-Whitworth students and children. Whitworth students, as well as faculty and staff, get free admission by using an ID number.
The Pirates: Whitworth (12-4 overall, 6-2 NWC) remains tied for first place in the NWC standings.
The Pirates dropped the first set against visiting Pacific (Ore.) on Friday night, but stormed back to win 23-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20. Whitworth hit .306 as a team, the second-highest percentage of the season and the third time the Bucs have been over .300 in a match. Megan Lange (26 assists) and Joelle Forbes (16 assists) directed the offense. Lange also served a pair of aces. Jaye Hodge had 12 kills, while Logan Spencer had 10 kills and hit .474. Cassidy Franklin finished with 10 kills and five blocks (2 solo, three assists), to lead the team with 13.5 points.
Visiting Linfield surprised Whitworth when the Wildcats rallied from two sets behind to defeat the Pirates 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 26-24, 16-14 on Saturday night. The Bucs led 22-20 in the fourth set and had a chance to put away the match, but could not. Hodge had 15 kills, four aces and two block assists for 20 points. Ella Jimenez had 14 kills, an ace and five blocks (one solo, four assists) for 18 points. Eva Millan finished with 23 digs.
The MVP: Maddie Lee is the reigning Northwest Conference Player of the Year. She is back at it again in 2022, ranking highly in the conference in total kills (179), kills per set (3.38, 3rd in the NWC), total points (204.0) and points per set (3.85, 3rd). Lee's numbers are slightly down this season, but only because she has more help on the offensive attack.
Build the Wall: Ella Jimenez has been a force on defense for the Pirates in 2022. She leads the NWC and ranks 18th in NCAA Division III in total blocks (71) and ranks 12th in DIII in blocks per set (1.18). In addition, she ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage (.317). Right behind, Cassidy Franklin is fifth in the NWC in blocks per set (0.97) and first in hitting percentage (.333) Ella and Cassidy are a big reason the Pirates lead the conference, and rank 11th in DIII, in team blocks per set (2.28).
NWC Leaders: Whitworth ranks first in the NWC as a team in several statistical categories. In addition to blocks per set (see above), the Pirates lead the league in kills per set (12.26), assists per set (11.24) and team hitting percentage (.212).
History Achieved: The 2021 Pirates became the first Whitworth team to finish its Northwest Conference schedule undefeated and the first NWC team to traverse the league slate without a loss since PLU in 2009. Whitworth won its 11th Northwest Conference volleyball title last fall. It is the 10th championship since 2001 and fifth under head coach Kati Bodecker.
In addition, Whitworth posted its best regular season record since the Pirates went 23-2 during the regular season in 2002.
NWC Poll: Whitworth was picked first on eight out of nine ballots in the 2022 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 (47 points), while Pacific (Ore.) was fourth (41 points). Coaches cannot vote for their own school.
The Coach: Kati Bodecker, now 173-66 in her tenth season guiding the Pirates, is a four-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year after leading Whitworth to five NWC championships in her first nine seasons. She is 120-24 in conference matches during that time. Bodecker has also directed the Pirates to five appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021). 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: Pacific Lutheran University comes into the weekend 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the NWC. The Lutes got off to a slow start (0-3) in conference play, but have corrected course with the return of Breeze Bartle (Jr., MB) from injury. Freshman OH Ellie Thomas leads the team in kills per set (2.93) and service aces (18). Bartle averages 0.93 blocks per set. Senior libero Halle Hetzler leads the conference in digs per set (6.17). PLU knocked George Fox out of a potential share of first place in the NWC with a 3-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday. Whitworth defeated PLU 3-1 in Parkland on September 16 in the conference opener for both teams. Jay Hodge had 13 kills while Ella Jimenez had nine kills and five blocks.
The University of Puget Sound (7-6 overall, 6-2 NWC) comes into the weekend tied with Whitworth for first place in the NWC standings, heading into a match on Friday at Whitman. The Loggers defeated cross-town rival PLU 3-2 on Wednesday, then dusted visiting Lewis & Clark on Saturday 3-0. Junior MB Avery Alleman averages 2.40 kills per set and 0.98 blocks per set while hitting .278. Junior setter Logan Winn dishes 8.29 assists per set and is a threat offensively (1.06 kills per set). She also leads the team in aces (24). UPS swept Whitworth in Tacoma on Sept. 17, despite 10 kills and 10 digs from Maddie Lee.
Coming Up: The Pirates will travel to Whitman on Oct. 19 and Willamette on Oct. 22 for a pair of NWC contests.
