SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth Pirates head into the final weekend of the regular season tied for first place in the Northwest Conference volleyball standings with Puget Sound. The Pirates play at Linfield on Thursday night and at Pacific (Ore.) on Friday night. Both matches will start at 7:00 pm.
Check the Whitworth volleyball schedule (link above-right) for up-to-date access to video and live stats.
The Pirates: Whitworth (16-6 overall, 10-4 NWC) won both of its final home matches of the season in straight sets last weekend to stay tied for first place in the league standings.
The Pirates swept the season series against Lewis & Clark by a score of 25-12, 25-15, 25-23. Maddie Lee led Whitworth with 16.5 points on 15 kills, one solo block and one block assist. She hit .378 in the match. Ella Jimenez had 10 points on six kills, two aces and three blocks (one solo, two assists). Eva Millan finished with 16 digs in the match. The Pirates have won the last four matches against the Pioneers.
Whitworth defeated George Fox 25-15, 27-25, 25-17 to win its fifth straight match against the Bruins. Lee had her second straight big night, scoring 17 points on 14 kills and three solo blocks. Jaye Hodge added 10 points on 10 kills (.391 hitting percentage). Joelle Forbes (24) and Megan Lange (14) combined for 38 of Whitworth's 43 assists as the team hit .242 in the match.
Packed NWC title Chase: After four teams were tied for first place heading into last weekend, only Whitworth and Puget Sound remain tied now with 10-4 records. Pacific Lutheran is only one game behind at 9-5. UPS and PLU will play each other on Wednesday night. George Fox and Willamette are now two games behind after both lost twice over the weekend. There is no conference tournament in volleyball, so the champion of the regular season earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.
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 kills per set (3.32, 4th in the NWC), and points per set (3.85, 4th). Lee's numbers are slightly down this season, partly because of injuries and partly 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 22nd in NCAA Division III in total blocks (98) and ranks 11th in DIII in blocks per set (1.15). In addition, she ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage (.313). Right behind, Cassidy Franklin is fourth in the NWC in blocks per set (0.92), third in total blocks (80) and third in hitting percentage (.310) Ella and Cassidy are a big reason the Pirates lead the conference, and rank 9th in DIII, in team blocks per set (2.29).
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 (12.06), assists per set (11.00) and team hitting percentage (.198).
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 177-68 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 123-25 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: Linfield heads into Thursday's match 8-13 overall and 4-10 in the NWC. The Wildcats are looking to end a four-match losing streak that includes last weekend's setbacks to Pacific (3-1) and at Puget Sound (3-1). Senior OH Raelynn Hammock ranks second in the NWC in kills per set (3.59) and she leads her team in service aces (36). Senior MB Ellie Mead ranks second in the NWC in blocks per set (1.10). Linfield rallied from two sets behind to upset Whitworth 3-2 in Spokane on October 8th. Jaye Hodge led the Pirates with 20 points on 15 kills, four aces and two block assists.
Pacific (Ore.) is 12-9 overall and 7-7 in the NWC heading into Friday's match. The Boxers followed up their 3-1 win at Linfield last Wednesday with a narrow 3-2 loss at Pacific Lutheran on Friday. Sophomore RS Mara Murphy leads the NWC in points per set (5.15), kills per set (4.38) and leads her team in service aces (38). Senior setter Shaianne Cambra leads the NWC in assists per set (9.11). Whitworth defeated Pacific 3-1 in Spokane on October 7th by hitting .306 as a team. Cassidy Franklin had 10 kills (hitting .500), five blocks (two solo, three assists) and scored 13.5 points. Whitworth has won 12 in a row vs. Pacific.
Coming Up: The Pirates will watch the NCAA Division III volleyball selection show on Monday morning, Nov. 7th.
