SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team will close out the first half of the Northwest Conference schedule at home this weekend. The Pirates play Pacific (Ore.) on Friday night (7:00 pm) and Linfield 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 link 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 (11-3 overall, 5-1 NWC) took over sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference standings with a pair of road wins last weekend.
Whitworth won 25-20, 25-19, 25-14 at Lewis & Clark on Friday night. The Pirates struggled to find offensive consistency through the first two sets, but hit their stride in the final game. Maddie Lee had nine kills, while Jaye Hodge had eight kills and two aces. Cassidy Franklin was in on four blocks, while Eva Millan had 13 digs.
Whitworth knocked George Fox out of a share of first place in the NWC with a 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17 win over the Bruins on Saturday afternoon. The Pirates hit .253 in the match, thanks to 26 assists apiece from Joelle Forbes and Megan Lange. Franklin dominated defensively with seven blocks (two solo, five assists). Lee (16) and Hodge (14) combined for 30 kills. Hodge had her most efficient match, hitting .429.
NWC Honors: Jaye Hodge is this week's NWC volleyball Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week, while Cassidy Franklin is the Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week.
Hodge had the most efficient hitting weekend of her career. She averaged 3.14 kills per set while hitting .405 in the two road wins. She added four service aces.
Franklin was dominant at the net defensively, averaging 1.57 blocks per set in the two road wins. She had two solo blocks and nine block assists.
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, 2nd), kills per set (3.38, 3rd), total points (204.0, 2nd) 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 16th in NCAA Division III in total blocks (62) and ranks 9th in DIII in blocks per set (1.22). In addition, she ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage (.338). Right behind, Cassidy Franklin is fourth in the NWC in blocks per set (0.91) and fourth in hitting percentage (.311) Ella and Cassidy are a big reason the Pirates lead the conference, and rank 11th in DIII, in team blocks per set (2.27).
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 172-65 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 University comes into the weekend 8-5 overall and 3-3 in the NWC. The Boxers were the first NWC team to defeat Puget Sound this season. Last weekend Pacific swept Linfield, but fell 3-2 to PLU, both at home. Sophomore RS Mara Murphy leads the NWC and ranks 9th in NCAA DIII in kills per set (4.45). Charlotte Powell (MB) leads the league in hitting percentage (.346). Last season Whitworth had to go five sets to beat Pacific in both matches. The Pirates have won the last 11 contests between the two schools.
Linfield University is 6-7 overall and 2-4 in the NWC heading into a match Friday night at Whitman. The Wildcats have improved significantly over 2021's last place finish. Senior OH Raelynn Hammock averages 3.40 kills per set and has 24 service aces. Senior MB Ellie Mead is second in the NWC in blocks per set (1.16). Whitworth swept Linfield in 2021, winning both matches by 3-1 scores.
Coming Up: The Pirates will host Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound on October 14-15 to open the second half of the NWC schedule.
