SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team travels to Chicago, Illinois for the 2022 University of Chicago Gargoyle Classic this weekend to open the 2022 season. The Pirates will take on Aurora and Chicago on Friday, then play St. Olaf and Wis.-Lacrosse on Saturday.
Check the Whitworth volleyball schedule and the tournament schedule (links on the right) for up-to-date live access to results.
The Pirates: Hopes are high for another strong season of Whitworth volleyball. The Pirates are coming off a 21-3 campaign last fall that included a 16-0 mark in the Northwest Conference and an appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.
The primary reason for such optimism is the return of three All-NWC honorees, including NWC Player of the Year Maddie Lee. Lee was selected as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week three times during the 2021 season and led the NWC in kills per set (3.74) and points per set (4.30).
Junior MB Kaity Barr and sophomore MB Cassidy Franklin were both first team All-NWC selections. Franklin was the conference's Freshman of the Year. Each was named NWC Defensive Player of the Week once.
Other returning starters include RS Abigail Hudson and libero Eva Millan. Joelle Forbes, who split time at setter the last two seasons in Whitworth's 6-2 offense, will get the opportunity to stay on the court throughout. Jaye Hodge and Logan Spencer were key contributors last season as part-time starters.
The Pirates welcomed several newcomers for this season and some could make an immediate impact. Sophomore MB Ella Jimenez transferred from NCAA Div. II Dominican University in California, where she started 24 matches last fall. Amblessed Okemgbo (OH) and Mya Rodriguez (S) are a pair of first year players who have impressed coaches already in practice.
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, 161-62 heading into 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 117-23 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: Whitworth's four opponents at this weekend's tournament in Chicago had a combined won-loss record of 71-45 in 2021.
Aurora University (Ill.) has won four straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championships. The Spartans went 20-9 overall and 12-1 in the NACC in 2021 and reached the NCAA Division III tournament. Aurora is listed first among other schools receiving votes in the 2022 AVCA Division III coaches poll. Senior OH Sydnei Avery and senior S Kaitlyn Beebe were both first team All-Region honorees last fall.
Chicago is ranked 25th in the AVCA preseason poll. The Maroons went 17-10 overall and 5-2 (third place) in the challenging University Athletic Association and received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Division III tournament. Senior MB Ellie Alden and junior S Maya Patel were both first team All-UAA selections last season.
St. Olaf College (Minn.) is coming off a 14-13 overall record and 8-3 mark in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference in 2021. The Oles' season finished in the semifinals of the MIAC tournament. Junior OPP Catherine Moore earned All-MIAC recognition last fall.
The University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse went 20-11 overall and 4-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference last season. The Eagles' season ended in the WIAC tournament. Senior MB Anna Rossner earned All-Conference recognition.
Coming Up: Whitworth will travel to Lexington, Kentucky for another non-conference tournament hosted by Transylvania University on Sept. 9-10.
