SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth returns to the road this coming week with a pair of Northwest Conference matches in Oregon. The Pirates play at Lewis & Clark on Friday night (7:00 pm) and at George Fox 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 (9-3 overall, 3-1 NWC) moved back into a tie for first place in the NWC standings by sweeping Whitman and Willamette in the first home matches of the season last week.
Whitworth defeated Whitman 25-18, 25-11, 26-24 and only the final set was close. The Pirates pulled out the set after 12 ties and three lead changes. Whitworth had a season-high .370 hitting percentage in the victory. Maddie Lee had 12 kills and hit .429. She added an ace and a solo block for 14 total points. Logan Spencer had perhaps her best match as a Pirate, with eight kills and a .727 hitting percentage. She added one solo block and two block assists. Joelle Forbes (20 assists) and Megan Lange (17 assists) directed the efficient offense.
Whitworth continued its strong play into the weekend, sweeping Willamette 25-19, 25-19, 25-17 and handing the Bearcats their first conference loss of the season. The Pirates hit .286 as a team and held Willamette to .106. Lee had 11 kills and hit .409, adding three service aces for a team-high 14 points. Jaye Hodge contributed eight kills and hit .357. Cassidy Franklin finished with five kills and four blocks (two solo, two assists). The win over Willamette was Whitworth's 11th in a row over the Bearcats.
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 (154, 2nd), kills per set (3.35, 3rd), total points (176.0, 2nd) and points per set (3.83, 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 12th in NCAA Division III in total blocks (57) and ranks fifth in DIII in blocks per set (1.30). In addition, she leads the conference in hitting percentage (.363). Ella is 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 170-65 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: Lewis & Clark comes into Friday night's match 1-8 overall and 0-4 in the NWC. The Pioneers are in the midst of a five-match homestand. Junior OH Izzy Willis averages 2.13 kills and 0.42 blocks per set. Junior libero Katie Shimura ranks third in the NWC in digs per set (4.58) and leads her team with 11 service aces. Whitworth swept L&C last season in two close matches. The Pirates pulled out a five-set victory in Portland, then won 3-1 at home to clinch a perfect NWC season (16-0).
George Fox is one of four teams tied for first place in the NWC standings. The Bruins are 6-5 overall and 3-1 in the NWC heading into a match on Friday night against Whitman. Last weekend George Fox dropped a heart-breaking five-set decision to Puget Sound, but rebounded to defeat Linfield 3-1, both at home. Junior OH Kassandra Staton leads the team with an average of 2.79 kills per set. Senior MB Bailey LeBreton adds 2.62 kills per set and 0.77 blocks per set. Whitworth defeated George Fox 3-1 at home and 3-0 on the road in 2021.
Coming Up: The Pirates will host Pacific and Linfield on October 7-8 to close out the first half of the NWC schedule.
