SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team faces a pair of tough opponents this week who are looking to make a run at qualifying for the 2025 Northwest Conference volleyball tournament. The Pirates will play at Whitman College on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm before hosting Linfield University on Saturday at 6:00 pm.
Check the Whitworth volleyball schedule (link above-right) for up-to-date access to live results and a link to the FloSports broadcasts.
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 $10 for adults and $7 for senior adults, non-Whitworth students and children. Whitworth students, as well as faculty and staff, get free admission by using an ID number.
Watch on FlowCollege: All of Whitworth's Northwest Conference athletic events will be steamed through FloCollege in 2025-26. Fans can sign up to watch Pirate sports on the FloCollege portal. Registration is $116 for an annual subscription or $20 per month. Those who register with a .edu email address get a significant discount.
The Pirates: Whitworth is 14-6 overall and 8-2 in the NWC after splitting on the road in Oregon last weekend.
The Pirates could not hold off the offensive onslaught of Willamette on Friday night in Salem, Oregon, falling 23-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 15-11. The Bearcats hit .236 and had three players with more than 18 kills apiece. Alyssa Baird led Whitworth with 15 kills, while Amblessed Okemgbo added 11 kills. Josephine Thomas had 21 assists and Mya Rodriguez had 17 as Whitworth hit .221. Uncharacteristically, the Pirates gave up 12 service aces.
Whitworth bounced back to win 25-19, 25-11, 25-20 at Pacific University on Saturday night. Whitworth hit .269 behind a dozen kills from Linsdey Short. Lauren Kremer added nine kills, an ace and four block assists. Olivia Paul finished with 20 digs and served two of Whitworth's aces.
Powerful Company: Whitworth is the only team in the country to have played both the current #1 and #2 teams in the AVCA Division III poll (as of Oct. 14). And the Pirates took a set against both La Verne (#1) and East Texas Baptist (#2). The Pirates have a win over current #10 Trinity and a win over current RV Northwestern (Minn.).
NWC Standings Update: Whitworth is two games behind Puget Sound (10-0) and in second place in the conference standings. Pacific Lutheran is third (7-3) with Willamette currently fourth (7-4). Whitman is 6-4 and Linfield is 5-4. The top four teams qualify for the 2025 NWC tournament in November.
NWC Stat Leaders: Just over halfway through Northwest Conference play, Whitworth ranks among conference leaders in several key statistical categories. The Pirates lead in blocks per set (1.85) and are second in hitting percentage (.195), kills per set (12.50), and assists per set (11.37). The Pirates are the toughest team in the league to serve against, leading the NWC in service aces allowed per set (1.19).
Individually, Amblessed Okemgbo is fourth in kills per set (3.08) and first in total kills (240). Lauren Kremer is first in blocks per set (0.96) and second in hitting percentage (.291). Olivia Paul is third in service aces per set (0.51) and sixth in digs per set (3.79).
NWC Poll: Defending champion Whitworth is listed atop a tightly packed Northwest Conference preseason coaches poll with 58 points, followed by Pacific Lutheran (57) and Puget Sound (55). Whitworth got four first place votes, PLU got three, Puget Sound two.
The Coach: Kati Bodecker has a record of 233-100 in her 13th season guiding the Pirates. Bodecker picked up her 200th win as Whitworth's coach on Sept. 13, 2024 vs. Chapman University. She is a five-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year, including 2021 and 2024 when the Pirates posted perfect 16-0 NWC marks. She is 159-35 in conference regular season matches through her first 12+ years. Bodecker has directed the Pirates to six appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024). 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: Whitman comes into the week 7-10 overall and 6-4 in the NWC, only a half game behind Willamette (7-4) for fourth place in the standings. The Blues won 3-0 at Pacific before losing 3-0 at Willamette last weekend. After a rough start in non-conference play, Whitman has improved dramatically in 2025 under 14th year head coach Matt Helm. Sophomore OH Arina Gushchina is seventh in the conference in kills per set (2.81) and ninth in points per set (3.15). Senior libero Jamie Bartok leads the defense and ranks fourth in the NWC in digs per set (4.15). Whitworth defeated Whitman 3-0 in Spokane on September 23rd as the Pirates hit .347 and held the Blues to .073.
Linfield comes into Friday night's match at Whitman 7-7 overall and 5-4 in the NWC. The Wildcats are also in the hunt for a spot in the league tournament and they will be rested after having not played since a 3-1 win over Pacific on Oct. 14. Linfield plays great defense under first-year head coach Jenna Street, leading the league in opponent kills per set (10.31). The Wildcats are second in digs per set (16.13) and tied for second in blocks per set (1.75). Junior OH Nora Myre is second in the conference in both kills per set (3.35) and points per set (3.86). Sophomore MB Madison Millard is second in the NWC in blocks per set (0.94). Whitworth led 2-0 at Linfield on September 26th, but had to hold on for a 3-2 victory.
Coming Up: Whitworth will host George Fox and Lewis & Clark on Oct. 31 and November 1st in the final home matches of the season.
