SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team will close out the first half of its Northwest Conference schedule against its Tacoma-area rivals at home this weekend. The Pirates host Pacific Lutheran on Friday at 7:00 pm, then host Puget Sound 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 $120 for an annual subscription or $20 per month. Those who register with a .edu email address get a significant discount.
The Pirates: Whitworth is 12-4 overall and 6-0 in the NWC. The Bucs are listed among "others receiving votes" in the most recent (Oct. 7) AVCA Division III coaches poll. They won 3-0 at Lewis & Clark last Friday and 3-1 at George Fox on Saturday.
The Pirates controlled the match at Lewis & Clark, winning 25-17, 25-15, 25-16 while hitting .239 and holding the Pioneers to a hitting percentage of .022. Lauren Kremer led the way with 13.5 points. She had nine kills while hitting .600, added a pair of aces and a total of five blocks (two solo, three assists). Alyssa Baird had eight kills, four aces and a block assist for 12.5 points. She also led the team with 11 digs. Mya Rodriguez (12) and Josephine Thompson (11) combined for 23 assists.
Whitworth defeated George Fox 25-18, 21-25, 25-13, 25-15. The Pirates prevented the Bruins from gaining any momentum following their second set win. Whitworth hit .259 while holding GFU to .077. Amblessed Okemgbo led the team with 15 kills (.345) and four block assists for 17.0 points. Alyssa Baird added a dozen kills, three aces and one block assist for 15.5 points. Lauren Kremer finished with 11 kills (.688), two aces and three blocks (one solo, two assists) for 15.0 points. Mya Rodriguez (26) and Josephine Thompson (17) combined for 43 of the Pirates' 50 assists. Olivia Paul had 21 digs and a pair of 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. And the Pirates took a set against both La Verne (#1) and East Texas Baptist (#2). The Pirates have a win over current #11 Trinity and a win over current RV Northwestern (Minn.).
Showdown Weekend: Whitworth and Puget Sound come into the weekend tied for first in the NWC volleyball standings with 6-0 records. Pacific Lutheran (5-1) is a game behind and Whitman (4-2) is alone in third place. The Tacoma schools play at the Eastern Washington schools this weekend.
Since 1999 either Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound or Whitworth have won or shared every Northwest Conference volleyball championship, except in 2003. PLU has won 12, Whitworth 12 and Puget Sound three.
Streaking: Last weekend Whitworth extended its winning streak against NWC opponents to 24, the longest in school history. The Pirates went 16-0 to win the 2024 NWC regular season title, then 2-0 to win the conference tournament. The team is 6-0 in 2025.
The NWC record for most consecutive wins against conference opponents is 35, set by Pacific Lutheran from 2008 into 2010.
NWC Stat Leaders: Three weeks into 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 (.189), kills per set (12.63), assists per set (11.65). The Pirates are the toughest team in the league to serve against, leading the NWC in service aces allowed per set (1.17).
Individually, Amblessed Okemgbo is third in kills per set (3.24) and first in total kills (204). Lauren Kremer is first in kills per set (1.05) and third in hitting percentage (.304). Olivia Paul is fourth in service aces per set (0.54) and sixth in digs per set (3.92).
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 231-98 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 157-33 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: Pacific Lutheran comes into Friday's match 7-6 overall and 5-1 in the NWC. The Lutes won twice at home last weekend, beating Linfield 3-1 on Friday and Pacific (Ore.) 3-0 on Saturday. Kevin Aoki has 517 wins in his 30th year as PLU head coach. He has guided the Lutes to 12 NCAA tournament appearances. PLU leads the NWC in opponents' hitting percentage this fall (.143). The Lutes are second in team service aces (2.21) and third in team digs (16.23 per set). Junior MH Alexis Eggert leads a balanced PLU attack. She has averaged 2.38 kills per set, 0.75 blocks per set (4th in the NWC) and 3.10 points per set (5th in the NWC). Sophomore libero Macy Matsushima is third in the conference in digs per set. Last season Whitworth took both regular season match ups in hard fought fashion, winning 3-1 at PLU and 3-2 at home. The Pirates rolled to a 3-0 win in the NWC tournament final.
Puget Sound is 10-5 overall and 6-0 in the NWC heading into a match at Whitman on Friday night. The Loggers took Pacific (Ore.) and Linfield at home in a pair of straight-set wins last weekend. Mark Massey is in his 30th year coaching at UPS. He has led the Loggers to nine NCAA tournaments, including four appearances in the national quarterfinals. Puget Sound has the most potent offense in the conference this season, leading the league in points per set (16.86), kills per set (13.40) and hitting percentage (.236 – including a .280 average against NWC opponents). The Loggers are also tough on defense and rank second in digs per set (16.52). Sophomore MB Maddie Badger is an early leader for NWC Player of the Year. She leads the league in hitting percentage (.434) and points per set (3.90), is second in kills per set (3.38) and fourth in blocks per set (0.81). Junior setter Randi Rush leads the NWC in assists per set (10.87). Last fall Whitworth defeated Puget Sound 3-0 on the road and at home.
Coming Up: Whitworth will open the second half of its NWC schedule at Willamette and Pacific on Oct. 17-18.
