SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth Pirates open defense of their Northwest Conference volleyball regular season championship this weekend, hosting Linfield and Lewis & Clark in a pair of conference contests. Linfield visits on Friday night at 7:00 pm in what is Whitworth's home opener. L&C will come to the Fieldhouse 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 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 2026-27. 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 (6-1) went 3-1 at last week's P-Wolf Invitational hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University. The Bucs have finished their non-conference schedule.
The Pirates opened with a sweep of Gordon College. The first two sets were tight before Whitworth ran away in the third (25-21, 25-23, 25-14), hitting .257 as a team. Lindsey Short had 12 kills with a .409 hitting percentage, while Lauren Kremer finished with nine kills, two aces and two blocks. Madison Pridon dished 39 assists, while Olivia Paul had 13 digs.
The Pirates bounced back from a first set loss to defeat host NWU 20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23. The contest appeared headed to a fifth set after the Prairie Wolves led 23-19 in the fourth, but Whitworth scored the final six points of the match. Alyssa Baird pounded 20 kills with only two errors (.450), a career-high total for a four-set contest. Kaylee Winterroth had seven kills without an error (.368) and was in on three blocks. Pridon finished with 36 assists and five service aces. Paul set her career-high with 29 digs.
Whitworth defeated St. Scholastica 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14 in Saturday's early-morning match. The Pirates hit .256 and posted a season-high ten team blocks. Winterroth was dominant at the net with three solo blocks and seven block assists. Baird led the way offensively with 14 kills and an ace. Short finished with 11 kills and five blocks (one solo, four assists). Paul had 27 more digs and served three aces.
Whitworth fell 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 to nationally-ranked St. Olaf in the finale. The Pirates hit a season-low .144 against the athletic Oles. Bryanna Dodson had her best match of the tournament with 11 kills and only one error (.270). Pridon had 25 assists and Paul got 18 more digs.
NWC Stat Leaders: At the start of Northwest Conference play, Whitworth ranks among conference leaders in several key statistical categories. The Pirates lead the league in team hitting percentage (.230 – 40th in Division III), kills per set (13.04 – 26th in DIII) and assists per set (12.00 – 26th in DIII). The Pirates are the toughest team in the league to serve against, leading the NWC in service aces allowed per set (1.12). Whitworth ranks second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.130) and in service aces per set (2.40).
Individually, Madison Pridon is first in the NWC in aces per set (0.64) and second in assists per set (8.52). Alyssa Baird is second in the league in kill per set (3.48) and fourth in points per set (3.63). Olivia Paul is second in the NWC in digs per set (5.04).
The Coach: Kati Bodecker has a record of 240-88 entering her 14th 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 169-35 in conference matches through her first 13 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: Linfield comes into the weekend 3-4. After starting the season 3-1, Linfield dropped three contests at the Southwestern University Invitational in Texas last weekend. The Wildcats are a strong blocking team, ranking fourth in the NWC in team blocks per set (1.60). Senior OH Nora Myre, a first team All-NWC honoree last season, leads the 'Cats in kills (2.35) per set. Sophomore libero Naia Alefaio-Foifua, a third team All-NWC selection in 2025, is fourth in the NWC in digs per set (4.86). Whitworth swept Linfield last season, in a pair of tough matches. The Pirates held off the Wildcats 3-2 in McMinnville and won 3-1 in Spokane. Whitworth has won seven straight in the series.
Lewis & Clark (4-4 overall, 1-0 NWC) already appears significantly improved this season. Following consecutive 0-23 seasons, the River Otters broke a 52-match losing skid that dated to the 2023 season on September 5th. They ended a 36-match losing streak against NWC opponents by sweeping Pacific (Ore.) in their NWC opener on Tuesday night. L&C currently leads the league in service aces per set (2.96). Senior middle HB Schuett leads the conference in blocks per set (1.12) and leads the team in hitting percentage (.296). Senior OH Kaitlyn Jensen leads the team in kills (2.57 per set). Whitworth swept the River Otters in both meetings last season and has won 10 straight in the series with L&C.
Coming Up: Whitworth will travel to Whitman (Tuesday) and Pacific (Saturday) for a pair of NWC road contests next week.
