SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth Pirates hit the road for a pair of Northwest Conference matches this week. The Bucs will travel to Whitman College for a Tuesday night game (6:00 pm) then visit Pacific University on Saturday (also 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.
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 (7-2 overall, 1-1 NWC) split at home during the Northwest Conference volleyball opening weekend. The Pirates dropped a 3-1 decision to Linfield on Friday, then swept Lewis & Clark on Saturday.
Whitworth won the opening set, then lost its rhythm against Linfield on Friday night. The Wildcats collected a season-high 10 team blocks and limited the Bucs to a season-low hitting percentage (.076) in the 21-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23 win. The Pirates' strong serving game was absent with only three aces against nine service errors. Lindsey Short led the team with 12 kills, the only Whitworth player in double figures. Olivia Paul had 21 digs.
The Pirates bounced back to sweep Lewis & Clark 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 on Saturday night. Whitworth hit .276 and as team and held the River Otters to .000. The Bucs also found their grove behind the service line with a season-high 14 aces. Short had 11 more kills and added 11 digs, while Bryanna Dodson finished with ten kills. Lauren Kemer had eight kills in nine attacks (.889) and served a career-high five aces. Madison Pridon dished 29 assists.
NWC Stat Leaders: One full week into Northwest Conference play, Whitworth ranks among conference leaders in several key statistical categories. The Pirates lead the league in team hitting percentage (.214), kills per set (12.66) and assists per set (11.50). Whitworth also leads the conference in opponents' hitting percentage (.111) and ranks second in the conference in opponent service aces per set (1.50).
Individually, Madison Pridon is second in the NWC in assists per set (8.34) and fourth in service aces per set (0.53). Alyssa Baird is third in the league in kill per set (3.27) and sixth in points per set (3.44). Olivia Paul is fourth in the NWC in digs per set (4.75). Kaylee Winterroth (.305) and Lauren Kremer (.297) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in hitting percentage. Winterroth is also sixth in blocks per set (0.75).
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: Whitman (4-4) has gotten off to a 2-0 start in the NWC thanks to consecutive sweeps of Lewis & Clark and Linfield at home over the weekend. The Blues have averaged 11.0 kills per set and 2.14 service aces per set. Sophomore OH Addie Belt is second in the NWC in both kills per set (3.29) and points per set (4.04) and is hitting .243. Sophomore OH Sophie Broesamle is currently leading the conference in service aces per set (0.59). Whitworth has already played Whitman this season, defeating the Blues 3-0 at the Whit Classic in Walla Walla on September 5th.
Pacific University is looking to get things turned around after a 1-9 start that includes an 0-3 record in the NWC. The Boxers will be playing their first NWC home games this weekend against Whitman and Whitworth. Pacific is a strong blocking team, averaging 1.59 blocks per set. Senior OH Emma Velcheck was a third team All-NWC selection last season and averages 2.32 kills per set this year. First-year MB Emma Young is fourth in the NWC in blocks per set (0.83). Last season Whitworth swept Pacific in both meetings and the Pirates have won six in a row in the series.
Coming Up: Whitworth will return home to host Willamette and George Fox on October 2nd and 3rd.
