Homestand resumes. Buoyed by the news that they are still very much in the thick of the playoff race, the Seattle Pacific University volleyball team hosts two more must-win matches this week. The Falcons (10-5, 17-6) can go a long way toward wrapping-up second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this weekend, when they face Alaska Fairbanks (10-4, 13-6) Friday (Nov. 2) and Alaska Anchorage (10-4, 17-7) Saturday (Nov. 3). Next week SPU travels to British Columbia for a non-conference match with Simon Fraser before concluding the regular season at home versus newly-crowned GNAC champion Western Washington.

In the hunt. The NCAA continues to stand by the Falcons, evidenced by the latest Pacific Region poll results. Despite consecutive road losses the previous week, SPU maintained its hold on the No. 5 spot in the rankings of Oct. 24. Western Washington, which clinched the GNAC crown last week, jumped to No. 2, behind Cal State San Bernardino. Six teams from the region will earn postseason berths when the entire 48-team bracket is announced Nov. 11. Seattle Pacific made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2000.

Back on track. After dropping two straight conference matches for the first time this season, the Falcons rebounded last week in the friendly confines of Brougham Pavilion. First, SPU maintained its unbeaten streak versus Seattle University its first three-game sweep of a GNAC match this season. Two nights later the Falcons dominated Northwest Nazarene, winning in four games to sweep that season series. The victories salvaged the Falcons' streak of not losing three straight conference matches since 1995, and it also brought their record to 21-1 in the last 22 home matches.

Wiiest on top. The offense was in a groove last week behind the hot hand of Leah Wiiest (Sr., Spokane, Wa./Cornell-Deer Park). The Falcons hit .295 against Seattle U. and .294 versus NNU­the second- and third-best percentages of the season. Wiiest earned GNAC co-player of the week by slamming 34 kills and hitting .420 hitting in the two matches. She showed her versatility as well, recording a team-best 22 digs and a pair of blocks.

Kamphouse having career year. A big reason that SPU has remained in playoff contention despite a rash of injuries earlier in the season has been the career year turned in by Lesley Kamphouse (Sr., Sumas, Wa./Nooksack Valley). After playing sparingly in her first three seasons, Kamphouse won a starting role on the right side and has played in each match and all but one game. She has more than quadrupled her block totals from the first three seasons and averages 0.67. Her kills tripled to where she's fourth on the team (2.23) and her attack percentage of .220 is third.

Quick Sets. Leilani Kamahoahoa (Sr., Oregon City, Or./Canby) moved closer to her second career record of the season. Kamahoahoa has already set the all-time mark for kills and is just 33 digs from passing Stephanie Huffman (1997-00) as the all-time leader in that category. She is No. 3 in career service aces...With three wins in their remaining four regular season matches the Falcons can earn their fourth straight 20-win season...Seattle Pacific ranks fourth among GNAC teams in hitting percentage (.210), second in kills (14.97), third in digs (16.48) and service aces (2.15)...Individually, setter Katy Higgins (So., Kirkland, Wa./Redmond) is second in assists (11.75). Kamahoahoa is fourth service aces (.51) and eighth in digs (2.98). Cathleen Price (Fr., Gresham, Or./Sam Barlow) ranks sixth service aces (.51), eighth in kills (3.43) and tenth in hitting percentage (.267). Wiiest is eighth in hitting percentage (.277) and fifth in kills (3.66). Carri Colvin (Jr., Vancouver, Wa./Prairie) is seventh in digs (2.99)...Higgins is on pace to break the season record for assists average. Deri Paulson set the mark of 11.69 in 1988. Price and Kamahoahoa are flirting with the season record for aces average (0.54), set by Dawn Wolfert in 1993.

Opponent & series notes. This weekend Seattle Pacific is pitted against two of the top three blocking teams in the conference...The Falcons lead the series 14-2 lead over Alaska Fairbanks and have won the last 11 meetings, including a 3-1 verdict in the Sept. 29 match at Fairbanks. The last time the Nanooks beat the Falcons was in 1993. Angel Fairbanks leads the GNAC in kills (4.43) and her team has won seven of its last nine outings...SPU leads its series with Alaska Anchorage 13-5 and have won the last four meetings, including a four-game victory in Anchorage Sept. 28. The Seawolves will take a nine-match win string into Bellingham Friday night. They feature the league's top blocker in Brianne Helling (1.49).

SPU Coaches. In her first season as a head coach, Kellie Radloff's team earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament, won its division in the Pacific West Conference and advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time. It set a school record with 20 consecutive wins and equaled the marks for most wins (24) and fewest losses (6) in a season. Radloff, whose past collegiate experience included two years under JoAnn Atwell-Scrivner at SPU (1994-95) and one year at Syracuse, was the Falcons' starting setter from 1989-91, earning all-conference as a senior. She remains the SPU record-holder for service aces (142) in a career and single match assists (83). Hannah (Bradford) Walker is in her first season as an assistant coach. She was an assistant at Whitworth College for two seasons and owns the SPU career record for kills average (3.5). Antonela Secer, a native of Croatia, also joins the staff along with Jim Woolace, formerly a high school coach in Fairbanks.

Tickets, please. General admission tickets for all SPU home volleyball matches are priced $5 with students, youth and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Teams or groups can qualify for discount rates by call (206) 281-2085 in advance.