Roadhouse blues. The Seattle Pacific University volleyball team will try to dust itself off after a home opening sweep when the conference schedule shifts to the road this week. After playing just one match last week, the Falcons schedule heats up again during the next three weeks as SPU play four of their next six matches on the road, including a pair of back-to-back affairs in the next couple weeks. The Falcons (0-1, 1-7) take Interstate 90 eastbound Friday night (Sept. 20) to visit the second-place club in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Central Washington (2-0, 4-5). On Saturday (Sept. 21), it's a trip down I-5 to Saint Martin's (0-2, 0-7). After that, six of the next eight matches are at home, beginning Sept. 27 against Alaska Anchorage.

Smooth road ahead? It's not that either Central or Saint Martin's are pushovers, but for the first time since the outset of the season, the Falcons are not facing the tall order of playing a nationally-ranked team this weekend. Five of the seven losses have been to teams which were ranked among the top 25 in NCAA Division II at the time. Furthermore, each of this season's opponents to date have winning records and, combined, they are now 57-21. The Wildcats and Saints will be the first sub-.500 teams SPU has met. Only three GNAC teams (Western, Seattle University and Alaska Fairbanks) currently own winning records.

Slow September. It's not just that this season's start slows in comparison to the past couple years when the Falcons made the NCAA tournament. This now rates as the slowest start in team history, supplanting the 2-6 starts in 1988, and '93. A year ago at this time, Seattle Pacific stood 7-1 and was ranked 23rd in the nation. To be fair, five of that squad's top seven players either graduated or are no longer with the team, leaving Coach Kellie Ryan with just four returnees to begin the rebuilding process.

Rude awakening. The Falcons are the first team in the GNAC to know firsthand why Western Washington was the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champs. The Vikings handed out an ol' fashioned whuppin' in the teams' conference opener last week at Brougham Pavilion. Although it was the sixth time it had been swept this season, the SPU defense put the Vikings to the test. The two teams combined for more than 50 digs per game. Five players from each team reached double-figure dig totals, including Carri Colvin (Sr., Vancouver, Wa./Prairie) who led SPU with 18.

Low-octane offense. Ryan's a master plan this season was to wear down opponents and force them to make the first mistake. Western showed that this strategy only works if the opponent actually commits errors on a consistent basis-something the Vikings did just 13 times. The Falcons defense kept Western from reaching the .300 attack percentage mark, but their offense could not take advantage of its opportunities as it sputtered to a .050 percentage with just 29 kills and 22 errors on 141 attempts. The SPU offense has the lowest hitting percentage average in the GNAC at .054.

Renaissance woman. Setter-extraordinaire Katy Higgins (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Redmond) is evolving from a one-dimensional player to a versatile leader for the Falcons. After finishing 2001 as the No. 2 setter in the GNAC, Higgins again leads the Falcons in assists, but has added solid defense, consistent attacking, blocking and leadership to her repetoire. She has the team's highest hitting percentage (.156), is second in digs per game (2.77) and leads the team has 11 blocks to her credit this season. As one of just two returning starters to the team this season, Higgins has also taken a huge step forward as an on-and-off the court verbal leader with her teammates.

Opponent and series notes. Central Washington managed a sweep of SPU last season, sweeping the Falcons in Ellensburg and prevailing in five games at Seattle. Six of the Wildcats' nine matches have gone five games. Overall, Seattle Pacific leads the series, 22-20...Saint Martin's is the only winless team in the GNAC and have been swept six times. The Saints split the series last season, 1-1, but overall the Falcons have won 23 of 27 meetings...Central was picked to take second in the GNAC and SMC seventh.Quick sets. Higgins ranks eighth among GNAC setters in assists per game with 8.35...Colvin is No. 8 in digs, averaging 3.35 and Herrera ranks ninth in kills per game (3.22)...The SPU offense is noticably struggling as the team ranks last in the GNAC in kills and attack percentage...Opponents are hitting a combined .249.

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.

Coaches. In her first two seasons as a head coach, Kellie Ryan's teams have been nothing short of spectacular. The Falcons earned their first two trips to the NCAA tournament, won 44 of 58 matches and established a new record for consecutive wins (20) while equaling marks for most wins (24) and fewest losses (6) in a season. Ryan, 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). Antonela Secer, a native of Croatia, returns for her second year as assistant coach, along with Jim Woolace, formerly a high school coach in Fairbanks.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.