Gaining momentum. The Seattle Pacific University volleyball team will try to pick up where it left off on following its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory of the season when the Falcons host both Alaska schools this week. After playing nine of its first 10 matches on the road, SPU (1-2, 2-8) will enjoy the comforts of Brougham Pavilion for six of its next eight matches where the Falcons are 26-4 dating back to mid-1999. They host Alaska Anchorage (2-2, 6-6) Friday night, (Sept. 27) and less than 22 hours later face Alaska Fairbanks (3-1, 6-3) Saturday afternoon (Sept. 28). Travel resumes the following week at Northwest Nazarene and Seattle University.

Schedule gods. After a backbreaking early season non-conference slate, the schedule appears to finally swing back in the Falcons favor over the next few weeks. In addition to playing six of the next eight matches at home, five of the next six opponents currently have a losing records. In fact, three of those opponents are a combined 4-29 overall this season. If SPU can continue to improve with each match as it has over the past two weeks, the Falcons could very well climb in the GNAC standings.

Heating up. After a major roster overhaul in the offseason, Coach Kellie Ryan pledged it would take her team some time to gel and to begin playing to its potential. Fortunately, it appears that Falcons are fulfilling their coach's prophecy just as the conference schedule kicks into high gear. After dropping its first six contests, the Falcons are 2-2 over the past four matches and last week it appeared the offense is catching fire. In both matches last week, Seattle Pacific broke the .200 hitting percentage plateau for the first time this season. SPU hit a combined .231-a far cry from its .055 mark heading into those matches-and averaged 15.25 kills per game, compared to 10.10 previously.

Win-win situation. Even though the Falcons managed only a split last week, both matches can be seen as victories for a team that was struggling to put points on the board. They put up a good fight against a formidable Central Washington team in the first conference road match of the season. SPU won its first GNAC game before eventually succumbing to the Wildcats, but the Falcons hit just two fewer kills (62), assembled a respectable hitting percentage (.232) and stuffed 13 blocks, compared to just six for Central. After returning to Seattle the same night and then driving down Interstate 5 to play Saint Martin's the next day, the they showed little fatigue in putting away the hapless Saints in four games for their first conference victory.

On their game. Help came from across the board last week as the Falcons vastly improved their level of play and got into the win column in the GNAC. Monica Herrera (Jr., Lima, Peru/Mercy) slammed 38 kills, including a season-high 22 at Saint Martin's, and hit for a .317 average. Andrea Pennington (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Bellingham-Whatcom CC) notched 23 kills while Chelsey Myers (Fr., Minden, Nv./Douglas) recorded a team-high .350 attack percentage. Setter Katy Higgins (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Redmond) was also on her game, serving up 99 assists for a 12.34 per game average. Kathleen Monda (So., Woodinville, Wa./Woodinville-Washington State) continued to be a force at the net, blocking nine opponent attacks, while libero Carri Colvin (Sr., Vancouver, Wa./Prairie) anchored the back line with 32 digs for a 4.0 game average.

Opponent and series notes. The Falcons topped Alaska Anchorage twice last season for a season sweep with a pair of 3-1 match victories. SPU has won four straight matches against the Seawolves, dating back to 1998, and is 16-5 all-time against Anchorage...Fairbanks also fell victim to an SPU sweep last season as the Falcons won both matches 3-1. SPU has lost just two matches in 19 all-time meetings against the Nanooks...Anchorage was picked to take third in the GNAC and Fairbanks fifth.Quick sets. Higgins ranks eighth among GNAC setters in assists per game with 9.29...Colvin is seventh in digs, averaging 3.50 and Herrera ranks seventh in kills per game (3.56)...The only place the Falcons struggled as a team last week was at the service line where they committed a combined 19 faults and just eight aces.

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.

SPU 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.