SEATTLE (Oct. 11) -- Monica Herrera (Jr., Lima, Peru/ Mercy) slammed 22 kills and recorded a .366 hitting percentage to lead the Seattle Pacific University volleyball team past Humboldt State 25-30, 30-20, 30-22, 23-30, 15-13 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup Friday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons (4-4, 5-10) rallied from a three-point deficit to the Lumberjacks (2-6, 4-12) and rattled off three straight points in the decisive fifth game to seal the match victory. Overall, SPU broke the .200 hitting plateau with a .212 mark led by Herrera and Carri Colvin (Sr., Vancouver, Wa./Praire) who recorded 18 kills and a .326 percentage.

Despite eight kills and just one error from Herrera, ten hitting errors as a team in the first game kept the Falcons from gaining an early edge.

A match-high .326 team mark and a repeat performance by Herrera in the second stanza was all SPU needed to tie the match.

SPU cruised to another victory in game three after rallying from an early 6-2 lead by the 'Jacks. The Falcons finished the game with a convincing 8-0 run, giving the impression they were headed for an easy victory in game four.

But Humboldt held the Falcons to a .091 hitting mark in the fourth game and got off to a solid 5-1 edge which they held for the remainder of the game to tie the match at two games apiece.

With the crowd at their back in the final game, SPU stole the momentum in the fifth game and recorded their second straight GNAC victory.

Herrera also led the Falcons in the dig department with 17 while Kathleen Monda (So., Woodinville, Wa./ Washington State) recorded seven blocks. Katy Higgins (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Redmond) finished the match with a team-high 51 assists.

SPU is home again tomorrow night to take on Western Oregon in a 7 p.m. start at Brougham Pavilion.

SPU def. Humboldt State 25-30, 30-20, 30-22, 23- 30, 15-13

Kills -- SPU 63 (Monica Herrera 22), HSU 63

Digs -- SPU 78 (Monica Herrera 17), HSU 85

Blocks -- SPU 12 (Kathleen Monda 7), HSU 5

Assists -- 54 (Higgins 51), HSU 61

Attack Percentage -- SPU .212, HSU .166