On the rebound. The Seattle Pacific University volleyball team will attempt to extend its best play of the season when a three-match, season-ending road trip begins this week. The Falcons (6-9, 7-15), who rebounded from a four-match losing streak last weekend, will try to maintain some momentum in a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests, starting Thursday night (Nov. 7) at Western Oregon (3-11, 11-20). SPU visits Humboldt State (3-11, 5-17) Saturday night (Nov. 9) and plays its final match Nov. 16 at Western Washington.

Sweepee becomes sweeper. The Falcons' five-year run of avoiding back-to-back losses at home came to a crashing halt last with a Halloween showdown versus crosstown-rival Seattle U. The Redhawks cruised to their first victory in eight series meetings, winning in three games. The same SPU offense which put away just .043 percent in that match awakened from the slumber to hit .203 two nights later and hand a respectable Northwest Nazarene squad just its third GNAC sweep of the season. It was the first .200-plus hitting performance in five matches and it resulted in a total of 51 kills.

Best for last. In her last collegiate match on the SPU home floor, Carrie Colvin (Sr., Vancouver, Wa./Prairie) delivered the best all-around performance of her senior campaign. Her 14 kills, 14 digs, four blocks, two service aces were all team-highs, and her 4.67 kills per game was her best of the season. Heading into this week's matches, Colvin is 90 digs short of breaking into the top-five for all-time career leaders. Her 289 digs this season is already a career-high and she is 34 short of breaking her best kills total, set last season. This year Coach Kellie Ryan has used Colvin as a stopgap, deploying the team's sole senior whereever her team needs her most. Early in the season, Colvin was used to fortify the team's defense as libero. More recently, Ryan has utilized her attacking ability to strengthen the Falcons offense.

Mayday, mayday. With promising freshman Chelsey Myers (Fr., Minden, Nv./Douglas) out of the lineup, the play of her replacement Katy Kravitz (Jr., Olympia, Wa./Northern Colorado) is softening the blow to the SPU offense. To limit the stress that jumping has on her ankle, Myers tried to play back row versus Seattle U., only to leave after the first game. Ryan now expects Myers to miss the remainder of the season. However, Kravitz is taking advantage of the increased floor time to put up career-best numbers. She tied her career-high for kills (six), assists (three) and service aces (two) versus Northwest Nazarene, adding mid-rally several saves that don't always show up in the box score.

Light on her fingertips. Katy Higgins (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Redmond) continues to adapt to a lower-octane offense than in past seasons as she remains the anchor of an improving overall assault. While the Falcons remain defensively strong, the offense is taking its turn in the driver's seat with Higgins at the wheel. For the first time this season, the Falcons are no longer leading their opponents in digs while the offense steadily improves and increases its depth. Higgins recorded a 13.33 assists per game against NNU-her second-best outing of the season.

Quick sets. Not a single player reached double-figures in kills against Seattle U., the first such occurrence since Sept. 14. The Falcons were also unable to record a service ace for the first time and dipped into double-digit errors (10) for the seventh time this season...Another victory would ensure that this team does not tie the record for fewest wins. The 1993 squad finished 7-20...A bright spot against NNU was Andra Taylor (Jr., Camas, Wa./Mt. Hood CC), who recorded a career-high 10 kills with just two errors and a .400 attack percentage...Higgins ranks eighth among GNAC setters in assists per game with 10.1...Monica Herrera (Jr., Lima, Peru/Mercy College), whose string of double-digit totals in kills was snapped at 12 matches, vs. Seattle U., slipped to second in GNAC kills per game (4.07). Nevertheless, Herrera's average remains on school-record pace. She is also seventh in service aces (0.40)...Colvin ranks seventh in digs (3.62)...Higgins is eighth in assists (10.01)...Kathleen Monda (So., Woodinville, Wa./Woodinville) is ninth in blocking (0.93).

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.

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.

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.