St. Mary’s (Texas) 3, Seattle Pacific 2

SPU 3, Cal State Stanislaus 0

St. Mary’s (Texas) 3, Seattle Pacific 2

Turlock, Calif. (Sept. 3) Chelsey Myers and Katie Ralph each recorded double figures in kills, but Seattle Pacific could not hold on to an early 2-0 lead and fell to St. Mary’s (Texas) in five games in the first day of the Togo’s Warrior Classic, at Cal State Stanislaus’ Warrior Arena.

Ralph (Jr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) finished with 10 kills and led all players with a career-high eight blocks as the Falcons (2-4) won the first two games and were looking to sweep. It was a reversal of fortune, however, for Seattle Pacific, who came back from a 2-0 deficit in victory two nights earlier. The Falcons dropped the match 30-18, 30-28, 25-30, 19-30, 9-15.

Maegan Lowry led the Rattlers (3-3) with a match-high 17 kills. Lindsey Van Horn added 16 kills and four blocks.

Myers (Jr., Minden, Nv.) matched Ralph’s 10 kills and added seven digs on the defensive end. Jenna Von Moos (So., Stanwood, Wa.) chipped in six kills, 38 assists, eight digs and four blocks. The Falcons finished with 12 blocks as a team.

Seattle Pacific was unable to carry the momentum of its blistering start, mostly in part to a resurgence in hitting by the Texans. The Rattlers hit .333 in game three and .375 in game four to force the decisive fifth frame. The SPU defense stepped up, but the fatigued Falcons hit at a negative clip with just four kills and six errors on 21 attempts in the final game.

SPU 3, Cal State Stanislaus 0

Turlock, Calif. (Sept. 4) Katie Ralph led an efficient Falcon attack with a match-high 10 kills while hitting at a .526 clip as Seattle Pacific swept tournament host Cal State Stanislaus late Friday night at the Togos Warrior Classic.

Ralph (Jr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) was one of three Falcons to hit over .400 in the match, as Seattle Pacific (3-4) avenged a five-game loss to St. Mary’s (Texas) earlier in the day. The Falcons downed the Warriors (2-2) 34-32, 30-18, 30-17.

Alyssa Given (Fr. Salinas, Ca.) added eight kills and four service aces in the victory. Tiffany Butac (So., Pearl City, Hi.), who led all players with 22 digs, also had four aces. SPU finished with 11 service aces as a team.

After edging the Warriors in a close first game, the Falcons cruised the rest of the way, hitting at a .315 clip as a team in game two. SPU held Stanislaus to a .038 hitting percentage, including four Warriors in negative fiugres.

Kelli Costello paced Stanislaus with eight kills.

SPU setter Jenna Von Moos (So., Stanwood, Wa.) had six kills and no errors on nine attacks for a .667 hitting percentage to go along with a match-high 33 assists. Whitney Dibble (So., Reno, Nv.) had seven kills and hit .417 in the match.