Packin’ the bags again. Back on the road again, the Seattle Pacific University volleyball team faces some stiff opposition during the upcoming three-match spin through the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Friday night (Sept. 17) the Falcons (5-5, 1-1 GNAC) head to Ellensburg to face undefeated Central Washington (9-0, 1-0). Saturday night (Sept. 18), SPU takes on Saint Martin’s (2-6, 0-1). A stretch of 11 road dates in the first 13 matches ends the following Friday (Sept. 24) in Bellingham, against No. 16-ranked and three-time defending league champion Western Washington (6-3, 2-0).

Slow starts, exciting finishes. In their first two home matches of the season, the Falcons started off slow, only to mount strong comebacks. While the battle-from-behind script certainly entertained the Brougham Pavilion faithful, Coach Kellie Ryan would like her players to start matches with the sound play and intensity that they have put on display late in contests. In the home opener loss to Seattle University, the Falcons dug themselves a huge hole by dropping the first two games 30-18 and 30-21. SPU, however, battled back to edge SU in game three 32-30 and rolled to an easy 30-20 win in game four. In the fifth and decisive game, Seattle U. held on, 15-13, to take the match. The following night against Northwest Nazarene, the Falcons again stumbled in game one, falling 30-21. But Seattle Pacific won the next three in convincing fashion for its first GNAC victory of the year.

Let’s turn it around. A hallmark of Ryan’s first two teams was an ability to win GNAC road matches, and the Falcons must do so again if they are to achieve their goal of reaching the NCAA tournament. In the past two seasons SPU is just 6-12 in conference away matches. If the first portion of ‘04 is any indication, Seattle Pacific could prove to become an unwanted intruder in most GNAC gyms. It is 2-1 in true road (excluding neutral) matches. In 2000 and ‘01 Ryan’s teams were a combined 13-5 en route to postseason appearances.

Junior outside hitter Chelsey Myers (left) and junior middle hitter Katie Ralph have been providing examples by their performance and leadership that have been catalysts for SPU’s comebacks in recent matches.

Veteran leadership. Junior outside hitter Chelsey Myers (Minden, Nv./Douglas) was the catalyst for SPU’s comebacks in both matches, recording her two highest kills figures of the year. She totaled 37 kills and hit for a .250 percentage. Myers scored a total of 42.5 points in the two matches, including six blocks and two service aces. Against Seattle University, Myers came through with six kills, a block and a service ace in game three to help SPU rebound from a two-game deficit to force a fifth and decisive game. Myers finished with a match- and season-high 19 kills and also led SPU with 17 digs. She followed that up with match highs of 18 kills and 21 digs to go along with three blocks and an ace in the victory over Northwest Nazarene while hitting at a season best .324 clip.

Hey, hey Ralphie. Another junior, middle hitter Katie Ralph (Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) has also been providing leadership with her solid all-around play on the court. SPU’s kills leader, Ralph was called upon less for her hitting and more for her serving and defensive net play. She recorded her two highest block totals of the season with seven against Seattle U. and six against Northwest Nazarene. Ralph also had a career-high five aces against NNU and finished with 20 kills and 19 digs in the two matches combined.

Quick sets. The Falcons are 3-1 when winning the opening game this season...Alyssa Given (Fr., Salinas, Ca./Notre Dame) had 33 kills, 16 digs and five aces last week. She had 18 kills, 11 digs and two aces in the five-game loss to Seattle University. Given passed Ralph for the team lead in kills per game (2.62). She moved up to ninth in the GNAC with 0.41 aces per game...Jenna Von Moos (So., Stanwood, Wa.) recorded her two highest assist totals of her career in both matches last week. She eclipsed the 50-assist barrier for the first time ever with 59 in the loss to Seattle U. Von Moos had 52 the following night in the victory over Northwest Nazarene. Von Moos upped her average nearly one per game and moved up to eighth in the conference (8.81 per game)...Ralph moved into the GNAC top 10 in blocks, ranking seventh at an even one per game. She is also 10th in hitting percentage (.276)...Von Moos is fourth in the GNAC with a .353 hitting percentage ...Seattle Pacific jumped to fourth in the league with 1.89 aces per game.

SPU coaches. In her first four seasons as a head coach, Kellie Ryan has guided the Falcons to new heights. Under Ryan, SPU earned its first two trips to the NCAA tournament and established a new record for consecutive wins (20) while equaling marks for most wins (24) and fewest losses (6) in a season. She entered Œ04 with a overall mark of 68-40. 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 honors as a senior. She remains the SPU record-holder for service aces (142) in a career and single match assists (83). Chris Johnson, assistant for Westmont College in Santa Barbara from 2001-2003, joins the SPU staff this season. Jim Woolace returns for his fourth season as an assistant.

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.