SEATTLE (Oct. 15) — Katie Ralph had 11 kills and a season-high nine blocks to lead Seattle Pacific to a 3-0 sweep of Saint Martin’s in Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball action on Friday night at Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons (6-4 GNAC, 10-8) swept a team for the third straight match with a 30-22, 30-28, 30-28 victory over the Saints (1-9 GNAC, 3-14). SPU has won three straight matches and a total of nine straight games. Both are season bests.

Ralph (Jr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) committed just one error in the match and hit at a .500 clip. Her blocking at the net charged the Falcons early, and her consistent and powerful hitting carried the team late.

Chelsey Myers (Jr., Minden, Nv./Douglas) led all players with 13 kills. She also had 14 digs, giving her a double-double in kills and digs in nine of the last 10 matches. Whitney Dibble (So., Reno, Nv./Galena) added 10 kills, three blocks and two service aces. Jenna Von Moos (So., Stanwood, Wa.) provided a solid all-around performance with five kills, 43 assists, 10 digs and six block assists.

SPU built an 18-10 lead midway through the third game. But Saint Martin’s scored eight of the next 10 points to keep SPU from walking away with the sweep. SMC finally clawed all the way back, pulling even at 27-27, but the Falcons never wavered.

SPU scored the next two points, then gave up another, before Myers put away her match-high 13th and final kill to end the match. Ralph came up with two big kills late in the game to end SMC runs. She had five kills and two blocks, one solo, in game three alone.

Christy Hurley had 11 kills and five blocks to lead Saint Martin’s. Stephanie Beck added 10 kills and 10 digs. Lauren Kreiger finished with five kills and a match-high 21 digs.

In game two, the Falcons found themselves trailing 23-19 as Saint Martin’s appeared on the verge of tying the match. Ralph had two kills and two blocks during a five-point SPU run in which the Falcons came back to capture the lead 25-24. That was the last Saint Martin’s lead throughout the entire match.

Ralph also came up huge in the closing stages of the first game. After Saint Martin’s pulled to within one, 23-22, SPU closed with seven straight points to capture a 1-0 lead. Ralph took part in five of those points, including the final four. She had a kill and four block assists during that stretch, teaming with Von Moos for blocks on three of the final four points.

Seattle Pacific finished with 12 blocks to 10 by Saint Martin’s. SPU also had a 7-2 advantage in service aces. The Falcons hit for a .174 percentage as a team while holding the Saints to just .115.

The red-hot Falcons take their three-match winning streak up against undefeated and nationally 13th-ranked Central Washington tomorrow night at 7:00 pm at Brougham Pavilion.

Seattle Pacific def. Saint Martin's 30-22,30-28,30-28
Saint Martin's (1-9 GNAC, 3-14) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Hurley,Christy 11-0-5; Beck,Stephine 10-1-1; Athey,Andrea 7-0-3; Hall,Lisa 6-0-1; Kreiger,Lauren 5-1-2; Wofford,Emily 0-0-5; Totals 39-2-10.0. (Assists) - Hall,Lisa 28. (Dig leaders) - Kreiger,Lauren 21; Buchanan,Jacque 15; Ponce,Kristen 12; Hall,Lisa 11; Beck,Stephine 10
Seattle Pacific (6-4 GNAC, 10-8) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Myers,Chelsey 13-2-1; Ralph,Katie 11-0-9; Dibble,Whitney 10-2-3; Bauder,Jessica 7-0-2; Monda,Kathleen 6-2-1; Von Moos,Jenna 5-0-6; Given,Alyssa 2-1-1; Gihring,Shelby 2-0-0; Totals 56-7-12.0. (Assists) - Von Moos,Jenna 43. (Dig leaders) - Butac,Tiffany 19; Myers,Chelsey 14; Bauder,Jessica 12; Von Moos,Jenna 10
Site: Seattle (Brougham Pavilion)
Date: Oct 15, 2004
Attend: 212
Time: 1:35
Referees: Ric Lomibao, Michael Young