Must-win mode continues. Entrenched in a tight battle for a volleyball playoff berth for much of the past month, Seattle Pacific University will remain in must-win mode the rest of the way. The 16th-ranked Falcons (22-5) claimed a share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title by winning their final 11 matches. After earning the GNAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division II tournament, they face top seed and tournament host Cal State L.A. (24-2) in the first round of the Pacific Regional Thursday night (Nov. 17). Winners advance to Friday’s semifinals. The regional championship match is Saturday night, with the victors moving on to the national championships Dec. 1-3.

Rest of the story. The Falcons are making their third NCAA tourney appearance and their first since 2001. They are also searching for their first victory, having fallen in the first round in both ‘00 and ‘01. Combined, GNAC teams are 1-6 in the last four years of the NCAAs. Central Washington (22-4), which shared the conference championship with SPU, was awarded the No. 7 seed and meets Cal Poly Pomona (24-2), the CCAA co-champion along with Cal State L.A. Cal State San Bernardino (19-7) is seeded third and will face BYU Hawaii (20-4) of the Pacific West. Hawaii Pacific (23-2), the highest nationally-ranked team (No. 4) and the PacWest champion, is seeded No. 4 and faces Cal State Bakersfield (20-8).

Tough crowd. The Pacific is arguably the toughest region in the nation. All eight teams are ranked among the top 20 of the CSTV/AVCA coaches poll, and No. 18 UC San Diego was excluded. Besides Hawaii Pacific and SPU, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 9, Cal State LA No. 12, Cal State San Bernardino No. 14, Central Washington No. 15, BYU Hawaii No. 17 and Cal State Bakersfield No. 20. The Pacific Region has produced the NCAA champion 14 times, including four in the last seven years (Hawaii Pacific and BYU Hawaii twice each). Seattle Pacific owns wins over two No. 1 seeds–Grand Valley State (Mi.) of the Great Lakes and Nebraska Kearney of the Southwest.

Last week’s result:
SPU def. Northwest Nazarene 30-27, 30-17, 30-23

Quick work once again. To book their place in the playoffs, the Falcons needed a victory last week at Northwest Nazarene, and they did so decisively. Seattle Pacific swept the Crusaders in three games–its eighth such sweep in the 11-match win streak. Alyssa Given (So., 5-10, Salinas, Ca./Notre Dame) led the way with 12 kills, while Chelsey Myers (Sr., 5-10, Minden, Nv./Douglas) and Whitney Dibble (Jr., 6-1, Reno, Nv./Galena) had nine apiece.

Falcons honored. In midst of one of the finest seasons in program history, the Falcons have already accumulated several awards. Chris Johnson was named the GNAC co-Coach of the Year in his first season. Johnson’s team was picked fourth in the GNAC preseason poll yet they achieved the program’s first conference title and the second-best winning percentage for a regular season. Earning first team all-conference honors were the hard-hitting Given and setter Jenna Von Moos (Jr., 5-10, Stanwood, Wa.). Outside hitters Myers and Angie Wodrich (So., 5-10, Richland, Wa.), middle blockers Rachel Biornstad (So., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentlake) and Dibble, and libero Torii Mount (Fr., 5-2, Gresham, Or.) all received honorable mention. Given was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team.

Quick sets. Seattle Pacific was ranked 16th nationally for the third straight week and fourth time this season, matching the program highest ranking ever...The 22 wins is the most since 2000, when the Falcons finished 24-6. The 11-match win streak is second only to the 20 straight in 2000. The last loss was Oct. 1 at Western Washington...Mount’s 516 digs is a program record, and she is on pace to become the first player to ever average more than five digs per game...Myers ranks fifth all-time with 894 kills. She is eighth in the GNAC in kills (3.10) and 10th in points (3.56)...Von Moos is fifth all-time in career assists and her 1156 assists this season ranks fifth as well. She is ranked 25th nationally with 12.3 assists per game. Von Moos is second in the league in assists...Given’s 3.88 kills per game is the second-highest SPU single season average, her aces per game average (0.56) is on record pace and her 53 total aces is third-best. She finished the regular season ranked third in the GNAC in aces (0.56) and points (4.68) per game, and fifth in kills. Wodrich ranks 11th in the conference in points (3.55) and aces (0.37)...Katie Ralph (Sr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) is fifth in GNAC blocking (1.12) and seventh in hitting (.268)...Biornstad is fourth in blocks (1.12)...Dibble stands second in blocks (1.13) and fifth in hitting (.272)...SPU is second in the GNAC and 28th nationally with 15.64 kills per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and are 22nd in the NCAA II with 2.71 blocks per game. Thy are also second in the league in hitting (.229), opponent hitting percentage (.130), assists (14.23) and digs (19.43) and third in aces (1.93).

SPU coaches. A new era begins as Chris Johnson—just the third coach in the program’s existence—aims to send the Falcons back to the NCAA for the first time in four seasons. Johnson was the team’s top assistant in 2004, and earlier served as an assistant at NAIA powerhouse Westmont from 2001-03. The Warriors reached the national tournament in ‘01 and ‘02. Last season at SPU, Johnson was in charge of defense and passing strategies and technique, as well as recruiting. He also guided the Falcons through the balance of the spring season following the resignation Kellie Ryan. A native of Bellevue and graduate of Interlake High School, Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in art from Westmont in 2002. He played a total of five years at the collegiate club level, including three at Westmont. Kaitlin Leck, a four-year starter who averaged more than 2.5 kills at Washington will serve as Johnson’s assistant. Leck was a two-time Pac-10 all-academic selection, and was a member of the NCAA semifinal team in ‘04.

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 Website.