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Opening with a bang. Seemingly on the verge of breaking into the top echelon of volleyball in NCAA Division II, Seattle Pacific University will get several up-close glimpses of teams owning just such a distinction during the first two weeks of the ‘07 season. The Falcons, ranked No. 20 in the preseason poll, begin by visiting 3rd-rated Cal State San Bernardino Thursday night (Aug. 23), then facing No. 4 UC San Diego the following afternoon (Aug. 24). They wrap-up the Coyote Classic Saturday (Aug. 25) against Fort Lewis (Co.) and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Pressure’s off? Compared to the creampuff schedules some powerhouses put together for the early season, Seattle Pacific’s slate reads like a murder’s row. San Bernardino and UCSD were picked to finish 1-2 in their conference, and Fort Lewis, the last foe to defeat the Falcons in regular season play, also qualified for the playoffs. SPU, 24-3 last year, owns an 18-match win streak outside of postseason. Before Great Northwest Athletic Conference action start, there’s also a Sept. 1 encounter with No. 1-ranked and NCAA champion Tampa. Ten of the 26 matches this season are against teams which qualified for the NCAA tournament.

And we’re pretty good. The Falcons are a formidable squad themselves. They have won back-to-back GNAC titles and finished with national rankings both seasons under coach Chris Johnson. This time around, SPU has been pegged for second in the conference, behind Western Washington, by a slim margin. The Vikings received six first-place votes to Seattle Pacific’s four.

She’s No. 1. She wears a ‘1’ on her shirt, and rightfully so. Alyssa Given (Sr., 5-10, Salinas, Ca/Notre Dame) is coming off an all-region season in which she broke SPU and GNAC records for single match kills (32), and led the league in kills (4.52) and total points. If anything, Given has gotten only stronger, according to Johnson. She is one of three returning starters–a statistic which may be misleading because several players shared starting roles a year ago. Given will swing from the left, with Angie Wodrich (Sr., 5-10, Richland, Wa.) on the right and Rachel Biornstad (Sr., 6-0, Kent, Wa./Kentlake) in the middle. Wodrich led the GNAC in service aces (0.55) and Biornstad, an all-conference selection, topped the team in hitting percentage (.264) and blocks (1.09).

Calling the shots. The biggest question is not who will replace All-America setter Jenna Von Moss, but how quickly she will grow accustomed to Johnson’s detailed offense. Joelle Perez (Fr., 5-8. Vancouver, Wa/Heritage) becomes only the fourth freshman in the program’s 21-year existence to be given the reins. Robin De Jong (So., 5-10, Goleta, Ca./Dos Pueblos), a potential starter in the middle, is also able to set.

Opportunity knocks. Among those who could well qualify as returning starters are libero Torii Mount (Jr., 5-2, Gresham, Or./Gresham) and middle Jessica Bettencourt (So., 5-11, South Lake Tahoe, Ca.). Mount was the starter as a freshman, when she set a record for digs, then fought to regain that role toward the end of last season. Bettencourt was impressive as a freshman, starting more than 60 percent of the matches. The second outside slot will be filled by either Nikki Finley (So., 5-9, Highlands Ranch, Co./Mountain Vista), Alexa Vondrak (So., 5-9, Gresham, Or./Sam Barlow), Courtney Alberi (Fr., 5-11, Castaic, Ca./Valencia) or Sarah Risser (Fr., 5-9, Santa Barbara, Ca./Dos Pueblos).

Put me in Coach. Coach Chris Johnson has acquired quite the reputation over his first two years as the Falcons’ leader. His squad has lost only nine of 54 matches they've played in, have a 20-match home winning streak that they will attempt to continue to uphold in their forthcoming 2007 campaign, as well as a gamete of other accolades compiled by himself and his players. With players still competing for the majority of the starting spots on the court, Coach Johnson can only watch as his spikers, setters, and diggers keep pushing each other on and making one another better.

See you next month. The Falcons will be hotel-bound for much of the next two weeks as their first eight matches are on the road. The home and GNAC opener is Sept. 6 versus Seattle University. That begins a three-match home stand which also features league newcomer Montana State Billings Sept. 8. Seattle Pacific comes into the season with a 20-match win streak at Brougham Pavilion, including 10-0 in ‘06.

Quick sets. Seattle Pacific’s three losses last season were a record for fewest. Opponents were held to .114 hitting while the Falcons attacked at a .220 clip. They served a record 2.07 aces per game...Only two matches went to five games last season, one being the NCAA tournament defeat to Chico State...Given enters her final season at No. 4 in career kills (993) and service aces, needing 256 and 24, respectively, for those records...Wodrich’s 51 aces was eight below the record of 59. Mount is No. 1 in career digs average (4.38) and Butac came within 18 digs of the career total mark. As a team, the Falcons averaged a record 2.07 aces.

Coaching Staff. Chris Johnson took the Falcons to their first conference championships, their highest national rankings and NCAA tournament berths in his first two seasons as head coach, and was twice voted GNAC co-coach of the year. Johnson was the team’s top assistant in 2004, and earlier served as an assistant at NAIA powerhouse Westmont from 2001-03. Former Central Washington star Crystal Ames joins the staff, which includes Johnny Lai and Jill Spratt.

Tickets, please. Ticket prices for all SPU regular season home games are $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens $3. Group and team rates are available by phoning (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.