SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team heads east again this week for the Transy Invitational on the campus of Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. The Pirates will take on Illinois College and Chicago on Friday, then play Texas Lutheran and Transylvania on Saturday.
Check the Whitworth volleyball schedule and the tournament schedule (links on the right) for up-to-date live access to results.
The Pirates: Whitworth finished 3-1 at the University of Chicago Gargoyle Classic against a tough field. Maddie Lee averaged 3.12 kills per set, while Ella Jimenez posted 1.47 blocks per set.
Whitworth won the opener 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23 over Aurora (Illinois), a heavy favorite to win the NACC for the fifth straight season. The Pirates hit .213 as a team, led by 18 kills from Lee and nine each by Cassidy Franklin and Jaye Hodge. Jimenez finished with 11 blocks (1 solo, 10 assists), while Eva Millan had 22 digs.
Whitworth defeated host Chicago 29-27, 25-19, 22-25, 19-25, 15-11 in Friday's second match. The Pirates trailed 5-0 in the fifth set before rallying to win over the 25th-ranked Maroons. Jimenez had 14 kills in the match, while Franklin added 13 kills and six block assists. Lee had a dozen kills and 21 digs. Megan Lange dished 32 assists, while Joelle Forbes had 21.
Whitworth lost 25-20, 15-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-7 to St. Olaf (Minn.) in Saturday's first match, which allowed the Oles to share the tournament's best record with the Pirates. After trailing 10-2 early in the fourth set, the Bucs rallied to tie twice late in the frame (21-21 and 23-23) but could not close out the match. Lee had 13 kills while Hodge had ten. Jimenez had ten more blocks (2 solo, 8 assists).
Whitworth picked up its first sweep of the season with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-22 win over Wisconsin-Lacrosse in the finale. The Pirates hit .226 as a team as Lee had 10 kills, Franklin added seven and Logan Spencer finished with six. Forbes (16) and Lange (14) combined for 30 assists. The Pirates served eight aces, including three by Jimenez.
History Achieved: The 2021 Pirates became the first Whitworth team to finish its Northwest Conference schedule undefeated and the first NWC team to traverse the league slate without a loss since PLU in 2009. Whitworth won its 11th Northwest Conference volleyball title last fall. It is the 10th championship since 2001 and fifth under head coach Kati Bodecker.
In addition, Whitworth posted its best regular season record since the Pirates went 23-2 during the regular season in 2002.
NWC Poll: Whitworth was picked first on eight out of nine ballots in the 2022 NWC preseason coaches poll. The Pirates had 64 points to outdistance PLU, who had the remaining first place vote and 56 points. Puget Sound was third in the poll (47 points), while Pacific (Ore.) was fourth (41 points). Coaches cannot vote for their own school.
The Coach: Kati Bodecker, now 164-63 in her tenth season guiding the Pirates, is a four-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year after leading Whitworth to five NWC championships in her first nine seasons. She is 117-23 in conference matches during that time. Bodecker has also directed the Pirates to five appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021). In 2013 she coached the Bucs to a 15-13 record, becoming the first Whitworth volleyball coach to post a winning record in her first season since Margaret Campbell in 1990. She previously had been the head coach at Priest River High School, leading the Spartans to five state tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2012. She was a four-year starter at the University of Idaho, helping lead the Vandals to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances as a sophomore and junior.
The Opponents: Whitworth's four opponents at this weekend's tournament will all contend for their own conference crowns in 2022.
Illinois College went 1-2 at its own season-opening tournament last weekend. The Lady Blues finished 11-15 overall last season, but were 6-2 in the Midwest Conference. They are picked third in the 2022 MWC preseason poll. Senior DS Jenn Humboldt was a second team All-MWC selection in 2021. Whitworth and Illinois College have never played in volleyball.
Chicago is ranked 25th in the AVCA preseason poll. The Maroons went 2-2 at their own tournament last weekend, including a five-set win over St. Olaf. Chicago went 17-10 overall and 5-2 (third place) in the challenging University Athletic Association last fall and received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Division III tournament. Senior MB Ellie Alden and junior S Maya Patel were both first team All-UAA selections last season. Whitworth defeated the Maroons in five sets last Friday.
Texas Lutheran is off to an impressive 5-0 start after rolling through the Trinity University Invitational last weekend in San Antonio. The Bulldogs went 19-14 in 2021. Senior libero Lexi Morris led all of Division III in digs last year and was the Southern Collegiate Athletics Conference back row Player of the Year. Sophomore setter Shavonne Respondek was the 2021 SCAC Freshman of the Year. Whitworth defeated TLU in four sets at an early tournament last season.
Transylvania, the host school, is 1-3 after playing in the same tournament in San Antonio. The Pioneers finished 23-13 overall and won the Heartland Collegiate Athletics Conference tournament last season before falling in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament. Junior MB Karrington Jackson and sophomore OH Cate Scheper earned All-HCAC honors in 2021, with Scheper claiming the HCAC Newcomer of the Year award.
Coming Up: Whitworth will open its 2022 Northwest Conference schedule September 16-17 at Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound.
