| Pirates Open
Northwest Conference Play in Oregon |
Sept. 13, 2004
|
Whitworth College volleyball heads into Northwest Conference play on a roll, despite seeing its six-match winning streak come to an end. The Pirates are 6-1 heading into NWC matches at Pacific University and Linfield College this weekend. Whitworth went 3-1 at the Whittier/Occidental Invitational over the weekend, losing only to 2nd-ranked University of La Verne.
| Last Week's Results | (W/L) Score | 2004 Record |
| 9/10 vs. Claremont-M-S | W, 3-1 | 4-0, 0-0 |
| 9/10 vs. Redlands | W, 3-0 | 5-0, 0-0 |
| 9/11 vs. Pomona-Pitzer | W, 3-0 | 6-0, 0-0 |
| 9/11 vs. La Verne | L, 3-0 | 6-1, 0-0 |
| This Week's Schedule | Time | Location |
| 9/17 at Pacific (Ore.) * | 7 pm | Forest Grove |
| 9/18 at Linfield * | 7 pm | McMinnville |
| Next Week's Schedule | Time | Location |
| 9/21 at Lewis-Clark St. | 6 pm | Lewiston, Idaho |
| 9/24 vs. Willamette * | 7 pm | Whitworth |
| 9/25 vs. Lewis & Clark * | 4 pm | Whitworth |
| * Indicates Northwest Conference match | ||
The Pirates: Whitworth opened the 2004 Whittier/Occidental Invitational with a 30-22, 34-32, 28-30, 30-24 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday. Natalie Danielson (Jr., MB, Kennewick, Wash.) had a monster match in the middle with 15 kills and no errors in 26 attempts for a hitting percentage of .577. Julie Marsh (Jr., OH, Cheney, Wash.) added 13 kills and 22 digs. Whitney Murphy (Jr., RS, Spokane, Wash.) had 23 digs. Whitworth had a season-best 11.5 team blocks, led by Katy Schrader's (Sr., MB, Spokane, Wash.) two solo and four assisted.
The Pirates won Friday's second match 30-26, 30-28, 30-24 over Redlands. Julie Marsh led the team with 13 kills, while Rebekah Hornor (Jr., S, Spokane, Wash.) directed the offense with 37 assists and added 13 digs. The Pirates hit .326 as a team with only nine total errors in the match.
On Saturday Whitworth defeated Pomona-Pitzer 30-21, 30-20, 30-21 to improve to 6-0 on the season. Four players reached double figures in assists, led by Danielson with 12. Brittney Bower (Jr., OH, Onalaska, Wash.) and Julie Marsh had 11 apiece and Katy Schrader had 10. Marsh dug 19 balls and Bekah Hornor finished with 41 assists and 16 digs.
The Pirates had a chance to play the University of La Verne in Saturday's finale. The Leopards, ranked 2nd in the latest AVCA poll, rolled to a 30-14, 30-20, 30-21 win and the Pirates got a good indication of how far they need to go to be a national player again. Julie Marsh had nine kills and Brittney Bower added eight kills to lead Whitworth.
NWC Poll: Whitworth finished tied for fifth with Whitman in the 2004 preseason coaches poll. Pacific Lutheran and Willamette are picked first and second in the poll. Click here for the 2004 NWC Coaches Poll.
The Opponents: Pacific University enters NWC play with a 1-6 record. The Boxers went 1-2 at the Whittier / Occidental Invitational, losing to Chapman and Cal Lutheran before defeating host Whittier. The Pirates and Boxers split a pair of matches last season.
Linfield, the defending Northwest Conference champion, is off to a 2-4 start after going 1-3 at the same tournament. The Wildcats defeated Whittier 3-0 and lost to La Verne 3-0 on Friday. They lost to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3-0 and to Redlands 3-1 on Saturday. The Wildcats are rebuilding, having lost five starters from 2003's NCAA playoff team. All-American Lindsay Harksen is back as their lone returning starter, however. Linfield swept the Pirates in both meetings last season.
The Coach: Steve Rupe is in his sixth season as the head volleyball coach of the Pirates. A 1989 graduate of Whitworth, Rupe has been named the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year twice (2001, 2002) and has become the second-winningest coach in school history with a record of 83-49 (.629) entering 2004. Under his direction, the Pirates have won a pair of NWC titles and have advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament twice (2001, 2002).