SPOKANE, Wash. -- Having increased its winning streak to 11 matches and its national ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches poll to 18th, the Whitworth College volleyball team puts both on the line this weekend when the Pirates play at Linfield College on Friday night and Pacific University on Saturday.

Whitworth (15-2 overall, 10-0 NWC) moved up in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches poll (Oct. 18) from 20th in last week's poll.

Julie Marsh is the NWC Player of the Week

The Pirates are coming off of a win at Lewis-Clark State and a pair of 3-0 sweeps at home against George Fox University and Lewis & Clark last weekend. Julie Marsh (Sr., OH, Cheney, Wash. - Cheney) was named the NWC Player of the Week after hitting .419 at the net with 39 kills. She added 13 digs, four assists and two blocks in the three victories.

On Friday the Pirates will play at 15th-ranked Linfield College (15-3 overall, 7-3 NWC). Whitworth handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season on September 23rd in Spokane by a 3-0 score. Senior rightside hitter Lindsey Harksen continues to have an outstanding season, averaging 3.6 kills per game, 2.4 digs per game and 0.5 aces per game. Linfield defeated Pacific 3-0 at home last Friday and pulled out a key 3-1 win at Pacific Lutheran last Saturday.

Whitworth will travel to Forest Grove, Oregon for a match with Pacific University at 5:00 pm on Saturday. The Boxers started the season 7-2, including three wins over 2004 NCAA tournament participants. But since starting NWC play Pacific has fallen to 8-12 overall and 1-9 in the NWC. Melissa Dunn leads the team in kills (3.3) and digs (3.3) per game. Whitworth defeated the Boxers by a 3-0 score in Spokane on September 24th.

Whitworth's 10-0 Northwest Conference start is the second best in school history. In 2002 the Pirates started 12-0 on the way to a 15-1 record and an NWC championship.