2009 Volleyball Season Review
BLOCK
STARTS OFF STRONG: Don’t let the name fool you. Alexa Block’s
strength wasn’t on the block, but on the attack and in digs. Conference
coaches recognized Block’s contributions as a freshman with a selection
to the All-Northwest Conference Volleyball Second Team.
Block’s impact on the Pacific program was evident from the opening set. She led the NWC with 3.62 blocks per set while starting all 24 matches and playing in all 94 sets. She led the Boxers with 340 kills and finished second on the team with 285 digs and 15 service aces. Block finished the year with 14 double-doubles (kills and digs) and set a school record for kills in a four-set match with 24 against Whitman on Oct. 9.
Block put the conference on notice with selection as Northwest Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Week in the first week of the season, leading Pacific to four wins with three double-doubles and back-to-back 20-kill nights against Wartburg and Central (Iowa) in the Boxer Kickoff Invitational.
“Alexa made a statement as a freshman,” said Head Coach Lena Chan. “She had numerous double-double matches and was consistently our go-to hitter. It will be a privilege to watch Alexa grow into her volleyball potential over the next couple of years.”
A
REPEAT FOR TAKASHIMA: Sophomore middle blocker earned All-Northwest
Conference honors for the second straight season, earning a spot on the
honorable mention squad after a steady and consistent performance for the
Boxers at the net.
Takashima finished second for the Boxers with 221 kills and 2.35 kills per set and was ranked as high as second in the conference in hitting percentage earlier in the season. She also led the Boxers with 29 service aces, ranking her seventh in NWC, and 64 blocks. Takashima opened the season with season highs of 19 kills and a .424 hitting percentage against Concordia (Ore.) on Sept. 1. She set a Pacific record for blocks in a match on Sept. 5, coming up with 11 in the Boxers’ five-set victory over Wartburg.
“Kelsy is respected by all of her teammates,” Chan said. “She works hard at every contact and intends to get better every day. Next season will be a breakthrough year for her.”
The selections of Block and Takashima marked just the second time in 12 years that two Pacific volleyball players have been selected to the All-NWC Volleyball Team.
HOT START, LONG START: Pacific could not have started the 2009 season off any better. Pacific opened the season with five straight victories with four coming at home. The season, however, could not have started off any longer as well. Pacific took matches to five sets in six of their first eight matches, going 4-2 in those marathons.
The victories came against a set of quality opponents. After opening the year with a five-set victory over Concordia (Ore.), the Boxers rolled through their three matches in the Boxer Kickoff Volleyball Invitational. The Boxers dispatched Schreiner in three sets before outlasting Iowa Conference powers Wartburg and Central (Iowa) in a pair of five-set marathons. Pacific finished the streak out on the road, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to beat 2008 Division III national runner-up La Verne (then ranked No. 6 in the nation).
Pacific put up some strong numbers in the five-match win streak, hitting .152 with 256 total kills along with 1.76 blocks and 14.65 digs per set. Alexa Block led the way with 78 kills, 70 digs and 12 blocks during the streak. Kelsy Takashima added 75 kills while hitting .327 with 19 digs, 24 blocks and eight aces.
A LONG FINISH: After starting the season off so red hot, the Boxers spent much of the rest of the season going ice cold. After opening the Cal-Lu-Fornia Invitational with their five-set victory over La Verne, the Boxers cam up short in the final three matches of the tournament. The losses included a pair of five-set heartbreakers at the hands of Pomona-Pitzer and UC Santa Cruz.
The shock may have been all it took to cool the Boxers off for good. The Boxers finish the season with just two more victories, scoring a four-set win over Willamette on Sept. 25 and a four-set win over Whitman on Oct. 9. Pacific finished the year at 7-17 overall and ninth in the NWC at 2-14.
SETTING IT ALL UP: Like many Pacific teams over the last few years, Pacific found itself relying on a single setter to make the offense run. For the second straight season, Brittney Johnson was that one player. Johnson was the Boxers’ starting setter in 22 of the team’s 24 matches. She finished the season ranked fifth in the NWC with 7.92 assists per set. Her 719 total assists ranks seventh on the Boxers’ single season list.
Johnson finished with 30 or more assists on 10 different occasions. She came up with a career-high 58 assists to go along with 10 assists and three kills in the Boxers’ five-set victory over Wartburg on Sept. 5. Johnson also notched double-doubles with 20 assists and 13 digs against Puget Sound on Oct. 17 and 48 assists and 12 digs against Linfield on Oct. 23.
JADE
ON DEFENSE: Stepping into the libero role as a freshman, Jade
Thompson played a significant role in the Boxers’ successes on the back
line. Thompson played in all 24 matches and in all 94 sets, almost all
of which came as the Boxers’ starting libero. Thompson finished the year
with 379 digs, ranking third on Pacific’s single season list, and finished
ranked sixth in the NWC with 4.04 digs per set.
Thompson finished with double-digit digs in all but two matches and had five matches with 20 or more digs. She notched a season high of 22 digs twice, against Central (Iowa) on Sept. 6 and against UC Santa Cruz on Sept. 11.
A STRONG SUPPORT ROLE: While not getting the most swings for the Boxers in 2009, Christiana Chandler provided a strong role for the Boxers as one of three regular starting outside hitters. Chandler started in 22 matches for the Boxers and played in 74 sets. Her 148 kills ranked third for the Boxers. She finished fourth with a total of 161 digs, an average 2.18 digs per set.
Chandler finished with double-digit kills on six different occasions, led by a high of 18 kills against Pomona-Pitzer on Sept. 12. She had a high of 17 digs against Schreiner on Sept. 4 and had a double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs against Whitworth on Oct. 10.
Season Summary
Overall Record: 7-17
NWC Record/Finish: 2-14 (9th)
Home Record: 6-6 Away Record: 0-9 Neutral
Site: 1-2
SEASON HONORS
Second Team All-Northwest Conference: Alexa Block (OH)
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference: Kelsy Takashima
(MB)
Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week: Alexa
Block (Sept. 8)