2007 Volleyball Season Review
ISEKE
NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE, ALL-REGION: In a breakthrough season for
Pacific volleyball, it was only appropriate that the team’s top player
earn recognition for an outstanding season and career.
Senior Anela Iseke was named First Team All-Northwest Conference, becoming the first Boxer so named since 1994. In addition, she was selected as an honorable mention to the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association All-West Region Team, becoming the first Pacific player ever to be selected to an AVCA team.
"Anela's contributions to the program have been immense," said Pacific Head Coach Chris Stanley. "It is awesome to see her gain recognition at the regional level."
Iseke will go into the Pacific history books as one of the top volleyball players in school history. Iseke finished second in the league with 11.62 assists per game and was ranked 35th in Division III in that category. She led Pacific with 1,023 assists and a .293 hitting percentage and was third on the team with 299 digs.
In the process, Iseke set numerous school records for setting. This season, Iseke set new single-match records for assists in all lengths of matches (46 in three games, 57 in four games and 69 in five games) as well as digs in a three-game match (28). She also set a new single season record for assists in the 30-point era (2000-present). On the all-time list, Iseke set a new single season record for assists per game and ranks third for total single season assists.
PEACOCK
ALSO EARNS ALL-CONFERENCE LAURELS: Pacific’s top hitter in 2007
also earned her own share of honors. Senior outside hitter Jill Peacock
earned Second Team All-NWC mention, becoming the first Pacific player at
the position to be honored since 2003.
Peacock came into her own as the Boxers' top outside hitter. She finished the regular season ranked seventh in the NWC with 4.03 kills per game and eighth in the league with her .259 hitting percentage. She led the Boxers with 359 kills and ranked second with her .259 hitting percentage.
Much like Iseke, Peacock set a number of Pacific records. She set new single-match records for kills in a four-game match (21) and a five-game match (28) and attempts in a four-game match (58). Peacock set 30-point era (2000-present) records for kills and attempts (910). Her 359 kills are also the most in Pacific's all-time history and her .259 hitting percentage ranks second all-time.
A TURNAROUND SEASON: For much of the last decade, Pacific volleyball has been a regular resident of the lower half of the NWC standings. In 2007, Pacific not only moved up into the conference’s upper tier, but also remained in contention for a NCAA playoff spot up to the final weekend.
The non-conference schedule showed signs of what the season could hold when the Boxers opened the season with a three-game sweep of No. 13 Rhodes, followed by solid Boxer Kickoff Invitational victories over Baruch and Wis.-Stevens Point.
Pacific proved competitive during the first half of the conference season, but struggled to put the combination together to push themselves to some key victories. The Boxers were shocked in a four-game loss at Lewis & Clark and then a four-game loss to No. 15 Puget Sound and a five-game loss to Linfield. Pacific closed the first half with a three-game loss to eventual NWC champion Pacific Lutheran.
During the second half, however, the Boxers were almost unstoppable, winning six of their last eight matches. The string began with a sweep of the eastern Washington schools at home and a pair of five-game victories over the ranked Loggers and George Fox. The streak moved the Boxers into third place in the conference and within striking distance of second place Linfield.
Against the Wildcats in McMinnville, Pacific and Linfield played in a match for the ages and a battle for a potential NCAA playoff spot. After winning the first two games, the Boxers had chances to close out the Wildcats in games three and four, but watched Linfield come back both sets and force game five. Pacific led 12-7 in the deciding set before the Wildcats rallied on their home floor to win it and take the thriller 27-30, 23-30, 30-27, 35-33, 16-14.
The second half run finished a groundbreaking season that the Boxers hope will set the plate for years to come. Pacific finished with a 14-9 record, their best overall mark since the 1994 season. The team’s 9-7 NWC mark and fourth place finish are the best for the Boxers since 1995.
RECORD
BOOK REWRITE: The success of the season led to major rewrite of
the Pacific volleyball record books. On the record book for 30-point matches
(2001 to present), Pacific players set 13 individual match records and
10 individual season records. Anela Iseke led the record-breakers, setting
six individual match records, including every assist record, and three
individual season records. Jill Peacock reset three individual records
and established two individual season records. On the team record board,
Pacific erased 12 single match records and established eight new season
records. In Pacific’s five-game loss to Linfield on Oct. 27, Pacific saw
six individual records broken and eight team records.
The Boxers also reset six marks on the team’s modern-era record list, which covers matches from 1993 to present. Peacock established a new record with 359 kills, Iseke set a new mark with 11.62 assists per game and Melissa Dunn made the list with her 4.68 digs per game. In addition, the Boxers set new modern-era single season marks for kills per game (14.51), assists (1,191) and assists per game (13.38).
STEADY ON THE OUTSIDE: Pacific benefited from a pair of junior outside hitters who provided some steady play at the outside hitter positions. Melissa Dunn continued to provide a dynamic performance in her third year as a starter. Dunn put up 226 kills, third best on the team, and led the Boxers with 32 aces, which ranked ninth in the NWC. Her 0.40 service aces per game set a new Pacific single season record. Her biggest contribution, however, may have been defensively. Dunn’s 379 digs ranked second for the Boxers and she ranked fourth in the NWC with 4.68 digs per game, which was also a Pacific 30-point era and modern-era record.
While not putting up record numbers, Caitlin Gollehon provided steady and consistent play that kept Pacific in games. Gollehon finished with 223 kills and a respectable .220 attack percentage. She saved her best performances for late in the season, finishing with double digit kills in four of the Boxers’ final six matches. She posted a career-high 20 kills in Pacific’s five-game loss to Linfield.
SOLID
ON THE INSIDE: After showing glimpses of their potential as sophomores,
middle blockers Joanna Delanty and Kayleen Mitchell came into their own
as juniors. Delanty made impacts for the Boxers in both hitting and blocking.
Her 227 kills were second best for the Boxers (only to Jill Peacock) and
her 2.55 kills per game was third best on the team. At the block, Delanty
managed to reset many of the records that she established the year before.
Her 85 blocks and 59 block assists both set new 30-point era single season
records.
Mitchell, meanwhile, provided Pacific with a tall one-two punch at the net. Mitchell accounted for just 81 kills, but flourished on the block with 59 put-backs, including 14 solo stops. She tied Delanty for a single-match record for block assists, helping on seven against Lewis & Clark on Oct. 19.
SLIP HER A FINN: Alyssa Finn continued to fill out her role as the Boxers’ defensive specialist well, building on the success she found as a freshman. Finn led Pacific with 415 digs and ranked fifth in the NWC at 4.66 digs per game (just behind Melissa Dunn). Finn also provided a keen eye for hitting spots on the serve. Her 27 service aces tied her for second best on the team with Sarah Braun.
NCAA STATISTICS: Pacific finished the season ranked in the top-50 among Division III teams in both assists and kills. The Boxers’ 13.38 assists per game ranked 31st nationally. They were the second highest NWC team ranked, bettered only by Pacific Lutheran. Pacific also finished 44th in kills with a 14.51 kills per game average. Individually, Anela Iseke finished the year ranked 35th nationally in assists at 11.63 assists per game. She had been as high as 32nd earlier in the season.
NWC STATISTICS: For the first time in recent history, Pacific finished the year ranked in the upper half in all but one conference statistical category. The Boxers finished second in assists (13.38 per game) and kills (14.51 per game) and ranked fourth in hitting percentage (.188), opponent hitting percentage (.158), blocks (1.82 per game) and aces (2.16 per game). The only category that Pacific missed the top half was in digs, where the Boxers were sixth at 19.31 per game.