Box Score
        SPU-Molloy box score, play-by-play
        SPU-Dixie State box score, play-by-play
 
LOS ANGELES – The Seattle Pacific Falcons were on target in a big way Friday morning.
 
Sophomore opposite Hannah Lautenbach had a career-high 12 kills, and freshman outside hitter Dani Johnson had 11 as SPU rolled past Molloy College of New York in the first match of the season-opening Cal State Los Angeles Invitational, 3-0.
 
Scores in the Eagles Nest were 25-17, 25-16, 25-15.
 
Things didn't go quite so well later in the day, as Dixie State came from behind in all three games to sweep SPU, 25-21, 25-16, 25-22.
 
The Falcons (1-1) play two more matches on Saturday. First up is Lewis University of Illinois at 11:30 a.m. Then, they'll take on host Cal State L.A. in the tournament finale at 7:00 p.m.
 
SPU 3, Molloy College 0
The Falcons topped .400 hitting in the first two games, and wound up at .429 for the match (43 kills and just 10 errors on 77 attacks). That was better than they hit in any match last season, when their high was .366 in a three-game sweep at Alaska Fairbanks.

 

Leading the way was sophomore outside hitter Colleen Hannigan (Brentwood, Calif.). Hannigan, who saw limited playing time in 2014 (just 18 sets) had eight kills and no errors on her 10 attacks for an .800 percentage. Both were career highs by a significant margin (three kills, .600 hitting were her previous best marks). Hannigan had SPU's only solo block and also had a block assist.
 
Lautenbach (Portland, Ore.) hit .381 (12-4-21), and Johnson (Bellingham, Wash. / Sehome HS) hit the same percentage (11-3-21). Senior middle blocker Jessica Boyle (Lake Stevens, Wash. / Marysville-Pilchuck HS) hit .600 (4-1-5).
 
Senior libero Breanne Wiekamp came up with 10 digs. Wiekamp also delivered four of Seattle Pacific's nine service aces, including three straight to put the Falcons ahead for good in Game 3.
 
Freshman setter Symone Tran (Portland, Ore.) earned assists on 30 of the 43 kills and also had two aces.
 
Seattle Pacific scored the first two points of the match and led the entirety Game 1. The Lions built a 5-2 lead in the second game. The Falcons wiped that out with a 6-0 run and stayed in front the rest of the way.
 
The third game was deadlocked at 6-6 when Wiekamp served up her three consecutive aces, and SPU never trailed again.
 
Dixie State 3, SPU 0
Hannah Lautenbach had nine kills, and senior outside hitter Ellie Britt put down five, but the Falcons were not able to sustain the early momentum they built in each of the three games.

"I didn't think we played our best match," head coach Chris Johnson said. "Our hitters didn't hit very well, we didn't pass very well, and we didn't defend very well. The start of the first and third games were definitely good. We were up 8-2 (in the opener), then they put a run on us, and then we were down."
 

That 8-2 lead in Game 1 was capped by a string of four straight points with Breanne Wiekamp serving. But Dixie put eight of the next nine points on the board for a 10-9 lead. It was tied seven times after that, the last at 17-17 before three consecutive points left the Red Storm in front for good.
 
Dixie State used a 6-1 surge in the second game to wipe out a 5-2 SPU advantage, and never trailed again. Then in Game 3, with Symone Tran serving up the first four points, and Jessica Boyle also serving up four in a row, Seattle Pacific went ahead, 10-2. The Red Storm gradually rallied, moving in front for good with four straight for a 21-18 advantage.
 
After solid hitting against Molloy, the Falcons hit just .040 (28 kills-24 errors-99 attacks). Dixie State hit a solid .337 (42-11-92).
 
Tran earned 19 assists, and Wiekamp came up with 15 digs. Britt had a hand in four total blocks, including one solo. Freshman libero Amanda Ganete (Hillsboro, Ore.) had four service aces in her college debut.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Cal State Los Angeles Invitational
Friday, Sept. 4, 2015
Eagles Nest / Los Angeles, Calif.
 
Seattle Pacific 3, Molloy College 0
 
Game scores – 25-17, 25-16, 25-15.
 
Service aces – MC 0, SPU 9 (Breanne Wiekamp 4).
Kills – MC 25 (Spencer Williams 7), SPU 43 (Hannah Lautenbach 12, Dani Johnson 11).
Assists – MC 23 (Alley Stefanovski 18), SPU 36 (Symone Tran 30).
Digs – MC 23 (Cassie Palmer 6, Dakota O'Neill 6), SPU 23 (Wiekamp 10).
Total blocks / solo – MC 8 / 2 solo (Spencer Williams 2 / 1 solo), SPU 5 / 1 solo (Colleen Hannigan  2 / 1 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – MC 25-14-69-.159 (S. Williams 7-0-12--.583), SPU 43-10-77--.429 (Colleen Hannigan 8-0-10--.800).
Attendance – 50.
 
 
Dixie State 3, Seattle Pacific 0
 
Game scores – 25-21, 25-16, 25-22.
Service aces – SPU 6 (Amanda Ganete 4), Dixie 6 (Makenzi Bird-Murphey 3).
Kills – SPU 28 (Hannah Lautenbach 9), Dixie 42 (Brette Anderson 11).
Assists – SPU 25 (Symone Tran 19), Dixie 34 (Kailey Frei 30).
Digs – SPU 36 (Breanne Wiekamp 15, Lautenbach 10), Dixie 37 (Alex Anderson 9).
Total blocks / solo – SPU 11 / 3 solo (Ellie Britt 3 / 1 solo), Dixie 19 / 1 solo (Lindsay Jones 8 / 0 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – SPU 28-24-99--.040 (Tran 2-1-5--.200), Dixie 42-11-92--.337 (Bird-Murphey 6-0-9--.667).
Attendance – 85.
 
Record – Seattle Pacific 1-1, Dixie State 1-1.
 
Next match – Seattle Pacific vs. Lewis University, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.