A night after the women’s soccer team beat the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders 3–0 on home turf, the volleyball team took its turn, winning a 3–0 sweep against the Idaho rivals in the West Gym on Friday.

Despite the seemingly easy win — with SFU winning the three sets 25–21, 25–18, 25–15 — there were a lot of unforced errors, and many of the sets lasted longer than SFU would have liked. But with the win, they aren’t complaining.

“It’s always nice to get a conference win, so I’m happy with the result,” said head coach Gina Schmidt. “We had a few lapses of letting them back in the game with some unfocused play, but we did a good job of refocusing and getting the job done.”

In the first set, SFU quickly jumped out to a 10-point lead, 16–6. However, they let the Crusaders right back into the set with a five-point run, and eventually founds themselves up by only 22–21. After a timeout, three straight points gave SFU the set.

Midway through the second, Northwest Nazarene found its first lead of the game at 14–12, after a four-point run. A nine-point run gave SFU a decisive lead, and the Clan won the set by seven points.

SFU didn’t surrender the lead at all during the third set. After the first two serves, they led by at least two points, ending with a 10-point victory.

Middle blocker Tessa May led the attack with 16 kills, while senior outside hitters Emma Jennings and Devon May both put up double-digit kills — 11 each. Jennings leads the team in kills with 162 over the course of the season, while Devon is close behind with 157.

Libero Alison McKay was key on the defensive side of the game, putting up 14 digs. McKay leads the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) for digs with 358.

Just over halfway into the 2016 season, if SFU can keep up its winning ways, the team appears to be in contention for an NCAA Division II playoff spot.

Just eight teams from the West Region — which contains the GNAC, as well as the California Collegiate Athletic Association and PacWest conferences — make the playoffs. The three division leaders gain automatic entry, while the next five best teams from any of the three conferences gain an invitation. Last year, three GNAC teams — Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, and Western Washington — made it.

With a 12–2 record against West Region opponents (as only one of SFU’s non-conference games was also a non-regional game), it seems that SFU should have a fighting chance, GNAC title or not. Even Alaska Anchorage, the GNAC leader and team currently on track for an automatic playoff berth, is not untouchable with a 7–0 conference record.

But SFU doesn’t have much breathing room. The win kept SFU in sole possession of second place in the GNAC with a 6–1 conference record. With two teams immediately behind SFU in the standings, the Clan can’t afford to lose too many games. Had Northwest Nazarene won, SFU would have been drawn into a four-team tie for second place.

“The conference is really tight, so every game is important, every win is important, so we’re just focusing on one game at a time and that’s all you can do with a conference this tight,” said Schmidt.

TONIGHT: The Clan takes on the Central Washington Wildcats at 7 p.m. in the West Gym. The Wildcats are one of the two teams immediately behind SFU with a 5–2 record.

Central Washington leads the entire NCAA Division II in blocking, with 2.74 blocks per set. Last season, SFU lost both games to the Wildcats in five sets.

“[They’re] a big physical team, so we’ve got to make sure we’re mixing up our offence, keeping them off balance and hopefully serving them tough to keep them out of system,” said Schmidt.

“I’m right-footed, so I’m obviously going to look to cut in,” explained sophomore midfielder Christina Dickson. “And I just took a touch and saw that shot.”

It was her second goal of the night. On a pass from Emma Pringle, Dickson made an excellent kick that went just over Northwest Nazarene’s goalkeeper. Her two-goal output helped lead to a 3–0 SFU victory Thursday evening on home turf.

If you didn’t know any better, it would have looked like the output of a prolific scorer. But they were actually her first two of the year.

“I know she felt a lot of pressure and she put a lot of pressure on herself to score goals and get on the scoresheet,” said head coach Annie Hamel.

Dickson, however, was quick to give credit to the team for her offensive output.

“It was definitely the team,” she explained. “We just need to keep playing games like this, just working for each other.”

And if there’s one thing to notice in the past two games, goal scoring has become a team effort. Combining the 6–0 victory Saturday and Thursday’s 3–0 victory, there was a total of six different goal scorers.

In the seven games previous, Pringle had five of the team’s six goals. But the lack of scoring, and the pressure on one player to provide the offence, was a problem.

“That’s what I’ve been waiting on,” Hamel remarked on the secondary scoring. “You need to understand how difficult it is now for Emma Pringle to get on the scoresheet because everybody knows about her, everybody does their scouting, everybody double marks her, she’s followed everywhere she goes, everybody plays very physical on her.

“It’s creating opportunities for the players around her, and before they didn’t step up into that, and now they are. So when you get a scouting report on our team, now you can’t just say, ‘mark number 10, mark Emma Pringle.’ You have to be accountable for everybody else around her, which makes us a very difficult team to defend against.”

This was only the fourth game this season that Pringle did not pick up a goal. However, she did get a primary assist on Dickson’s second goal.

“And now they all want to join the party,” laughed Hamel. “They all ended up getting very aggressive in the last third and taking shots.”

Dickson’s second with 13:46 left in the game likely sealed any chance that Northwest Nazarene could come back. Freshman forward Katelyn Erhardsen put the cherry on top, scoring the Clan’s third goal with exactly 11 minutes left, making it the second straight game in which she has scored.

Sophomore midfielder Samantha Donald also put up an assist on the team’s first goal.

“We just need to keep playing games like this, just working for each other.”

Goalkeeper Priya Sandhu only faced two shots on net, but was perfect for her fifth shutout of the season. (NOTE: Sandhu has played six games in which she hasn’t let in a goal, however, because she only played 80:15 in Saturday’s 6–0 win, she is not credited with a shutout.)

“I thought we had a bit of a slow start in the first half, and even coming out 1–0 at half, I thought that was a bit under expectations for us. We wanted to have a really strong start and put this game away early, so it took a little longer,” said Hamel. “But when they got going in the second half, it was really good rhythm and tempo, and some very good finishes.”

With the victory, SFU slotted into fourth place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) with a 3–2–0 conference record, and now holds a playoff spot. But the team can’t sit back: six of the seven remaining games are against teams below them in the standings and in the hunt for that last playoff spot. The secondary scoring will have to be more than just a two-game fad.

SATURDAY: SFU takes on Montana State University Billings (MSUB) at 12 p.m. MSUB sits at sixth in the GNAC with a 2–2–1 record. With an SFU loss, MSUB would leapfrog over SFU, and pending a Concordia game — which is in fifth — on October 20, SFU could fall two spots back in the rankings.

Rankings are determined by points, and a win is three points, while a tie counts for one. SFU has nine, MSUB seven, and Concordia eight, with the same number of games played.

Should SFU win, they would move up to second place. However, the jump in standings could be short-lived as third placed Central Washington (3–1–1) plays October 9, and would take second place with a win.

MSUB is coming off of two consecutive 3–0 shutout losses. The Yellowjackets are eighth in the GNAC for goals per game (0.90) and are sixth in goals against average (1.72). SFU sits at fourth in goals per game with 1.67, and are fifth in goals against average (0.76).

Last Week 11–4

Season 34–29

That’s right baby! I was 11–4 last week with my upset special coming through for the second week in a row as the Rams pulled off a huge win over Arizona. Hopefully you took my advice and checked out the Saints vs. Chargers thriller, which saw Drew Brees lead an improbable fourth quarter comeback in his old stomping grounds. This week should offer plenty more intrigue as the teams are rounding into mid-season form.

Byes: Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Seattle

Arizona (1–3) at San Francisco (1–3), Thursday 5:25 p.m.

The Cardinals suffered a frustrating loss last week at home against the Rams, and will be without the services of quarterback Carson Palmer. Full panic mode sets in the desert after the Niners take this one.

Prediction: San Francisco 24 Arizona 14

Chicago (1–3) at Indianapolis (1–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

The Colts are coming off a lacklustre defeat against Jacksonville in London, and will be facing a Bears team coming off their first win of the season. Brian Hoyer looked good last week and will continue to play well as the Bears send Andrew Luck and company to a 1–4 season start.

Prediction: Chicago 31 Indianapolis 28

Philadelphia (3–0) at Detroit (1–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

Philadelphia has looked dominant this season and is coming off a bye. The Lions were upset last week by the Bears and will be playing desperately to avoid a 1–4 start. Detroit has too many defensive injuries to stop the Philadelphia offence, as rookie quarterback Carson Wentz will continue to shine.

Prediction: Philadelphia 27 Detroit 24

Washington (2–2) at Baltimore (3–1), Sunday 10 a.m.

Baltimore finally dropped a game last week to the upstart Raiders, as the team continues to struggle on offence. Washington has won two straight and has found a running game. This is essentially a neutral site game with the proximity between these two teams. Washington takes it in a minor upset.

Prediction: Washington 28 Baltimore 23

Tennessee (1–3) at Miami (1–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

Miami’s three losses were to New England, Seattle, and Cincinnati. They get a softy this week and will take care of business at home.

Prediction: Miami 23 Tennessee 16

Houston (3–1) at Minnesota (4–0), Sunday 10 a.m.

The Texans were shut out by the Patriots, and this Vikings defence is even better. Vikings move to 5–0 with another lockdown defensive performance. If you like linebacker play, keep an eye on the Vikings’ Anthony Barr.

Prediction: Minnesota 23 Houston 6

New England (3–1) at Cleveland (0–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

Tom Brady and his four Super Bowl rings and six AFC titles is back after his four-game suspension. Look for Rob Gronkowski who has one reception on the season to get it going.  Patriots in a romp.

Prediction: New England 42 Cleveland 13

New York Jets (1–3) at Pittsburgh (3–1), Sunday 10 a.m.

Pittsburgh got rolling last week on offence dropping 43 points on a good Chiefs team. Look for the momentum to continue as the Steelers continue to look like one of the AFC’s best.

Prediction: Steelers 39 Jets 17

GAME OF THE WEEK

Atlanta (3–1) at Denver (4–0), Sunday 1:05 p.m

Atlanta battered Cam Newton and the Panthers last week in an impressive victory. They also defeated the Raiders on the road, which is increasingly looking like a quality win. Last week star receiver Julio Jones also went off with 12 receptions for 300 yards and a touchdown. The flip-side of this matchup is that Denver is at home and continues to play dominant defensive football. This should be an outstanding game with both teams looking like early championship contenders. Broncos hold the fort in a close game that demonstrates the Falcons can play with the big boys.

Prediction: Denver 27 Atlanta 26

Buffalo (2–2) at Los Angeles (3–1), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

The Rams are 3–1 despite an offence that has been woefully anemic in three of their four games. The Bills are coming off a huge emotional win against their arch-nemesis, New England, and are travelling across country. The Bills just look like the more balanced team. Tyrod Taylor leads a clutch fourth quarter scoring driver to lead the Bills to consecutive victories.

Prediction: Buffalo 23 Los Angeles 20

San Diego (1–3) at Oakland (3–1), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

The Chargers and Raiders have both played good football this season with the difference being that the Raiders have performed well in crunch time and the Chargers have repeatedly blown games late. The Raiders and their impressive three-road victories pick up their first home win of the year as the Derek Carr to Michael Crabtree connection continues to flourish.

Prediction: Oakland 38 San Diego 31

Cincinnati (2–2) at Dallas (3–1), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

Dallas is off to a 3–1 start thanks in part to the strong play of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. The Bengals are coming off a solid win against Miami, and will go into Big D and get a W.

Prediction: Bengals 29 Cowboys 24

UPSET SPECIAL

New York Giants (2–2) at Green Bay (2–1), Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Green Bay may be the most overrated team in the league this year. Yes, Aaron Rodgers is a top five QB in the game. However, the team’s two victories were close affairs over the Jaguars and the Lions. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning has won a playoff game in Green Bay and will use that experience and his talented receiving corps to lead his team to victory in a high-scoring affair.  

Prediction: Prediction: Giants 40 Green Bay 36

Tampa Bay (1–3) at Carolina (1–3), Monday 5:25 p.m.

Both teams will be determined to avoid a 1–4 start. The Panthers may be without star quarterback Cam Newton. Fortunately, Derek Anderson is one of the best backups in the game.
Prediction: Panthers 26 Bucs 21

It was a furiously intense game from start to finish for the women’s soccer team, defeating Western Oregon University (WOU) 6–0. SFU lost its previous two home games against Western Washington University (1–0) and Seattle Pacific University (1–2).

Monpreet Heer dismantled WOU’s defence, assaulting it with two goals and two assists. Emma Pringle, Katelyn Erhardsen, and Jenna Baxter each netted a goal for SFU. Goalies Priya Sandhu and Simone Tessler made a total of five saves. Sierra Leung closed out the Clan’s performance with a goal in the 87th minute.

Erhardsen opened the score in the 16th minute with a high lob, assisted by twins Christina and Allyson Dickson. Less than 60 seconds later, freshman Pringle doubled the immediate lead of the Clan, with a majestic header from inside the box after catching a header off cross from Heer, adding a sixth goal to her first season. Thirty minutes into the game, forward Heer opened her scoring account for the season with a penalty kick after Christina Dickson was hauled down in the Wolves’ box.

The Clan, more motivated than ever, did not wait long for a fourth goal. Two minutes later, Allyson Dickson combined a passing game with Heer, who fired a shot to the left corner of the box. The girls were leading 4–0 at the end of the first half.

Midfielder Baxter notched a goal 25 minutes into the second half. Leung deployed some speed down the left sideline, getting the ball to Heer, who was already positioned in Wolves’ territory. Baxter, an Oregon State transfer, curled a shot that landed straight into the right corner of the net.

“It was important for the team and us to get other people to score, just let other players rise up and shine and see what they can do”

Three minutes before ending the Wolves’ nightmare, Leung attacked with a low shot into the penalty box and scored an absolute beauty, assisted by Allyson Dickson.

“I wanted to score a goal today, I just didn’t let anything get in my way. All of us collectively each wanted to [get] a goal,” said Leung.

Heer, who was the leading scorer of the game, commented on the Clan’s performance: “We came into this game with a lot of confidence in ourselves. It’s been a goal of mine too to get on the scoring sheet, and today I did that.”

The Clan gave no easy task to Wolves’ goalkeeper Caitlin Kastelic; the team created a total of 24 attempts, including six goals.

“We chatted before the game as a team, it was important to come confident to the pitch and execute the way we play,” explained head coach Annie Hamel. “Those two losses were against two really good opponents. We had a very candid chat about who we want to be and how we want to play. They executed very well the plan.

“We talked about confidence and their burning desire to win. It was important for the team and us to get other people to score, just let other players rise up and shine and see what they can do.”

The Clan is looking forward to adding another victory against the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders. The game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on October 6.