PARKLAND - Pacific Lutheran remained unbeaten in Northwest
Conference volleyball action with a 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 win over
the visiting Whitworth Pirates on Saturday evening in Olson
Auditorium.
The Lutes improved their overall record to 18-6 and they are now
14-0 in the conference, including 12 matches where they have swept
their opposition in three straight sets. With the defeat, Whitworth
falls to 9-16 overall and 5-9 in the conference.
The first two sets were played on even terms throughout. In the
first set, the Pirates finished with a .243 attack percentage
compared to a .270 mark for the Lutes. There were five ties and two
lead changes in the set. Kelsie Moore and Beth Hanna carried the
set for the Lutes, finishing with eight and six kills,
respectively. Kristi Neubauer came off the bench to provide 11
assists after all-conference setter Sarah Beaver injured a finger
in the early going. The Pirates, meanwhile, had balance in their
attack with four kills from Morgan Veleke and three apiece from
Ka'ipo Rocha and sister Kaimi Rocha.
The second set was even closer with 11 ties and seven lead
changes, and Hanna was key to the Lutes pulling out the win by
cranking out eight more kills. The Rocha girls were on target for
the Pirates, Kaimi notching five kills and Ka'ipo added four in the
set. With the score tied at 21-21, Moore sandwiched a pair of kills
around a ball-handling error by the Pirates, giving the hosts the
momentum. Kelcy Joynt finished the set with a kill.
The Lutes finally wore down the Pirates in the third set, taking
a 13-5 lead and maintaining at least a three-point lead the rest of
the way. Unfortunately for the Lutes, Hanna, the Lutes' two-time
NWC Player of the Year, went down late in the set with an apparent
knee injury. Though she did not finish the match, her teammates did
with Anella Olbertz, Moore and Joynt recording kills for the final
three points.
Hanna led all players with 18 kills and she also paced her team
with 14 digs. Moore added 12 kills for the Lutes, who also got 23
assists from Neubauer and 13 more from Beaver, who was able to play
all three sets. Olbertz, one of five seniors honored before the
match, finished with three solo blocks and four block assists for
the winners. Joining Olbertz in the senior honors were Joynt,
Brenna Archibald, Lauren Poole and Karen "Heeg" Henjum.
Kaimi Rocha led her team with 10 kills and she also added 12
digs. Ka'ipo Rocha added eight kills, two solo blocks and four
block assists, and Veleke led all players with 15 digs.
The Lutes return to action next Friday when they travel to
Salem, Ore., to take on the Willamette Bearcats in another
Northwest Conference match.
- PLU -