PARKLAND - Pacific Lutheran remained perfect in Northwest
Conference volleyball action on Friday, defeating Lewis &
Clark, 25-17, 25-15, 25-18, in Olson Auditorium.
Not only have the Lutes (11-5 overall, 7-0 NWC) won all seven of
their conference matches this season, they have yet to drop a set.
Most impressive about Friday's triumph was that it came against a
Lewis & Clark team (9-7 overall, 5-2 NWC) that came into the
match in second place in the conference.
The Lutes scored the first three points and eventually raced out
to an 11-4 lead in the first set as setter Sarah Beaver went to
All-America outside hitter Beth Hanna for three kills. The Pioneers
fought back on kills by Katherine Fiedler and Margaret Dowling to
pull to within four points at 14-10, but that was as close as they
would get the rest of the way. Hanna finished the set with six
kills, Beaver had 11 assists and the Lutes ended up with 13 kills
and only three errors for a .385 attack percentage. Lewis &
Clark, meanwhile, had eight kills and nine errors for a -.032
attack percentage.
Pacific Lutheran was even more impressive in the second set,
scoring the first nine points on Kelsie Moore's serve, and
eventually building a 17-6 lead on Moore's kill. That allowed PLU
head coach Kevin Aoki to bring several players off the bench, and
that group continued to keep the pressure on the visiting Pioneers
until Hannah Harrison closed it out with a kill. The Lutes hit .243
in the second set and the Pios improved to hit .094.
The Lutes, ranked No. 17 in Division III
volleyball, wrapped up their 21st consecutive set
victory to close out the match, but not without a stern challenge
from Lewis & Clark. The Pioneers ran off five consecutive
points, four on Jennifer Dowdy's serve, to open a 9-4 lead. After a
timeout, Pacific Lutheran rallied and eventually tiee it at 10-10
on Moore's kill. The score was still tied at 16-16 when the Lutes
ran off four straight points, three on L&C attack errors, to
build a lead it would not lose.
Hanna led the Lutes with 12 kills, and Kelcy Joynt was close
behind with 11 kills and a .375 attack percentage. Beaver had a
strong match with 30 assists and four kills without an error for a
.571 attack percentage. The Lutes hit .276 in the match. Erin
Bremond was tough at the net with two solo blocks and four block
assists, and Brenna Archibald added 12 digs.
Dowdy and Fiedler both finished with eight kills for the
Pioneers, who finished the match with a .053 attack percentage, and
Hoff collected 12 digs.
Pacific Lutheran finishes out the first half of its conference
schedule on Saturday when it hosts the Willamette Bearcats at 7
p.m. in Olson Auditorium.
- PLU -
