PARKLAND, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran jumped on Pacific in a first
set rout and went on to defeat the visiting Boxers, 25-10, 25-19,
25-16, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match played Saturday
night in Olson Auditorium.
The Lutes, ranked No. 19 in this week's American Volleyball
Coaches Association Division III national poll, improved their
overall record to 6-5 and their conference mark to 2-0. PLU is the
three-time defending NWC champion. Pacific is now 5-4 overall and
0-2 in the conference following the defeat.
In the opening set, the Lutes had 13 kills and only two errors
in 23 attempts, a .478 hitting percentage. More impressive than
that, however, were their seven team blocks, including a solo block
and four block assists by Kelcy Joynt. With Kelsie Moore serving at
2-1, PLU ran off nine straight points, five coming on blocks of
Pacific attacks. The Lutes went ahead 20-4 on Blair Bjorkman's
service ace and eventually closed out the set on Beth Hanna's
fourth kill.
Pacific regained some momentum and showed why it had recorded an
upset win earlier this season over nationally ranked University of
La Verne, and it was outside hitter Alexa Block who led the way.
Block, who finished the first set with four attack errors in six
attempts, pounded down eight kills in the second set. The Boxers
led early at 2-1, but the Lutes regained the lead on a pair of
Anella Olbertz kills sandwiched around Joynt's service ace. PLU
never trailed again despite Block's best effort. With the Lutes
leading 16-10, Block scored four kills to pull the Boxers to within
18-16 before PLU finished off the set.
Block added five more kills in the third set, but again her
efforts weren't enough to keep the Lutes from sweeping the match in
three sets. Pacific Lutheran never trailed in the set and led by as
many as 10 points, 23-13, on Hanna's kill.
Hanna, a two-time All-America outside hitter for the Lutes, had
her most impressive hitting night of the season with 14 kills and
no errors in 25 attempts, a .560 attack percentage. Joynt added 12
kills and one error in 21 attempts, a .524 mark, and Erin Bremond
had five kills and hit .500 for the match. As a team, the Lutes
were a season-best .387 in the hitting category. Sarah Beaver, the
team's junior setter, had 32 assists and five kills of her own.
Joynt finished the match with one solo block and six block assists
and Katy Tauscher chipped in with six block assists. Brenna
Archibald led all players with 13 digs.
Block ended the match with 13 kills and a .158 attack
percentage, and Sara George came off the bench in the final two
sets to spearhead the offense with 18 assists. The Boxers hit .075
for the match.
The Lutes return to Northwest Conference action at 7 p.m.
Wednesday with a match against nationally ranked Puget Sound at the
UPS Fieldhouse. The two teams split matches played during the first
weekend of the season in the Puget Sound Premier tournament.
- PLU -
