WALLA WALLA - The tournament host landed the first punch early Sunday evening, but it was Pacific Lutheran storming back in Sherwood Center to take a 3-1 victory and with it the championship trophy of the Whitman College Volleyball Invitational.

The Lutes, ranked No. 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, defeated the Missionaries, 20-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19, to win all four of their tournament matches and also improve to 5-0 for the season.

"It was an awesome weekend for the Lutes," head coach Kevin Aoki said.

Runner-up Whitman, with no juniors or seniors on its roster, finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Pacific Lutheran junior outside hitter Kelsie Moore, who had 12 kills and 14 digs in the championship match, earned tournament MVP honors. Lutes junior middle blocker Erin Bremond, who stung the Missionaries with nine kills, also was named to the all-tournament team.

Whitman sophomores Courtney Brewer and Carrie Cecil, along with Menlo's Mia Ortiz and Puget Sound's Brynn Blickenstaff and Juliette Witous, rounded out the all-tourney squad.

The Missionaries took charge in the first set with leads of 6-2, 10-6 and 13-9. After Pacific Lutheran rallied for a 17-15 advantage, Whitman ticked off five straight points to regain command. The Lutes closed to within 21-20 on Sarah Beaver's kill, but kills by Cecil and first-year outside hitter Jillian Davis, coupled with two PLU attack errors, gave Whitman the first game. 

Pacific Lutheran bolted to leads of 7-2 and 10-4 and never trailed in the next set. Blair Bjorkman's service ace and a block at the net by Bremond and Rose Mattson accounted for the final two points.

Three Whitman attack errors and a bad set helped the Lutes grab an 8-1 cushion to start the next set, though the Missionaries scratched back to within 13-10 on Cecil's kill. Pacific Lutheran reclaimed command at 17-10 and 23-15. With Davis slamming two kills, Whitman won four of the next five points to draw closer, but Melissa DeWalt's kill handed the Lutes the set and a 2-1 lead.

The Missionaries returned to their early form in the fourth set, taking early leads of 3-0, 10-6 and 14-9. Back came the Lutes, getting kills by Kelsey Pacolt and Moore to spark an 8-1 spurt that put the visitors in front, 17-15. PLU added three of the next four points and held Whitman at bay the rest of the way.

Bjorkman collected 20 digs, Beaver had 32 assists and Anna Buck added four aces to the Lutes' total. Davis paced Whitman's offense with a game-high 15 kills and team-high 14 digs.

Earlier Sunday, Pacific Lutheran defeated host Whitman, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22, in pool play.

Pacific Lutheran used an 11-3 run to take a 21-17 lead in the first set, but two Lute attack errors evened the count at 23-23. The visitors took the next two points on Bremond's kill and Moore's service ace to polish off the first set. Whitman led 12-10 in the second set before the Lutes again stormed back, this time on a 10-2 scoring spree. 

With the third set knotted at 14-14, Pacific Lutheran inched in front 20-16 on Rose Mattson's kill. Whitman twice closed to within two points, including 24-22, when Bremond and Moore teamed up for a block at the net that gave the Lutes the set and match.

Moore had nine kills and Bremond added eight to pace the Pacific Lutheran attack. The Lutes enjoyed a huge advantage at the service line, pocketing 11 aces against just three errors. Bjorkman led the victors in the back row with 14 digs. Moore added 10 more, and Beaver bounced back from an early collision with a teammate to hand out 19 assists.

PLU senior outside hitter Beth Hanna, a three-time All-American, played only two sets in the morning and did not play at all in the championship match as she continues on a planned recovery from a 2009 season-ending knee injury. "Other people had to step up in Beth's place, and they did," Aoki added.

- PLU -