TACOMA – The Lutes opened their 2013 season with a three-set sweep over Whitman with set scores of 25-18, 25-12 and 25-13 before dropping a five-set matchup with second-ranked Calvin, falling 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 11-25 and 12-15 to the Knights.
The Lutes continue play on Saturday at 2 p.m. taking on Wartburg before closing the tournament with a match against ninth-ranked tournament host Puget Sound at 6 p.m.
Calvin 3, PLU 2
PLU jumped out to an early two set lead over Calvin, the highest ranked opponent the Lutes have faced in the program's history.
Samantha North made an impressive return in her first match since ACL surgery, with a match-total 49 assists against the Knights. Haley Urdahl and Lucy Capron combined for 30 kills, 16 and 14 respectively. Newly appointed libero Amber Aguiar recorded 28 digs followed by Capron and Allison Wood with 19 apiece.
For Calvin, Megan Rietema collected 42 assists, while Kristen Zietse combined for 29 digs and Maggie Kemp recorded 18 kills.
Calvin led off with an early 6-2 lead in the first set prior to PLU's five point rally to tie the set at seven even. The score remained close before the Lutes pulled ahead 19-15, scoring five-straight points and never looking back to secure the set victory 25-21. With a stat of 13, North assisted on more than half the points scored.
In the second set, the score remained tight as it featured eight ties. Neither team led by more than four at any point. Following a 21-21 tie, the Lutes tacked on four of the final six points to seal the 25-23 set win.
Keeping it close continued to be the theme in the third set, as it featured 13 ties and 10 lead changes. The longest rally of the game was for six points by PLU which featured two service aces by Wood. With the score tied at 23-23, the Lutes came within two points of upsetting No. 2 Calvin before dropping the set 23-25.
The Lutes began to lose momentum in the fourth set, as Calvin limited them to a -.029 attack percentage. Calvin made a statement quickly, scoring 20 of the first 26 points. PLU responded with a five point run to bring the score to 20-11 but despite their efforts, fell to the Knights 11-25, forcing a fifth set.
PLU found themselves rallying again from a deficit as Calvin wasted no time taking the lead 9-5 in the final set. The Lutes responded by scoring eight of the next nine points to gain the lead 12-10, but could not hold on as the Knights rallied for the final five points to clinch the set and match victory.
"We'd like to win that match right there after rallying to take the lead 12-10, but that's why Calvin's good," PLU Head Coach Kevin Aoki said. "They scored the last five on us. Hopefully matches like this will only make us better for the upcoming season."
PLU 3, Whitman 0
Haley Urdahl led a balanced Pacific Lutheran attack with eight kills, Samantha North contributed 28 assists and Amber Aguiar totaled 20 digs in the win. PLU finished with a .202 attack percentage while limiting Whitman to .021.
The first set saw both teams keeping it close within the first 10 points before PLU used a 9-3 run to take a 19-12 advantage en route to a 25-18 set victory.
The Lutes dominated the second set, limiting the Missionaries to a -.034 attack percentage. Pacific Lutheran pulled ahead quickly, accounting for 20 of the first 26 points. Whitman responded with a five-point rally before the Lutes closed it out, scoring the final four points to secure the 25-12 set victory.
PLU opened the third set on a 19-9 run. Three straight Whitman points made it 19-12, but the Missionaries never pulled closer than seven back the rest of the way. An Aubrey Larion service ace clinched the set and match victory for the Lutes.
