TACOMA, Wash. - After racking up three wins inside Olson Gymnasium, the ninth-ranked Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team packs its bags for the first road swing of the Northwest Conference slate, taking on Willamette University on Saturday. 
 
The Lutes (10-1, 3-0 NWC) opened league play with a gritty 3-2 win over Pacific University last Friday before collecting three set wins over Linfield College on Saturday and University of Puget Sound on Wednesday night. 
 
PLU has experienced tremendous success at the net through the opening 11 matches of the season, ranking second in the nation in blocks with 2.65 per set. Anchoring that menace up front is Mackenzie Harris (1.36 blocks/set) and Danielle Skibiel (1.14 blocks/set) who rank second and 26^thin the nation in blocks per set and are the top two blockers in the NWC. Skibiel additionally ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage with a .309 success rate. 
 
Harris and Skibiel aren't the only two Lutes making noise in the NWC with Caylie Shiramizu ranking third in digs (160) and Chloe Epker sitting third in the league in aces per set (0.58). 
 
The nationally-ranked Lutes look to continue their success this weekend with a trip to Salem, Oregon to face the Bearcats.
 
Sept. 22: PLU vs. Willamette in Sale, Oregon (5 p.m.)
 
Series History: This will be the 83^rdmeeting between the Lutes and Bearcats since the 1980 season with the overall series tilted 50-32 in favor of PLU. The Lutes have won the last five meetings in the series, sweeping the season series in each of the last two seasons. 
 
About the Bearcats: Willamette (4-7, 1-1 NWC) started off the season hot, winning three of its first four but have hit a cold spell since, winning just one of its last seven contests. The Bearcats split the opening weekend of league play, falling 3-1 to Whitworth University last Friday before edging Whitman College 3-2 on Saturday. Willamette was back on the court on Tuesday night with a 3-2 setback against NAIA Multnomah University.
 
Natalie Klotz is the Bearcats top hitter, racking up 105 kills on the season while Jaiden Mason is the primary setter, averaging 8.1 assists per set. Defensively, Elena Vasquez leads the team with 3.6 digs per set while sitting third on the team in service aces.