TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team asserted its dominance for the second consecutive day, steamrolling Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and host University of Puget Sound to finish the Puget Sound Premiere undefeated. The Lutes opened the day with a 3-1 victory over the Fightin' Engineers before sweeping the crosstown Loggers in three sets.

"You never know how first-year players are going to mesh with the returners in the first weekend of the year but it was a great start," said assistant coach Rusty Carlson. "Our veterans showed great leadership and our newcomers are playing very well. We showed grit and passion and played with great effort all weekend."

In the opener against Rose-Hulman (0-3), the Lutes scored four of the opening set's first five points and never looked back, taking set one by a 25-16 scoreline. The Fightin' Engineers leveled the match by winning the second set 25-18 before PLU (4-0) scored the opening five points and eight of the first nine to take the third set 25-15.

RHIT claimed five of the first six points of set four but the Lutes engineered a comeback, taking the lead for good on a Lauren Wilson kill, giving PLU the 10-9 advantage. Wilson would seal the deal later in the set with a match-winning kill to give the Lutes the 25-22 win.

Danielle Skibiel finished with 15 kills while Wilson did a little bit of everything with 1o kills, 10 digs, and four aces. Emily Dulaney nabbed 35 assists and 15 digs while Halle Hetzler finished with 17 digs.

Against the crosstown Loggers (2-2), McKenzie Pfeiffer provided the decisive kill in the opening set, tilting the score 25-23 in favor of the Lutes. Set two was tied 13-13 before Pacific Lutheran scored 12 of the next 17 points to claim the 25-18 win. PLU held a tenuous 22-21 lead in the third before getting consecutive kills from Savanna Service, McKenzie Pfeiffer, and Baylee Johnson to wrap up the set and secure the match.

Wilson, Pfeiffer, and Johnson spearheaded the attack against UPS, each collecting nine kills. Dulaney chipped in 30 assists and a team-high 15 digs while Skibiel tallied six blocks.

"Danielle was dominant in the front row and had a great weekend. In the last two years of playing this tournament, we've only dropped one set. It's a testament to how hard these players have worked over the last two weeks. We've reloaded and we're off to a great start."

The Lutes are back on the court next Friday, facing Southwestern University and Trinity University at the UTD Tournament in Dallas, Texas.