TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team returns to life on the road this weekend, making the first of three trips to Oregon, facing Northwest Conference rivals George Fox University and Linfield College.
This past weekend began NWC competition for the Lutes (8-6, 1-1 NWC), coming away with mixed results, falling 3-2 to Whitworth University in the home opener before collecting an easy 3-0 win against rival Whitman College. In the opener against Whitworth, sophomore
McKenzie Pfeiffer kept the Lutes in the match with 15 kills, and kept the ball rolling the next game against Whitman with a kill at the end of the second set.
Pfeiffer plays outside hitter/right side on the court and studies psychology in the classroom. Her involvement in PLU athletics has helped her as an underclassman student in time management and personal incentivizing.
"Participating in volleyball has helped me realize the importance of working hard and it has taught me how to intrinsically motivate myself," Pfeiffer said. "Sports has taught me that no matter what, you have to give it your all and in the end everything will work out."
Coming off of her freshman year season, Pfeiffer is excited to have new players and a relatively young squad. With so many new players on the court, there is an exponential opportunity for improvement as the team progresses through the season. As a squad, the Lutes find ways to help each other grow both on and off the court, creating a fun environment to compete in.
"We've grown so much since the start of preseason," Pfeiffer said. "Everyone has done a great job embracing the role they have been given on the team and that has helped us during the wins and losses."
This weekend, the Lutes are heading down to Oregon to compete against George Fox and Linfield. Pfeiffer can't wait to hit the court with her teammates and feel their growing comradery.
"My hope for this weekend it that we come out strong from point one and have crazy amounts of energy no matter what the score is," Pfeiffer said. "We have been working really hard this past week, especially in practice, and I can't wait to just come out and show everyone who the Lutes are."
Sept. 27: PLU vs George Fox in Newburg, Oregon (7 p.m.)
Series History: PLU and George Fox have met 68 times since 1980 with the Lutes holding a 43-25 edge in the all-time series. The Lutes have dominated the series as of late, winning 21 consecutive matches in the series.
About the Bruins: George Fox (4-7, 1-1 NWC) heads into Friday having won two of the last three matches, including a split last weekend to open conference play. The Bruins closed their non-conference slate with a 3-1 win over Austin College before being swept 3-0 by Pacific University in the conference opener. GFU rebounded the following day, taking down Linfield in three sets.
Junior libero Sophia Lawrence leads the team with 202 digs, followed by senior Emily Clarkson at 70. Paige O'Rear has accounted for 100 of the team's 421 kills this season, averaging 2.03 per set while Laney Search has a team-best 5.63 assists per set.
Sept. 28: PLU vs Linfield in McMinnville, Oregon (6 p.m.)
Series History: The Lutes and Wildcats have battled 91 times since 1980 with the scales tipped 51-40 in favor of PLU. Pacific Lutheran has won the last four encounters sweeping the series in both 2017 and 2018.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (4-10, 0-2 NWC) looks to return to the win column after dropping its last four matches. The Wildcats swept Martin Luther College 3-0 in Sept. 13 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin but has had tough luck since, falling 3-2 to Lakeland College, 3-0 to University of Saint Thomas, 3-0 to Willamette University in the league opener, and 3-0 to George Fox last Saturday.
Anikalea Keliiheleua holds the top average kills per set at 2.00, followed by Raelyn Hammock with 1.88. Aylon Dixon sets up the offense with 6.08 assists per set with Maya Nakasone clocking 4.08 digs per set.
