WHITTIER, Calif. - The Pacific Lutheran University volleyball squad opened Saturday by falling 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-21) to Chapman University before rebounding with a 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-19) win over host Whittier College inside the Graham Athletic Center to finish off the Lutes' tour of Southern California. 
 
Against Chapman (1-2), the Panthers ripped off seven of the final eight points in the opening set, prevailing 25-14. The Lutes (3-6) trailed by as many as six in the second set before tying the score at 18 on a service ace from Tori Takeuchi. The margin remained tight until Chapman closed the set with three of the final four points to escape with the 25-22 win.
 
Pacific Lutheran owned a 12-7 lead in the third set but the Panthers surged back, scoring nine of the next 10. Chapman would play with a lead the rest of the set, earning a 25-21 victory for the three-set sweep.
 
Emily Dulaney led the Lutes with 26 assists and 10 digs while Baylee Johnson collected 10 kills with McKenzie Pfeiffer and Callie Simmonds each adding seven.
 
Against the Poets (1-7), PLU secured seven of the match's opening 10 points and led the rest of the way in a 25-19 victory in set one. Set two also started with a 7-3 Lute lead but Whittier made PLU sweat it out after tying the match at 24. A Pfeiffer kill and a Poet attack error gave the Lutes the 26-24 win before wrapping up the match early with a 25-19 win in the third for the sweep. 
 
Pfeiffer and Hailey Iha led the Lute attack, each netting eight kills while Johnson taking on six. Iha additionally finished with seven blocks while Dulaney had 28 assists and Hetzler earned 18 digs. 

"It was great to win the last match against host Whittier," said Head Coach Kevin Aoki. "It will give us some momentum going into conference play next week against Willamette and Lewis & Clark at home."
 
The Lutes return to the court on Friday, opening up its home slate and Northwest Conference play by welcoming Willamette University to Olson Gymnasium. First serve is set for 7 p.m.