WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team rallied to force a fifth set for the second straight night but was unable to replicate the success of the previous evening, stumbling 3-2 (25-14, 19-25, 25-23, 26-28, 15-11) to host Whitman College inside the Sherwood Center. 
 
"Got to give credit to Whitman. They played well and we just ran out of gas," said Head Coach Kevin Aoki. 
 
"The nice thing is that we get to play the next five matches in a row at home."
 
The host Blues never trailed in the opening set, scoring 13 of the final 15 points for a 25-14 victory. The Lutes tallied nine of the first 12 points in the second set, including three kills from Elle Thomas and never looked back to grab the 25-19 win to level the match.
 
PLU led 6-1 early in the third set but Whitman got the last laugh, winning 25-23. The two teams traded jabs in a marathon fourth set before the Lutes pushed ahead on kills from Hailey Iha and Claire Hindman, along with a set clinching ace from Torie Takeuchi.
 
Pacific Lutheran scored the first point in the fifth set but Whitman rattled off seven of the next eight and did just enough to fend off a late charge and escape with the 15-11 win to take the match. 
 
Thomas finished with 17 kills on the night with Hindman adding 13 and Iha chipping in eight. Breeze Bartle notched four blocks with Olivia Evaro quarterbacking the offense with 44 assists. Halle Hetzler led the defensive efforts with 31 digs while Takeuchi and Sydney Aoki added 10 apiece. 
 
The Lutes are back on the court on Friday, opening a five-match homestand inside Olson Gymnasium against Linfield University. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.