TACOMA, Wash. — Elle Thomas collected a match-high 17 kills but the Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team was unable to complete a late rally, falling 3-2 (27-29, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 15-10) to Northwest Conference rival University of Puget Sound in back and forth affair inside the Memorial Fieldhouse. 

The visiting Lutes (8-7, 3-4 NWC) scored four of the match's opening five points in a marathon opening set. The two teams traded leads with the Loggers (8-7, 5-2 NWC) scoring three straight to take a 21-18 advantage. A Hailey Iha kill, a Torie Takeuchi ace and a kill from Olivia Evaro knotted the score at 21 and it was a razor thin margin between the two teams the rest of the way until a Logger attack error and a kill from Kailee Efros-Bohn gave the Lutes the 29-27 win. 

Consecutive kills from Thomas gave the Lutes' a 22-19 lead in the second set but the pesky Loggers five straight points and six of the set's final seven to squeak out the 25-23 win. PLU led by four points early in the third set but it was quickly erased by UPS who did just enough to take the set 25-22.

An 8-1 run midway through the set put the Lutes in the driver's seat in the fourth set while a Claire Hindman kill closed the set 25-20 in favor of PLU, forcing a decisive fifth set.

In the fifth, Puget Sound utilized a 5-1 run to take a 10-5 lead. The Loggers pushed their lead to 13-6 courtesy of three straight Lute attack errors before the Lutes closed the gap, scoring the next four. A Logger kill and a service ace iced the set, giving UPS the 15-10 win to secure the match and level the season series at 1-1. 

"It was a great back and forth match, unfortunately we came up a little short," said Head Coach Kevin Aoki. "We're looking forward to our home match on Friday after playing five straight on the road."

Thomas led the Lutes with 17 kills while Hindman added 14 and a match-high five aces. Efros-Bohn had 13 kills while Evaro had a double-double with 46 assists and 13 digs. Halle Hetzler had 30 digs in the five-set clash with Takeuchi netting nine along with three aces.

The Lutes are back in action on Friday night, hosting George Fox University at 7 p.m. inside Olson Gymnasium. 

"The team will bounce back and be ready for George Fox on Friday night."