TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team extended its win streak to five on Wednesday night, knocking crosstown rival University of Puget Sound out of first place in the Northwest Conference standings with a 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21) win inside Olson Gymnasium.
The victory tightens the race at the top of the NWC standings with the Lutes (4-8, 10-5) sitting tied for second with the Loggers (13-10, 10-5 NWC) and a half-game back of Whitworth University (16-6, 10-4). The Lutes and Loggers each have one match left in the regular season while the Pirates play two over the weekend.
Lute libero
Halle Hetzler was everywhere on the floor in the win, tying her own school record for digs in a four-set match with 47. The effort matches her performance in last year's home final against Whitworth University on Oct. 30 and is the third most digs ever in program history, behind tallies of 51 and 49 set during five set matches.
"Wow! Our team really played their hearts out tonight and it was a great way to end our home matches. We're looking forward to playign George Fox on Friday in Newberg to end the regular season," said Head Coach
Kevin Aoki.
The homestanding Lutes held a 9-8 edge early in the first set before methodically pulling away with a Logger attack error giving PLU the 25-19 win.
Puget Sound led wire-to-wire in the second set, scoring five of the first six on its way to a 25-21 win to level the match.
It was a see-saw battle in the third set with the two teams trading leads. PLU pushed ahead 22-21 on a
Baylee Johnson kill and never looked back, closing the set with kills from
Breeze Bartle and Johnson for the 25-21 victory.
The Lutes scored three of the first four points in the fourth set and never looked back, vanquishing their crosstown rivals with another 25-21 set win to take the match in four sets.
Elle Thomas registered 16 kills on the night while Johnson registered 13 and
Hailey Iha had nine.
Olivia Evaro had 40 assists and 14 digs while
Makenna Jackson added 12 digs.
Wednesday's win gives the Lutes the season series against the crosstown Loggers. PLU won the non-conference meeting 3-0 back on Sept. 3 before falling in five sets on Oct. 5 in the first conference match between the two Tacoma institutions.
The Lutes close out the regular season on Friday evening in Newberg, Oregon against George Fox University.
