Setting the Scene: It's a weekend away from campus for the Lutes with four programs all competing on the road, scattered across four different states and three different time zones. Women's soccer treks the furthest, squaring off against a pair of ranked opponents in Virginia while football heads to the Minnesota for a showdown with Concordia College. Men's Soccer and Volleyball are keeping things on the West Coast, traveling to Oregon and California, respectively.

Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
 
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website. 

Tickets, Tickets Tickets: The Lutes have made it easier for fans to attend home sporting events, signing a deal with HomeTown Ticketing to be the department's official electronic ticket provider. Lute fans can now purchase tickets online at GoLutes.com/tickets or on the HomeTown Ticketing mobile app available on iOS and Android devices. Learn More: LINK

Download the PLU Athletics App: Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. 
 
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
 
FRIDAY:
MSOC vs. Emory in Salem, Ore. (2 p.m.)
WSOC vs. #4 Virginia Wesleyan in Newport News, Va. (5 p.m. Eastern)
VB vs. Chapman in Whittier, Calif. (5 p.m.)
VB at Whittier in Whittier, Calif. (7:30 p.m.)
SATURDAY:
FB at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. (1 p.m. Central)
VB vs. Pomona-Pitzer in La Verne, Calif. (1:30 p.m.)
WSOC at #6 Christopher Newport in Newport News, Va. (7:30 p.m. Eastern)
VB at La Verne in La Verne, Calif. (6:30 p.m.)
SUNDAY:
MSOC vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in Salem, Ore. (2 p.m.)
 
Women's Soccer: The 20th-ranked Lutes (1-0-1) head to Virginia after posting a pair of shutouts in California to open the season. Abby Winkler made four saves to earn the clean sheet in a scoreless draw with host California Lutheran University to open the season on Friday before Lily Dose scored twice and Julia Causbie scored another in a 3-0 drubbing of University of La Verne the following day. 
 
Winkler was recognized by the NWC office on Tuesday, earning NWC Defensive Player of the Week. The sophomore made eight saves over the weekend to earn the award for the first time in her career.
 
Men's Cross Country: Pacific Lutheran opened the lid on the 2023 season on Saturday, finishing sixth overall as a team at the Puget Sound Invitational. Returning All-Region runners Ryan Stracke and Owen Ladinig led the way, finishing 16th and 17th overall. Stracke covered the 5,000-meter course at Fort Steilacoom Park in 15 minutes, 49 seconds, with Ladinig a second back in 15:50. 
 
Cross country takes the weekend off before hosting the PLU Invitational on Sept. 16.
 
Football: Darius Chaffin scored twice but the Lutes (0-1) had their home opener spoiled by the University of Redlands 24-14 on Saturday at Bellarmine Prep's Memorial Field.
 
Chaffin scored on the ground and through the air with two scores in the second quarter but the Bulldogs answered, scoring a touchdown with three seconds left in the first half and scoring another 29 seconds into the second half. Redlands kicked a field goal in the third to take the lead and added an insurance score in the fourth to cement the win.
 
Chaffin completed 11 of his 15 passes with Patrick McInerny his top target with four catches for 55 yards. Nico Golla anchored the defense with 11 tackles and 2.5 TFLs with Layne DePeralta picking off a pass, part of a defense that limited the Bulldogs to just 141 passing yards. 

She's the engine that keeps Luteville running smoothly. Happy birthday to Assistant to the AD Julie Mix ?????? #GoLutes pic.twitter.com/B3z3aqV6qH

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) September 7, 2023

 
Volleyball: Halle Hetzler eclipsed 2,000 career digs to headline the Lutes opening weekend of the season at the Puget Sound Premiere. Hetzler became the first Lute ever to eclipse 2,000-digs and was named to the All-Tournament Team and for the 14th time in her career was tabbed the NWC Defensive Player of the Week.

Where no Lute has gone before. @PLUVolleyball Senior Halle Hetzler, current PLU record holder in all-time Digs, reached the 2,000 mark over the weekend! #GoLutes #Luteville pic.twitter.com/34hT3hkiyu

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) September 6, 2023

 
Joining Hetzler on the All-Tournament team was Baylee Johnson. Hetzler ranks second in the nation in digs (118) while Johnson leads the Lutes in kills, averaging 3.5 per set. 
 
The Lutes bookended the tournament with a pair of nailbiters, falling 3-2 to both College of Saint Benedict and host University of Puget Sound while also dropping matches to Eastern University (3-1) and Adrian College (3-0).
 
Men's Soccer: Pacific Lutheran (1-0-1) opened the season in Colorado, producing a 2-1 victory over host Colorado College last Friday before earning a 2-2 draw with Nebraska Wesleyan University on Sunday. 
 
Jordan Ross tallied the season's opening goal against the Tigers with Craig Johnson netting the game-winner 20 minutes later. Sammy Tafolla and Johnson both had first half goals but the Prairie Wolves tallied an equalizer in the 73rd minute to settle for the tie.

Summer Lutes: Ever wonder what Lute student-athletes are up to in the offseason. For some, like men's soccer's Elijah Singleton its being busy working in a lab. Check out what a day in the life was like for the junior defender. 
 
Women's Cross Country: Anna Iverson led the pack for the Lutes at the season opening Puget Sound Invitational, finishing 23rd overall. Iverson covered the 5K course in 20:51 with Annika Deazley finishing 32nd overall in 21:22. Two Lutes made their debuts in the black and gold with Zoey Holt finishing 35th and Lili Andres-Juarez placing 52nd.

School's in Session: Lutes moved back to campus last weekend with fall semester classes starting on Tuesday. Shout out to PLU football for helping first-years move into the dorms.

One of our favorite PLU move-in traditions is @PLUFootball players lending some helping muscle to new students and their families. Thanks a ton guys – and good luck this Saturday at Concordia College! #GoLutes #LutesMakeItHappen cc @GoLutes pic.twitter.com/8BgTrhz41T

— Pacific Lutheran University (@PLUNEWS) September 7, 2023

 

Welcome to Luteville Class of 2027! #GoLutes https://t.co/hq5L9e2GxH

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) September 6, 2023

Dive Deeper: Follow Lute Athletics all season long on social media. Follow PLU Athletics on Facebook and @GoLutes on X.com and Instagram.