MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- The Pacific Lutheran Volleyball team (13-5, 9-1 NWC) overcame a first-set loss on Saturday to the Linfield Wildcats (5-13, 2-10 NWC) to take the match 3-1. The Lutes continue their winning ways, earning their third-consecutive win in conference play.
 
Set one started slow for the Lutes, as the Wildcats opened with a 3-0 lead. PLU took a 8-6 lead but was squandered by five-point Wildcat run. Sophomore Shaela Allen-Greggs and a pair of Linfield attack errors kept the match close throughout. Following a 20-19 Lutes lead, the Wildcats closed the set out on a 6-1 run to take set one; 25-21. The Lutes dropped the first set in a match for the first time in two weeks, when they defeated George Fox in five sets.
 
Freshman Julissa Pernsteiner and Allen-Greggs teamed up to carry the Lutes out to a 17-13 lead in the second set. Linfield climbed back to cut the lead to 17-16 in favor of the Lutes. From there, five-straight attack errors and a kill by Claire Hindman pushed the Lutes out to a 24-16 lead in the set. The dagger of a series from the Lutes was helped by blocks from Alexis Eggert, Kailee Efros-Bohn, and Hindman. One final block by Efros-Bohn and Eggert put the set away and tied the match up a one set a-piece.
 
Linfield controlled the momentum in set three thanks to three and four-point runs to give them a 15-13 lead. Yet another late run by the Lutes pushed PLU out in front to a 21-15 advantage. Pernsteiner led the way during the run with a kill and a pair of blocks during the late push. The Wildcats final effort was too-little, too-late, as an ace from Pernsteiner and a kill by Allen-Greggs won set three by a score of 25-20.
 
Set four saw eight occurances of a tie, ending at 10-10. During the serve of senior Makenna Jackson, the Lutes libero had two aces while Pernsteiner and Noe Feliciano's kills led to a 9-0 run in the Lutes favor. Although Linfield outscored PLU 10-6 in the closing moments, the huge run was enough to give the match to the Lutes, 25-20. The three-straight sets won propelled the Lutes to a 3-1 win in four sets, earning their third-straight win conference play.
 
"We had to battle tonight against a very highly motivated Linfield team." Said Head Coach Kevin Aoki. "I'm very proud of how we persevered tonight."
 
Dual-sport athlete Allen-Greggs led the way with 13 kills in the match, followed closely by Pernsteiner with 12. Libero Makenna Jackson did the work behind the service line, adding three kills and 15 digs. Ayre Takamoto showed why she leads the Northwest Conference in assists per set, adding 37 to her season total.
 
The Lutes are set to face cross-town rival Puget Sound on Tuesday at their place, before returning to Olson Gym to host Lewis & Clark on Friday at 7 p.m.
 
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