Setting the Scene: It's Homecoming for the Lutes with Pacific Lutheran University welcoming alums back to campus for an exciting weekend that features home games for men's and women's soccer, football, and volleyball while the men's and women's golf squads compete in nearby Lakewood. 

FRIDAY:
VB hosts Whitworth inside Olson Gymnasium (7 p.m.)
SATURDAY:
GOLF at Puget Sound Invitational (Oakbrook Golf Club)
SWIM hosts Alumni Meet at PLU Pool (10 a.m.)
MSOC hosts Whitman at East Field (12 p.m.)
FB hosts Puget Sound at Sparks Stadium (1 p.m.)
WSOC hosts Whitman at East Field (2:45 p.m.)
VB hosts Whitman inside Olson Gymnasium (6:30 p.m.)
SUNDAY:
GOLF at Puget Sound Invitational (Oakbrook Golf Club)
MSOC hosts Whitworth at East Field (12 p.m.)
WSOC hosts Whitworth at East Field (2:45 p.m.)

Bjug Day: Bjug Day, PLU's annual day of giving, is just around the corner! Give to what you love and support PLU Athletics and our core values of Leadership, Unity, Teamwork, Excellence, and Service by donating today: LINK

Get with the Flo: Last summer the Northwest Conference signed an exclusive five-year deal with FloSports to be the live streaming platform of the Lutes and the rest of the conference.
 
Make sure to sign up for FloSports today so you don't miss any of the action at home or on the road. Sign up today: LINK

Volleyball: The high-flying Lutes (13-2, 6-0 NWC) return home sitting in first place in the conference standings, nearing the halfway point of the conference slate. This weekend will be a big test with both Whitman College and Whitworth University coming to Olson Gymnasium with 5-1 records in league play.

PLU enters the weekend riding a nine-game winning streak, winning five of its six league matches in straight sets. That included a 3-0 Friday night win over Linfield University and a 3-0 sweep the next day against Lewis & Clark College.

The Lutes had 11 aces in the win over Linfield with Shaela Allen-Greggs leading the team with a dozen kills. Pacific Lutheran made quick work of the River Otters the next day, winning the three sets by scores of 25-12, 25-13, and 25-14.

Ayre Takamoto leads the league and ranks 21st nationally in assists per set (9.3) while Macy Matsushima leads the conference in both aces (28) and total digs (255).

Men's Soccer: Pacific Lutheran (7-1-2, 5-0-1 NWC) sits tied atop the conference standings, returning to East Field with a nine-match unbeaten run (7-0-2). 

Defense has carried the Lutes to the top of the standings, having allowed just one goal in conference play this season. Over the weekend, the Lutes piled it on in the second half for a 4-0 victory over Lewis & Clark before escaping McMinnville with a 1-0 win over Linfield.

The floodgates opened the second half against Lewis & Clark. Scoreless at the break, Connor O'Brien tallied his team-leading sixth goal of the season just 68 seconds into the second half. Following the O'Brien score were goals from Misha Turchaninov (54th minute), Gavin Murphy (69th minute), and Owen Harned (78thminute).

Mike Murega was the hero on Sunday, scoring in the 73rd minute off a pass from O'Brien.

PLU's stingy defense has now gone 307 minutes without allowing a goal, a streak stretching across four games.

Women's Golf: The Lutes finished sixth on Monday afternoon at the NWC Fall Classic host at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon.

Jayda Thomas finished the tournament with a 36-hole tally of 168, tying for 15th overall. Thomas led the event after round one, shooting an electric 76 on Sunday before shooting a 92 on Monday. Between the 36 holes, Thomas had 14 pars and two birdies.
Kate Sabarillo was 28th overall with Mari Morris 31st.

The Lutes shot 732 as a team, owning a four-stroke edge on seventh place Linfield.

Football: A gritty fourth quarter comeback averted the upset on Saturday in Salem, Oregon with the Lutes (2-2, 1-0 NWC) opening conference action with a 14-6 win over host Willamette University.

Anthony Mahaffey came off the bench and engineered both drives, hitting Darius Sum on a 31-yard pass to take a 7-6 lead with 7:20 left in the game before finding Ha'aheo Felipe on a nine-yard TD pass with 2:23 remaining to make it an eight point gap.
PLU's defense led the way, holding the Bearcats to just 110 yards of total offense. 

Women's Soccer: Pacific Lutheran (5-2-3, 3-1-2 NWC) earned a draw and a win over the weekend in Oregon. The Lutes benefited from an early River Otter own goal on Saturday but it wasn't enough to get the win, settling for a 1-1 draw. On Sunday, the Lutes conceded an early goal before Kaitlyn Lemus (13thminute) and Zoe Markquart (34th minute) both found the back of the net in the first half.

Mr. 200: Head Coach Seth Spidahl continues his march to 200 career wins, currently sitting at 197. A Lute alum and the Head Coach since 2012, Spidahl has helped the Lutes win nine NWC titles and make seven trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Breaking 200 will make him just the second coach to ever do so, joining Hall of Fame inductee and three-time NAIA national champion winning coach Colleen Hacker. 

Men's Golf: Jack Brigham made the most of his first NWC major tournament of his career, inking a top 10 finish and helping PLU place sixth as a team at the NWC Fall Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

Brigham placed eighth overall to lead the team, shooting a 71 both days to finishing with a 142 for the 36-hole event. Soren Bostrom was 20th with a 149 while Tanner Frinell and Grant Raubenolt tied for 26th overall with a 151.

PLU shot a 593 as a team, including a 296 on Sunday during round one and a 297 on Monday during round two. It's a score that was five strokes ahead of crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound. 

Download the GoLutes 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.

Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gamely details and more, the PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Link to download on Google Play: LINK

Link to download on Apple App Store: LINK