Boxers Come Out Inspired In Hard Fought Loss To Lutes
Box Score
FOREST GROVE – Pacific came out inspired to send their three seniors out on a high note Saturday, but Pacific Lutheran came out just as inspired to keep a potential NCAA Division III playoff spot alive as the Lutes knocked off the Boxers in a hard-fought five-set match, 13-25, 25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 15-12, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Stoller Center.
The Boxers (13-12, 7-9 NWC) could do little wrong in the opening set, committing just two errors while hitting .400 for the frame. The No. 22 ranked Lutes (21-5, 13-3 NWC) came back to win the next two sets. Pacific posted another brilliant hitting performance to win the fourth, but the Lutes had just a bit more in the fifth set to take the match.
Kelsy Takashima (Sr., Kaunakakai, Hawaii) finished strong in her final game for the Boxers, leading all players with 22 kills and just two errors for a season high .556 attack percentage to go along with six blocks.
Mariah McHolland (So., Renton, Wash.) and
Keahi Braginsky-Ahloo (So., Wahiawa, Hawaii) each had 12 kills, with Braaginsky-Ahloo added 22 digs and three blocks.
Malea Webb (Fr., Spokane, Wash.) added 40 assists.
Kelsie Moore led the lutes with 13 kills and 13 digs. Erin Bremond connected for 12 kills and Kelsey Pacolt had 11 kills. Samantha North added 52 assists and Blair Bjorkman had 20 digs.
With the win, PLU will now await to see if the NCAA selection committee will consider them worthy for a spot in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament. The Lutes finished second in the conference at 13-3, 21-5 overall. Pacific finishes fifth in the NWC at 7-9 and 13-12 overall. It is Pacific's best conference finish and best overall record since the 2007 campaign.
Pacific was on fire in the opening set, allowing the Lutes just two points off of their own serve. The Boxers opened up a 9-6 lead on a ball-handling error. PLU has come back to within 11-9 before the Boxers scored the next seven points, two on Takashima kills and two on attack errors, for an 18-9 advantage. Pacific built the 23-12 lead on Takashima's sixth kill of the set and a block by Takashima and Braginsky-Ahloo closed out the dominant 25-13 win. Pacific hit .400 for the set, compared to -.032 for the Lutes.
Pacific Lutheran came out on top of a pair of closely played sets in the second and third. The Lutes opened up the 7-2 lead on a Wooten kill, but the Boxers bounced right back to tie it at 10-10 on a dump by Webb. Pacific took a short lived 16-15 lead before the Lutes scored four unanswered points to take control for good, going ahead 19-16 on Bremond's spike. The Boxers cut it to 23-21 lead on
Haley Bedell's (Fr., Spokane, Wash.) kill, but Moore's kill and a block gave it to the Lutes at 25-21.
The Boxers took the early 3-1 lead in the third set, only to watch the Lutes come back for the 9-7 lead on a Pacific attack error. The set remained close until the Lutes pulled away from a 16-16 tie to score the next eight points. Pacific committed four attack errors in the string as the Lutes went ahead 24-16 and eventually cruised to the 25-18 victory.
The fourth set was Pacific's turn to take advantage of runs. Pacific trailed 10-7 when another Webb dump started a four-point run to go ahead 11-10. A second string of three straight points put the Boxers up 14-11 and then Braginsky-Ahloo's kill started a run of six unanswered points. Takashima had three kills in the run to build a 20-12 lead. The Lutes came back to within 21-18 on a Bremond kill, but the Boxers held strong to force the fifth set.
The fifth set played out as close as every other set. The Boxers held a 10-9 lead when the Lutes scores three straight points on kills by Amy Wooten, Moore and Pacolt for a 12-10 lead. The Boxers managed to come back within 13-12 on a Takashima kill, but a block and a kill by Moore closed it out for the Lutes.
The night also marked the end of careers for Pacific defensive specialists
Brittney Johnson (Beaverton, Ore.) and
Mari Kondo (Ewa Beach, Hawaii). All three seniors were four-year members of the Pacific program.
