Injuries Hamper Volleyball In Season Opening Loss
Box Score
PORTLAND – Playing without two of their top players to open the 2010 season, a young Pacific lineup found themselves limited by a Concordia (Ore.) team six matches into the season as the Cavaliers cruised to a three-set victory, 25-14, 25-21, 25-12, in volleyball action at the Cavalier Gymnasium.
Playing without All-Northwest Conference outside hitter Alexa Block (So., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and starting setter Brittney Johnson (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.), the Boxers (0-1) started four freshmen in the opening match. Pacific found themselves stymied at the net, hitting just .040 for the match. The Cavaliers (2-4), playing in their sixth match of the season, hit .240 on the night and hit no worse than .222 in any one set.
Kelsy Takashima (Jr., Kaunakakai, Hawaii) led Pacific with 12 kills. Keahi Braginsky-Ahloo (Fr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) came off the bench to register eight kills in her Pacific debut. Jade Thompson (So., Marysville, Wash.) added 17 digs and Danica Thompson (Fr., Sisters, Ore.) finished with 20 assists in her first match.
Raluca Dinca led Concordia with 12 kills. Lindsay Mangan added 27 assists while Aria Nojima notched 10 assists.
The Cavaliers opened the first set on a 5-0 run, capitalizing on a pair of Sara Harper service aces. The Boxers trailed 11-2 before three attack errors and two Erica Doremus kills allowed Concordia a 16-3 advantage. The Boxers closed to within 10, 21-11, on a block by Lychelle Roberts-Kirby (Fr., Selah, Wash.) and Christiana Chandler (Sr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) before a kill by Skyler Kamaka closed it out for the Cavaliers at 25-14.
While the Boxers never let the second set get out of control, Pacific was never able to take the lead from the Cavaliers. The Boxers scored three straight points in the middle of the frame to come within 16-15. Pacific came no closer as four straight Concordia winners, two on Dinca kills, gave the Cavaliers a 22-17 lead. The Boxers came back to within 23-21 on back-to-back Takashima kills before Sara Harper hit back-to-back kills of her own to give Concordia the 25-21 win.
The third set played out as a repeat of the first set as the Boxers committed seven attack errors and hit -.027 for the set. The Cavaliers pulled away early, scoring six straight out of a 1-1 tie to go ahead 7-1. Back-to-back attack errors made it an 11-point lead, 15-4, as the Cavaliers never allowed the Boxers more than two points off of their own serve the rest of the way.
Pacific returns to action Friday, opening the Boxer Kickoff Volleyball Invitational with a match against Oneonta State of New York at 6 p.m.
