Boxers Turn Up Hitting Heat To Beat Whitman
Box Score
FOREST GROVE – Pacific received double digit kills from three of their starters and posted their second best team hitting performance of the year to snap a 11-match losing streak, beating Whitman in four sets, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Pacific Athletic Center.
The Boxers (2-12, 1-5 NWC) hit .232 as a team, topped by a second set that saw Pacific net 20 kills and a .325 hitting percentage. Keahi Braginsky-Ahloo (Fr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) led the effort for the Boxers with 18 kills. Lychelle Roberts-Kirby (Fr., Kent, Wash.) and Mariah McHolland (Fr., Renton, Ore.) added 13 kills apiece.
Danica Thompson (Fr., Sisters, Ore.), just missed a Pacific record for assists in a four-set match with 56. Jade Thompson (So., Marysville, Wash.) added 26 digs in the victory.
Jillian Davis led Whitman (3-11, 0-6 NWC) with 14 kills and 16 digs and Courtney Brewer added 11 as the Missionaries hit .163 for the match. Taylor Aschenbrenner added 39 assists.
Pacific spent much of the first set behind, falling back 13-8 on a Davis kill. The Boxers then won eight straight points behind Jade Thompson's serve and two kills by McHolland to take an 18-15 lead. The Missionaries came back to within 19-18 on a Pacific attack error before the Boxers went on another five-point to take a 23-18 lead and all but secure the first set win.
Pacific set the pace early in the second set to take the lead and never look back. The frame was tied 4-4 when the Boxers rattled off a string of five straight points and nine points in the next 10 rallied won to build a 13-5 lead. Pacific stalled out a bit, however, and won just two points off of their own serve the rest of the way. After trailing seven at 20-13, the Missionaries went on six-point run, with two points on attack errors and two on aces, to come within 21-19. The Boxers held on, though, to take the 25-22 win.
A close third set started to move Whitman's way when they pulled away from a 12-12 tie to take a 15-12 lead on a block by Olivia Nielson and Rachel Shober. The Missionaries extended the lead to 22-15 on a Shober service ace, but the Boxers made a challenge late as an attack error allowed Pacific to within 24-21. The Boxers then took themselves out of the game as a service error gave Whitman the 25-21 win.
After being a point or two behind for much of the fourth set, the Boxers came back to take the lead for good when Jade Thompson's service ace put the Boxers up 17-16. The ace was part of a string of six straight points won by the Boxers, two on aces, that put Pacific up 19-16. The Missionaries brought the set back to within one at 19-18 before three Whitman attack errors down the stretch that secured the win for the Boxers.
Pacific returns to the home court on Friday night, finishing out a four-match home stand against George Fox at 7 p.m.
