Pirates Use Big 2nd Set To Beat Boxers
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth hit a blistering .556 in the second set Friday night, buoying a strong overall attack effort by the Pirates as they beat Pacific in three sets, 25-15, 25-12, 25-17, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The Pirates (14-6, 11-2 NWC) finished the night hitting .287 for the match, topped by the big second set that saw Whitworth finish with 11 kills and just one error on 18 attempts. Pacific (4-17, 3-10 NWC) could not get their offense going on the first leg of their eastern Washington trip, hitting -.010. The Boxers were also limited to just three blocks.
Lychelle Roberts-Kirby (Fr., Kent, Wash.) led Pacific with nine kills, hitting .500, to go along with two blocks. Danica Thompson (Fr., Sisters, Ore.) added 21 assists and Brittney Johnson (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) had 10 digs.
Kaimi Rocha led Whitworth with a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs. Bree Riddle added 28 assists.
Whitworth broke open a close match midway through the first set, going up 15-10 and a Rocha kill. The Boxers narrowed the lead to 17-13 on a Pirates' ball handling error before Whitworth won the next six points, three off Pacific attack errors, to go ahead 23-13 before taking the 25-15 win.
Pacific held one of their two leads in the match early in the second set, going up 5-4 on a kill by Keahi Braginsky-Ahloo (Fr., Wahiawa, Hawaii). The Pirates quickly righted the ship, winning nine of the next 11 points to take a 13-7 lead on a kill by Ka'ipo Rocha. The lead became 20-9 on a Kaimi Rocha kill and never looked back in the 25-12 win.
The Pirates left little to chance in the final set, opening up a 7-2 advantage on a block by Brynn DeLong and Randi Stephens and then a 16-6 advantage on a Kaimi Rocha kill. Pacific trailed 22-9 when they made a spirited run at the end of the set, winning eight of the final 11 points. Braginsky-Ahloo and Kelsy Takashima (Jr., Kaunakakai, Hawaii) made it 22-13 and kills by Takashima and Roberts-Kirby narrowed it to 24-17 before Whitworth won it on a Kristine Kardell kill.
Pacific wraps up the eastern Washington road trip on Saturday when they face Whitman in Walla Walla.
