Boxers Secure Winning NWC Season In Victory Over Pioneers
Box Score
PORTLAND – Pacific used solid hitting nights from three of their starters and some impressive blocking to secure their first winning Northwest Conference season since 2007 Friday night, knocking off Lewis & Clark in five sets, 25-16, 22-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-12, in volleyball action at the Pamplin Sports Center.
The Boxers received a pair of 16-kill nights from
Mariah McHolland (Jr., Renton, Wash.) and
Marie Rewick (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) and 15 kills from
Alexa Block (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) to win their eighth five-set match this season. McHolland added eight blocks to pace a season-high 13 team blocks for the Boxers, while Rewick secured her eighth double-double of the season with 19 digs.
With the victory, the Boxers improved to 9-10 overall, 8-3 NWC, to guarantee their first winning conference record since 2007. Pacific has now won nine of their last 12 matches after starting the season losing seven straight.
Becky Sheller (Fr., Gresham, Ore.) also finished with 29 digs.
Emily Farnham (Fr., University Place, Wash.), making her first start at setter in nearly a month, finished 23 assists while
Megan Zablan (Fr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) led the Boxers with 26 assists.
Kateleya Milan led Lewis & Clark (6-14, 2-9 NWC) with 18 kills while Brigitte Russo finished with 10 kills. Kelsie Dorpat had a double-double of 38 assists and 13 digs while Leia Matsunaga finished with 17 digs.
After starting the match in a close battle, the Boxers made it a blowout late in the first set. Pacific led 14-12 when a McHolland kill started a string of four points, two off Pioneers' attack errors and a McHolland block, to make it 18-12. L&C came back to within 19-15 on Jennifer Dowdy's kill before the Boxers went on to score six of the last seven rallies to take the 25-16 victory.
The Pioneers prevailed in a closely played second set, but never led by more than four points the entire frame. L&C pulled ahead 11-7 on a Pacific attack error, but the Boxers pulled even at 16-16 on a setting error. The set was tied 20-20 before back-to-back kills by Kayla Ernewein and Milan paced a three-point run that all but secured the 25-22 win.
Pacific opened the third set by winning the first three points, two on Pioneers' attack errors. Pacific took a 6-2 lead on a Rewick kill before the Pioneers went on to score the next 10 points to take a commanding 12-6 advantage. The run was helped by two Milan kills and three Pacific attack errors. The Boxers closed back to within 14-12 on three Pioneers' errors, but L&C took the 20-13 lead on Milan's sixth kill of the set. That proved to put the set out of reach as L&C went on to the 25-20 victory.
The Boxers used some runs of their own to take a convincing fourth set victory. Two Block kills paced a four-point run that made it 4-1. That was followed by a string of six unanswered points, bolstered by three attack errors, to make it 10-2.
Jade Thompson (Sr., Marysville, Wash.) then hit two aces to fuel another four-point for a commanding 14-3 lead. L&C would come within eight points on two occasions and within six late before
Tiana Greenhalgh's (Fr., Yucaipa, Calif.) kill closed it out at 25-18.
Pacific came out hot in the fifth, winning the first four points thanks in part to two Block kills and took a 7-2 advantage on a McHolland kill. The Pioneers would challenge late, however, cutting the lead to 13-12 on an Alexandra Carleton kill. Rewick replied with her final kill of the night while a ball-handling error handed the Boxers the victory.
The Boxers close out the weekend in a battle for second place in the NWC as they travel north to face No. 15 ranked Puget Sound. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
