Boxers Go Five Sets (Again) To Win First Leg Of Palouse Trip
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. – Pacific rebounded from two sets down to win yet another five-set match Friday night as the Boxers opened the long eastern Washington road trip with a victory over Whitworth, 25-15, 13-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The two teams traded blowouts in the opening two sets before the Pirates took command with a 25-20 win in the third set. Pacific held strong to take the fourth set and then held off a late Whitworth rally to close out the match. The match was their third five-set victory in the last four matches and marks the fourth time in five NWC victories that the Boxers (6-9, 5-2 NWC) have gone the distance.
Marie Rewick (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) led the Boxers with a double-double of 19 kills and 11 digs to go along with a .214 hitting percentage and two blocks.
Alexa Block (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) finished with 14 kills and
Mariah McHolland put together a line of 11 kills, four blocks and a .280 hitting percentage.
Megan Zablan (Fr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) registered 49 assists and
Becky Sheller (Fr., Gresham, Ore.) had 21 digs. As a team, Pacific finished with a .191 hitting percentage and nine blocks.
Nicole Leonard put together a strong night to lead Whitworth (5-9, 1-6 NWC), finishing with 20 kills, 12 digs and a .333 hitting percentage. Jalana White added 14 kills while Maddye Dinsmore finished with 45 assists and 21 digs. Whitworth finished the night with a team .136 hitting percentage.
After opening the match with a 3-0 lead in the first set, Pacific charged ahead thanks to a string of eight unanswered points that made it a 15-6 game. McHolland had two kills and a block in the run while the Pirates committed four attack errors. Another Whitworth attack error made it a 23-13 Pacific lead before
Tiana Greenhalgh (Fr., Yucaipa, Calif.) slammed home her fourth kill of the set for the 25-15 win.
Whitworth returned the favor in the second set. The Pirates owned a 14-11 lead when Whitney Santos paced an eight-point Whitworth run with three service aces. Dinsmore and White each contributed blocks to build a commanding 22-11 lead. Pacific came back to score a pair of points before the Pirates won the final three for the 25-13 rout.
Pacific opened the third set with a 6-1 lead, thanks in part to two Rewick kills. Whitworth brought the set to within 10-7 before embarking on another eight-point run. Leonard contributed four kills to help make it a 14-10 Pirates' advantage. Whitworth made it a 22-16 lead on a Briauna Stadeli kill en route to going up two sets with the 25-20 victory.
Despite never trailing in the final two sets, the Boxers had to hold off late rallies by the Pirates in both frames. Pacific never led by more than three points in the fourth set and saw Whitworth come within 24-23 before McHolland's kill closed it out to force the deciding frame.
Pacific launched ahead to an 8-3 lead in the fifth frame thanks in part to four Whitworth attack errors. Block put away a kill to make it a 14-9 lead, but Whitworth rallied to win the next four points. A Pacific attack error brought the Pirates within 14-13 before McHolland put away a kill on the next rally to close out the match.
The Boxers will close out the eastern Washington swing and the first half of the NWC season on Saturday when they travel to Whitman. The match will begin at 5 p.m.
