Strong Start Not Enough To Hold Off PLU's Stronger Finish
Box Score
FOREST GROVE – A strong start in the first set for Pacific was not enough to hold off a stronger finish by Pacific Lutheran Friday night as the No. 18 ranked Lutes rolled past the Boxers in three sets, 25-19, 25-18, 25-14, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Stoller Center.
The Boxers (4-9, 4-2 NWC) went toe-to-toe with Lutes over the first points of the opening set, and at one point held a slim 9-8 lead on a kill by
Alexa Block (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). The Lutes, however, went on to win the next seven points, two on service aces, to build a 13-9 advantage.
PLU went on to build a 23-14 lead on a Kacey Hartman service ace before the Boxers used three straight Lutes' attack errors to come back within 23-18. The Lutes responded with a pair of Haley Urdahl kills that closed the first set with a 25-19 victory.
The Lutes (11-2, 5-0 NWC) charged hard out of the gate in the second set, taking the 5-0 lead on a pair of Pacific attack errors. Pacific managed to come back to within 11-9 on a Lutes' attack error, only to watch the momentum shift again when the Lutes won the next four points. The lead was 16-13 when Amber Aguiar served the Lutes to five straight winners, two on service aces, to build a commanding 21-13 lead en route to the eventual 25-18 victory.
Outside of a short-lived 1-0 Pacific lead to top the third set on
Hannah Smargiassi's (Fr., Tualatin, Ore.) kill, the close belonged to the Lutes. The visitors jumped out to the 10-5 lead on an Aguiar service ace and a kill by Allison Wood made it a 20-10 Lutes' lead to all but close it out for the Lutes.
Block led the Boxers with eight kills.
Marie Rewick (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) added seven kills and
Mariah McHolland (Jr., Renton, Wash.) added six kills to go along with three blocks.
Megan Zablan (Fr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) had 27 assists and
Becky Sheller (Fr., Gresham, Ore.) finished with 13 digs.
Wood and Bethany Huston led the Lutes with 10 kills apiece as PLU finished the night hitting .286. Samantha North added 31 assists and Blair Bjorkman finished with 10 digs.
Pacific finishes a three-match week on Saturday as they host No. 17 Colorado College in a non-conference match at 6 p.m. The match will live streamed via a video webcast at goboxers.com. Pacific Lutheran will play at Willamette.
