Volleyball Gets Eastern Washington Sweep With Another Five-Set Thriller

Volleyball Gets Eastern Washington Sweep With Another Five-Set Thriller

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Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – Pacific went extra points with Whitworth Saturday to claim their second eastern Washington sweep in as many years, getting past the Pirates in five sets, 26-28, 25-17, 25-20, 10-25, 18-16, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
 
After watching a first set lead slip away in a 28-26 loss, the Boxers came back to claim the second and third sets easily.  Pacific was dominated in a fourth set where they had only four kills, and then saw a six-point lead in the fifth disappear before capitalizing on two attack errors and a block to get the victory in extra points.
 
With the victory, Pacific improved to 7-12 overall and evened their NWC record to 6-6.  Whitworth dropped to 13-11, 7-5 NWC.
 
Una Areta (Fr., Kent, Wash.) finished with her fifth double-double of the season with 17 kills and 16 digs.  Mariah McHolland (Sr., Renton, Wash.) had another strong match with 14 kills and five blocks while Hannah Herbert (So., Hillsboro, Ore.) added 11 kills.  Emily Farnham (So., University Place, Wash.) had a double-double of 43 assists and 10 digs while Becky Sheller (So., Gresham, Ore.) added 23 digs.
 
Nicole Leonard led three Whitworth players who finished with double-doubles with 19 kills and 12 digs while Jalana White finished with 16 kills and 23 digs and Maddye Dinsmore finished with 59 assists and 13 digs.
 
Pacific scored the first three points of the opening set and looked to be in cruise control when they went ahead 20-14 on Jamie Steach's (Fr., Pasco, Wash.) service ace.  Whitworth rallied back, tying the frame at 23-23 on a Brenna Bruil kill and took the lead on a block.  The teams tied it three times before an attack error and a kill be Briauna Stadeli to score the 28-26 win.
 
The Boxers took the early lead in the second set, but this time did not allow the Pirates a comeback.  Pacific went up 10-4 on an attack error and then used another error and a kill by Herbert to go up 20-13.   Whitworth rallied to within 23-16 before a pair of errors and a Steach kill closed out the 25-17 victory.
 
Things were closer in the third set.  Pacific jumped out to a 7-3 lead on Areta's kill, but the Pirates came back to take a 14-12 lead on a pair of Pacific errors.   The Boxers responded with a run of four straight points, including a Kylee Oshiro (So., Aiea, Hawaii) and a McHolland kill, and never looked back.  Whitworth could come back to as close as one point, but a pair of attack errors sealed the deal for the Boxers at 25-20.
 
Whitworth awakened in the fourth set, opening with a 4-0 lead and then using a six-point run to build a commanding 19-5 advantage.  The lead held as White had two of the final kills for the 25-10 rout.
 
Pacific looked to have command in the fifth set, going up 9-4 on an Areta kill and 11-5 on a Whitworth attack error.  The Pirates bounced back to take a 12-11 lead on two Leonard kills.  The Boxers had match point at 14-12 before the Pirates scored three straight to make it 15-14.  The set would be tied two more times before an attack error and a block by Steach and Hannah Smargiassi (So., Tualatin, Ore.) closed out the match.
 
Pacific will play at the Stoller Center for three of their final four matches.  The Boxers play two at home next weekend, hosting Willamette on Friday and Linfield on Saturday.
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