Box ScoreFOREST GROVE – Pacific used solid hitting and great defense to rally from a first set loss to post a gritty four-set victory over Whitman Friday night, 18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Stoller Center.
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After dropping the first set 25-18, the Boxers held off a Whitman rally from 11 points down to secure the second set win. The third and fourth set both proved close affairs, but the Boxers held on for the victory to snap an eight-match losing streak.Â
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Una Areta (So., Kent, Wash.) led the Boxers with 14 kills and a .276 hitting percentage.Â
Haley Bedell (Jr., Bothell, Wash.) added 11 kills.Â
Hannah Herbert (Jr., Hillsboro, Ore.) led the defensive effort with 27 digs.Â
Lia Zablan (So., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) added 18 digs while
Emily Farnham (Jr., University Place, Wash.) had a double-double of 19 assists and 13 digs.
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Shae Kanakaole led Whitman with a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs. Hannah Linsenmayer added 24 digs while Jordan Riley has 28 assists. The Missionaries (8-13, 4-8 NWC) hit .118 for the match.
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The Boxers (6-13, 2-9 NWC) played without head coach
Kip Yoshimura, who is out due to illness. Assistant Geidre Tarnauskaite is serving as acting head coach for the weekend.
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The Missionaries never trailed in the opening set and eventually built an 18-12 lead on a string of three Pacific attack errors. Pacific rebounded to come within 21-16 on a Whitman attack error, but a kill by Riley and three Pacific errors late secured the 25-18 victory.
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Pacific looked like a new team in the second set, jumping to a 3-0 lead early before two five-point runs, fueled by aces by Bedell and
Jamie Steach (So., Pasco, Wash.) and two Areta kills, put the Boxers up 14-5. Herbert's kill made it a 20-9 set before the Missionaries put a scare in the Boxers with a string of nine unanswered points boosted by five Pacific errors that brought the visitors within 20-18. The two teams proceeded to trade points the rest of the frame, allowing the Boxers the 25-21 win.
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Whitman owned early control in the third set, going ahead 8-5 on a Pacific ball handling error. The score was 9-6 when Pacific scored seven of the next nine points, fueled by a pair of Rewick kills that put Pacific head 13-10. Whitman tied the set at 17-17 on Kanakaole's kill before a five-point run bolstered by two Bedell kills opened up a 22-17 lead en route to the 25-21 win.
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Four straight errors gave Whitman the 4-0 lead to begin the fourth set. After the Boxers came back to within 11-10 on a Bedell kill, the Missionaries responded with a four-point run that provided a 16-10 lead. Whitman took the 10-12 lead before the Boxers rebounded to win 10 of the next 12 points. The Boxers took the 21-20 lead on a Whitman error, but the Missionaries took the lead back at 23-22 on Riley's service ace. Areta tied it at 23-23 before Bedell provided the final two kills for the victory.
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Pacific closes the weekend on Saturday afternoon, hosting co-NWC leader Whitworth at 5 p.m. A live video webcast of the match will be available at GoBoxers.com.
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