A hot-hitting Pacific University volleyball team was not to be denied in a 25-17, 18-25, 25-14, 25-23 win over Linfield on Saturday.
The Boxers (8-8, 2-4 NWC) hit at a .291 clip – its third highest hitting percentage of the season – on the strength of 56 kills in the win. Freshman
Karlee Duncan (Bend, Ore.) had a team-high 19 kills to pace the attack to go along with 12 digs for a double double to lead an all-around attack.
Boxers' senior
Tiare Kaopua (Nanakuli, Hawai'i) added 13 and sophomore
Morgan Mendicino (San Diego, Calif.) and
Milana Ivkovic (Beaverton, Ore.) each provided nine kills, respectively. Senior setter
Jamie Steach (Pasco, Wash.) also had a double double with 44 assists and 12 digs to go along with four service aces.
The Wildcats (6-6, 1-5 NWC) were led by Molly McTaggart, who had 12 kills. Plus, Audrey Heim and Kayla Magbaleta had three and two service aces, respectively.
The Boxers raced out to an early 10-4 lead in the first set and a lead as large as 10 en route to an opening set victory. In the first set, Pacific had 12 kills and a .500 hitting percentage with just one hitting error compared to 12 kills for the Wildcats and six hitting errors. In the second set, the two teams were tied on seven occasions until a decisive 7-2 run by Linfield put the Wildcats ahead for the rest of the set.
Coming out of the intermission, the Boxers came out blazing with a quick 8-1 lead in the third set. Eventually, Pacific stretched the lead to as much as 12 in the set. Duncan tallied four kills and Mendicino added three to go along with eight assists by Steach. The Boxers, in the fourth set, found themselves trailing for most of the set. Following the seventh tie of the set, a kill by Kaopua, a Wildcats' attack error and a service ace by Steach put the Boxers' ahead by three, 22-19. The Wildcats withstood three match points before Duncan put the exclamation point on the win with a decisive kill to end the match.
Next, the Boxers will travel to Willamette on Friday, Oct. 7 in a crucial Northwest Conference matchup.
Click on the picture above for an interview with Karlee Duncan
