Box Score The Pacific University Volleyball team dropped a 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-11 decision to host Whitman College to begin Northwest Conference play on Friday in Walla Walla, Washington.
 
The Boxers (6-5, 0-1 NWC) were led by a 12-kill performance by Tiare Kaopua (Nankuli, Hawaii), who led a Pacific squad that hit .068 in the defeat.

Whitman (4-5, 1-0 NWC) hit .228 in the win with Shae Kanakaole pacing the attack with a match-high 21 kills to go along with 12 digs for a double double. The service game was strong for both teams but Whitman posted an 11-7 advantage in service aces. For the Boxers' junior Karissa Koma (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) had three service aces and for Whitman, Miranda Taylor and Codie Conching each had three.
 
Whitman took the opening set, scoring six of the final eight points for a 25-23 victory. They took a 9-4 lead to begin the second set before a resilient Boxers' squad came back to tie the set at 14 but a quick four-point run by the home team eventually put them ahead for the remainder of the set. The Boxers won the third set with a balanced attack. Kaopua had a team-high five kills to go along with three kills by Karlee Duncan that forced a fourth set by the visitors from Forest Grove. Early in the fourth set, the two team were tied at 5 before Whitman secured the set and the match with a 15-2 run en route to a 25-11 win.

The Boxers will next face Whitworth on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. in Spokane.