Visiting Puget Sound out hit Pacific with a .240 to .019 advantage in hitting percentage en route to a 25-21, 25-18, 25-12 win over the Pacific University volleyball team on Friday night in Forest Grove.
 
The Boxers (6-7, 0-3 NWC) were led by senior Tiare Kaopua (Nankuli, Hawai'i), who had nine kills and sophomore Morgan Mendicino (San Diego, Calif.), who had four service aces to go along with five kills in the loss.
 
The Loggers (9-3, 4-0 NWC) were led by Hannah Stinson, who had a match-high 14 kills – six in the first set – to go along with five block assists in the win. The two-setter rotation approach for Puget Sound was led by Kayla Thaller, who had a match-high 20 assists.
 
In the opening set, Pacific built a lead as large as five, 12-7, after a Kaopua kill before a decisive 13-4 run put the Loggers ahead by a 20-16 margin that prompted a Boxers' timeout. Pacific rallied to cut the deficit to three, 24-21 before a Loggers' kill spoiled the comeback attempt for Pacific.
 
The second and third set was controlled by the Loggers, who nearly led from start to finish in both sets. In the second set, Stinson and teammate Katarina Moffett accounted for four and three kills, respectively to lead a Puget Sound attack that hit .324. Kaopua had three more kills to lead the Boxers, plus senior Lia Zablan (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i) and freshman Mackenzie Brown (Klamath Falls, Ore.) each had four digs.
 
In the third set, Puget Sound was strong at the net with its blocking effort as they had six team blocks with four from Stinson in the win. Mendicino had two kills for the Boxers in the decisive set compared to four from Stinson for the Loggers.

Next, Pacific will face Lewis & Clark on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 5:00 pm in Portland. The Pioneers are coming off a straight-set win over George Fox on Friday night.