The Pacific University volleyball team returned to its winning ways with a 25-17, 21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12 win over host Whitman on Saturday in Walla Walla, Washington.
 
The Boxers (13-3, 6-2 NWC) were led by the double double performanes by juniors Ellie Parker (Beaverton, Ore.), who had 50 assists and 18 digs and Morgan Mendicino (San Diego, Calif.), who had 10 kills and 14 digs in the win. Sophomores Milana Ivkovic (Beaverton, Ore.) and Karlee Duncan (Bend, Ore.) had 18 and 15 kills, respectively.
 
The Blues (4-9, 4-4 NWC) were led by Codie Conching and Elyse Benavides, who had 16 and 14 kills in the loss.
 
Following the fourth tie of the set, Ivkovic sparked three unanswered points by the visitors. She teamed up with Parker on a block to tie the set at nine and had back-to-back kills that put Pacific ahead by 11-9 and for the first time in the match. The Boxers went ahead by as much as nine to take the opening set, 25-17. In the set, Duncan had four kills as Pacific out hit Whitman, .265 to .051. The Blues lead from start to finish in the second, hitting .243 to .167 for the Boxers.
 
With the match tied at a set apiece, the third set featured 13 tie scores and seven lead changes. Pacific built an early 7-3 on the strength of three kills by Duncan, who finished the set with five. Trailing 22-21, The Boxers came back with four-straight points including two on kills by Ivkovic. The fourth set saw the score tied nine times and seven more lead changes. With the set tied at 13, five-straight points by the host Blues put Whitman ahead 18-13 and for the rest of the set. Conching had six of her 16 kills in the set to lead Whitman to force a fifth and deciding set.

For Pacific, it was their third five-set match of the season. The Boxers found themselves behind early 3-1 before three-straight points put them back ahead 4-3. Whitman rallied to score the next two points before a dump kill by Parker tied the set at five. Senior Karissa Komo (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) came off the bench to serve and promptly recorded a service ace. The service ace led to three-straight points by the Boxers, who lead for the remainder of the set. The Boxers are now 3-0 in five-set matches on the season.
 
The match wraps up the first half of the conference slate for the Boxers, who will now face the other half. That portion of the schedule gets underway on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at George Fox in Newberg. Earlier this year on Sept. 15, the Boxers defeated the Bruins in five at the Stoller Center.