WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Pacific volleyball pushed Whitman in the middle two sets Saturday night, but the Blues pulled away late to hand the Boxers a 3-1 Northwest Conference loss.
After Whitman opened the match with a 25-16 win, Pacific responded with its best offensive set of the night. The Boxers recorded 14 kills and hit .300 in the second set, staying within striking distance before Whitman closed out a 25-22 victory.
Pacific continued to battle in the third set. Tied at 18-18, the Boxers scored four straight points to move in front 22-18 and held on for a 25-22 victory to extend the match.
Whitman regained control in the fourth set, hitting .355 with 15 kills to finish with a 25-13 victory.
Isabelle Darnell led Pacific with 12 kills and 11 digs, while Emma Velchek added nine kills. Quinn Freitag had eight kills while hitting .389.
Kayla-Jane Padayao recorded 16 assists, three aces and nine digs. Taylor Paleka added 11 assists, while McKenzie Uyehara finished with nine digs.
The Boxers hit .167 for the match, while Whitman hit .273. Pacific held a 58-46 advantage in digs, but the Blues finished with 55 kills to Pacific's 41.
The loss dropped Pacific to 2-18 overall and 1-12 in NWC play.
Next: The Boxers host Willamette on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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