The Pioneers stunned the #13 Puget Sound Loggers 25-21, 24-21, 17-25,
25-20 in Tacoma Saturday night, moving the Pioneers into a tie
for first place in the NWC. Kelsey Clark led the team with 14
kills.
In the first set, the Pioneers, helped by stellar play by their
front line blockers landing five blocks and an abundance of Logger
attack errors, jumped out to a 19-9 lead. The Pioneers let the
Loggers back into the set by committing a string of errors of their
own, with UPS pulling within five, 22-17. The Loggers went on
another run on three kills by Natalie Monro and a service ace to
pull within two, 23-21. The Pioneers got a side out on a service
error, setting up set point, 24-21. The Pioneers won the set,
25-21, on an attack error by UPS.
The second set was much closer from start to finish. With the
set tied 14-14, a kill by Sarah Hall (junior, Vancouver, Wash.)
followed by a service ace by Jessamy Holland (junior, Honolulu,
Hawaii) helped give the Pioneers a 17-14 lead. After UPS re-tied
the set at 19-19, kills by Holland and Katherine Fielder
(sophomore, San Diego, Calif.) followed by a Holland/ Fiedler
block helped lift the Pioneers to a 22-19 advantage. A kill by
Kelsey Clark (senior, Eagle Creek, Ore.) closed out the set for the
Pioneers, as they went up 2-0 with the 25-21 victory.
Following the break, the Loggers came out hot in the third set,
taking a 15-8 lead, and holding on for the 25-17 victory.
In the final set, the Pioneers went up early 6-1, on a kill by
Kelsey Clark. The Loggers chipped away at the lead, pulling within
a point 14-13, when another Holland/Fielder block kept the Loggers
from tying it. A four-point run, including another pair of kills by
Kelsey Clark opened up a comfortable 20-14 lead. The Pioneers
reached set and match point, 24-17, after a Logger service error.
The Loggers mounted a small rally, staving off three match point
opportunities until a block by Andrea Chase (senior, Santa Rosa,
Calif.) and Katherine Fiedler finished off the Loggers and gave the
Pioneers the 25-20 set win and the 3-1 victory over the Loggers.
Kelsey Clark led the Pioneers with 14 kills and three block
assists. Katherine Fiedler had seven kills and had a hand in seven
of the Pioneers' 11 blocks (two solo, five block assists). Lou Ohki
(sophomore, Winton, Calif.) had 22 digs. Margaret Dowling
(freshman, Burlingame, Calif.) had 11 kills, 11 digs, two aces, and
two block assists.
The victory gives the Pioneers a 6-2 record in the NWC, moving
them into a tie with the Loggers and the Pacific Lutheran Lutes for
first place at the end of the first rotation through the Conference
opponents. The six Conference victories is the most by a Pioneer
volleyball team since 1991, with eight matches still remaining in
the season. The Pioneers are 11-8 overall. The Pioneers have won
four straight matches.
The Pioneers are home next weekend, bringing their four-match
win streak back to the Pamplin Sports Center when they host Whitman
and Whitworth Friday and Saturday nights.
