Box Score TACOMA, Wash. -- Following a five-set home victory over Willamette on Wednesday, the Lewis & Clark volleyball team played its next match at Puget Sound on Saturday night. Falling behind by two sets, the Pioneers won the next two before Puget Sound took the deciding set to win the match 25-18, 25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 15-13 at Memorial Fieldhouse.
None of the sets were won by more than seven points, and the game was very similar to the Pioneers last match in Tacoma on Oct. 23 against Pacific Lutheran. In that contest, Lewis & Clark won the first two sets before losing the final three by a combined 12 points. Three of the Pios last four matches have gone to five sets.
"It was well fought," said senior Ali Carleton. "After being down 0-2 and coming back to tie, it showed the heart and determination of this team."
"Great comeback after being down two games," Lewis & Clark head coach Stacie Matz-Gordon said. "We couldn't pull it out at the end, but our team has been playing amazingly in some really intense matches lately."
In the opening set, Lewis & Clark built an 11-10 lead before Puget Sound's Moira McVicar held serve for 10 straight points before Maeleen Hopeau's kill stopped the run. By that point, the home team Loggers led 21-12, eventually winning the set by seven.
The second set was tied seven times including at 20-20 before Puget Sound scored five straight kills to go up in the match by two.
Puget Sound fell behind 20-17 in the third set before tying the match at 20 apiece. Julia Somers, Carleton and Hopeau dropped four of the next six points on kills to give the Pios their first win of the night.
With the set tied at 17-17, Riley Stephens and Carleton led the way for the Pioneers to take the fourth and force a fifth set. The two combined for five kills down the stretch.
Lewis & Clark never led the fifth set despite tying it three times after falling behind 7-3.
"Unfortunately there had to be a loser," said Carleton. "Both teams pushed so hard. It wasn't the outcome we wanted, but our team is stronger for it."
The Pios hit .113 for the match, with a high game of .290 in the third set. Stephens was Lewis & Clark's best hitter in percentage, landing .417 with 12 kills. Somers had a match-best 18 kills while hitting .085. Carleton finished with 11 kills.
Alexe Navarro had her fifth 30-plus digs game of the season, popping up 33 on Saturday night. Mikayla Lopez had 17 assists and team-high two aces. Emily Drake had the most assists on the night with 25.
In her senior season, Carleton and the Pioneers have played some milestone matches in her final season, including the recent streak of five-set games.
"Beating PLU at home [in September] was great," said Carleton. "Willamette was a whole team win. We made adjustments throughout the match to keep them guessing, something that shows increasing maturity and growth.
"We were so close to another great win against Puget Sound."
Lewis & Clark finishes the 2015 season at home with matches against Whitman and Whitworth starting on Friday.
Other Northwest Conference Scores - Saturday
Whitman 3, Pacific 2
Whitworth 3, Linfield 0
Pacific Lutheran 3, George Fox 1
