PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College volleyball put together their longest run of the match in the third set, but visiting Whitman College maintained control in a convincing three-set Northwest Conference victory over the home team.
THE BASICS
Whitman 3, Lewis & Clark 0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-18)
(Lewis & Clark 6-11, 1-8 NWC)
(Whitman 4-12, 3-6 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman setter
Ruby Kuerschner recorded her sixth career double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs to lead the Pioneers, while senior libero
Katie Shimaura finished with 20 digs on the night and moved closer to the 1,000-dig club.
Lewis & Clark took a 2-0 lead in set one off a kill by senior
Izzy Willis and held their final lead of the set at 4-3 following a Blues attack error. Then Whitman went on an 8-0 run to take control. A kill by Willis and another Blues hitting error pulled the Pios within 11-6, but they would get no closer in the first set. Whitman would go on a 14-5 run to win set one.
The Pioneers took the early 1-0 lead on a Blues hitting error to start the second set. A block by freshmen
Isabel Melean-Williams and
Christi San Diego tied the score at two all, and a kill by Melean-Williams made it 3-3. Whitman then jumped out to a 9-5 lead, but Lewis & Clark fought their way back, and a San Diego kill pulled the Pios within 10-9. The Pioneers would keep the set close late into the match as junior
Annika Traxler and San Diego notched kills to keep the deficit at three points at 18-15 and 19-16, respectively. The Blues took the 2-0 lead into the break with a 6-2 run.
Whitman grabbed momentum from the break and took an early 15-3 lead. Junior
Bethany Ballesteros served up the first Pioneer ace of the night and started a 5-1 run that forced the Blues' first timeout of the match. Two kills by Traxler, a block by San Diego and Kuerschner, and a Whitman hitting error pulled Lewis & Clark back into the set at 18-14. After a Blues side out and kill, San Diego notched a solo block, then teamed up with Traxler for another block to score back-to-back points and pull within 20-16, but Whitman closed the match on a 5-2 run.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Traxler and Willis led the Pioneers with eight kills each.
- San Diego finished with six total blocks on the night, two solo and four block assists.
- The Pioneers recorded a season-low one service ace in the match; their previous low was three against Schreiner.
- Lewis & Clark doubled up Whitman in team blocks (6-3).
- Shimaura has 943 career digs after tonights match.
WHO'S NEXT
The Pioneers wrap up their weekend home stand tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. against the Whitworth Pirates in Pamplin.
