WALLA WALLA, Wash. –
Annika Traxler led all players with 12 kills, and
Bethany Ballesteros led the team with 14 assists, but Lewis & Clark College volleyball fell to Whitman College 3-0 in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams.
THE BASICS
Whitman 3, Lewis & Clark 0 (25-13, 25-21, 26-24)
(Lewis & Clark 5-4, NWC 0-1)
(Whitman 2-6, NWC 1-0)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Each team finished the first set with ten kills, but four early hitting errors by Lewis & Clark gave Whitman a 6-2 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Pioneers finished the set with eight total hitting errors and were outhit .435 to .069.
Lewis & Clark rattled off five straight points in the second set to take an 8-6 lead, their first since 2-1 in the first set. Senior
Izzy Willis hit the final five Pioneer kills in the second set. The outside hitter helped Lewis & Clark chip away at Whitman's lead and saved a set point to pull the Pioneers within 24-20.
Traxler's arm came alive in the third set for the Pioneers. The junior knocked down eight kills on 13 attempts with no errors, including the final five team kills. Fellow junior
Emily Strand recorded two block assists and a service ace in Lewis & Clark's best team performance of the night.
Freshmen
Isabel Melean-Williams and
Christi San Diego finished with three kills apiece in the match, while junior
Ella Ruark added two kills.
Freshman setter
Ruby Kuerschner added 12 assists for the Pioneers.
Senior libero
Katie Shimaura led all players with 14 digs, and junior setter Ballesteros was second with eight digs in the match.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Strand (3) synced up with Willis (2) and Ruark (1) for all of the Pioneers blocks.
- San Diego hit .600 (3-0-5) from the middle against the Blues and was the only Pioneer with at least one kill not to commit a hitting error.
- Traxler is averaging 3.00 kills per set this season; in her first two seasons as a Pio, she averaged a combined 1.19 kills per set.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark continues their weekend road trip tomorrow against Whitworth at 6 p.m. in Spokane, Washington.