SALEM, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College volleyball came alive in the third set and attempted to turn the match around, but Willamette University fought off the late surge and prevailed 3-0 in a Northwest Conference mid-week match.
THE BASICS
Willamette 3, Lewis & Clark 0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-21)
(Lewis & Clark 5-8, 0-5 NWC)
(Willamette 7-5, 2-3 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior
Izzy Willis recorded her 600
th career kill in the first set against the Bearcats and led all players with 12 kills in the match.
The Pioneers improved offensively with each set they played, but scoring runs by the Bearcats were too much to overcome in the end. Lewis & Clark only managed four kills in the first set, while Willamette knocked down 11 kills and hit .588 from the floor. In the second set, the Pioneers doubled their kills from the previous set and vastly improved on defense by recording 22 more digs in set number two than in set one.
Senior
Katie Shimaura and junior
Bethany Ballesteros jump-started the Lewis & Clark defense in the second set, each recording eight digs. Shimaura finished the match with 15 digs, five assists, and two aces. Ballesteros had ten digs and two assists in the match.
The Pioneers got a little momentum going to start the third set as freshman setter
Ruby Kuerschner recorded a kill to give them their first lead since 1-0 in the first set. Back-to-back kills by Willis gave Lewis & Clark their largest lead of the match at 3-1. The Pioneers took another two-point lead at 11-9 after two kills by junior
Annika Traxler book ended a kill by freshman
Christi San Diego.
Willamette pulled out to a lead of 19-15, but Lewis & Clark fought back to within 22-21 on Traxler's eighth kill of the match.
Junior middle blocker
Emily Strand added four kills, two service aces, and two block assists for the Pioneers. Willis and junior
Ella Ruark assisted Strand on the blocks.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Kuerschner finished with 17 assists, seven digs, and two kills.
- Willis now has 610 kills in her career, and her 166 kills so far this season are 11 more than she recorded last year.
- Shimaura leads the team with 26 service aces this season, four more than last year.
- Strand's team-high 23 total blocks equal her total blocks form a season ago.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark will host their Alumni Match Friday at 7 pm, before returning to NWC play against George Fox University on Saturday at 6 pm in Pamplin Gym.