PORTLAND, Ore. - Lewis & Clark College volleyball had their best overall match of the season and, despite taking the third set, fell to visiting Whitman College on Saturday night in Northwest Conference action at Pamplin Sports Center.
THE BASICS
Whitman 3, Lewis & Clark 1 (25-21, 25-21, 18-25, 25-19)
(Lewis & Clark 0-21, 0-14 NWC)
(Whitman 6-15, 5-9 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Seniors Annika Traxler and Emily Strand led the Pioneers' offense with 17 and 14 kills, each recording new career highs. Traxler added 20 digs for her latest double-double while also contributing to the team's strong blocking effort with four block assists, both season-highs for the outside hitter.
Sophomore Ruby Kuerschner distributed a season-high 32 assists and added 12 digs. The setter also recorded four kills to finish third on the team.
At the same time, senior libero Kelsie Nakashima anchored the defense with a new career-high 20 digs, tying Traxler for the most digs on the team. Nakashima also served up a career-high three aces to lead the team.
Middle blockers HB Schuett and Abby Warrick were effective at the net, helping Lewis & Clark to a season-high eight team blocks. Schuett, a sophomore, tied their career-high with three total blocks. A junior transfer, Warrick set new NCAA career highs with seven digs and four total blocks while also serving up her first career ace.
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle that featured 11 tie scores and four lead changes. With the score tied at 14-14, the teams traded points until 20-20 before Whitman pulled away late for a 25-21 win.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with eight tie scores and six lead changes. The Pioneers pulled away from an 18-all tie to take a 21-all lead late in the set, but the Blues fought back and took the set with a 7-0 run.
Lewis & Clark dominated the third set as they broke away from an early 10-10 tie, using a devastating 9-3 run highlighted by Kuerschner's crafty kill and Nakashima's third service ace. The Pioneers' block came alive during the surge, with Traxler and Warrick combining to stuff Whitman's attack.
The Pioneers maintained control through the latter stages, as Strand delivered three timely kills down the stretch. Warrick's service ace pushed the lead to 22-17, forcing a Whitman timeout, but the Blues couldn't slow the Pioneers' momentum, as senior Ella Ruark and Schuett combined for a block out of the timeout. A kill by Strand and a set-clinching block by Kuerschner and Schuett extended the match.
Whitman regained control in the fourth set, jumping to an early 9-4 lead. Despite strong defensive efforts from senior Bethany Ballesteros and Nakashima, who finished with six and five digs in the set, the Blues closed out the match 25-19.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Ballesteros finished second on the team with 13 digs in the match and recorded her first kill of the season.
- Lewis & Clark recorded team season highs with 92 digs, 43 kills, 40 assists, and eight team blocks.
- Traxler and Kuerschner recorded their 10th and 13th career double-doubles against the Blues.
- Kuerschner moves closer to 1,000 career assists as she has now recorded 956 in under two seasons.
WHO'S NEXT
The Pioneers travel to Forest Grove to play Pacific University in their final road game of the season on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
