FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Lewis & Clark College volleyball pushed a Northwest Conference opponent to five sets for the first time this season, but Pacific University pulled out a heartbreaking 15-13 win in the final set on Friday night at the Stoller Center.

THE BASICS

Pacific 3, Lewis & Clark 2 (19-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13)
(Lewis & Clark 0-22, 0-15 NWC)
(Pacific 10-14, 5-11 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Sophomore Ruby Kuerschner ran the Pioneers offense with a season-high 36 assists while recording her first two career solo blocks on defense.

Defensive specialist Bethany Ballesteros served up a career-high eight aces against the Boxers. The senior scored seven aces in the first set alone.  

Seniors Annika Traxler (11 digs) and Emily Strand led the team with 13 kills. Traxler recorded her fourth consecutive match with a double-double. Strand led the team with five total blocks.

Kelsie Nakashima led the Pioneers with 16 digs with two assists and an ace. The senior has notched double digit digs for the sixth straight match.

The Pioneers dominated the opening set behind Ballesteros' extraordinary serving performance who recorded seven aces during an eight-point service run that extended a 15-14 lead to 23-14. The Boxers pulled within 23-18, but Kuerschner's first career solo block gave Lewis & Clark set point. A Pacific hitting error secured the win for the Pioneers.

Pacific responded in the second set, establishing an early 6-2 advantage. Lewis & Clark pulled within a point three times in the middle of the set after kills from Strand and sophomore Christi San Diego. The Boxers maintained control and pulled away in the set, evening the match at one set apiece.

Lewis & Clark reclaimed momentum in the third set, behind the hitting of Traxler, San Diego and sophomores Isabel Meleán-Williams and HB Schuett. Meleán-Williams knocked down four kills in the set, including the one that game the Pioneers set point. She hit .444 in the middle frame. San Diego and Traxler had three kills each, while Schuett added two. San Diego hit .750 in the set and Schuett hit .667.

The fourth set saw Pacific take command early, building a substantial 12-3 lead. Despite strong defensive efforts from the Pioneers, the Boxers forced a decisive fifth set with a convincing 25-15 win.

The final set proved to be a back-and-forth battle, with nine tie and sic lead changes. After Kuerschner served an ace to tie the set at 10-all, Pacific went on a 3-0 run to take control. Strand stopped the run with a kill, but Pacific earned set point at 14-11. Two more kills by strand pulled the Pioneers within a point of forcing extra play. The Boxers Mara Murphy recorded her match high 24^th kill to secure the win.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Ballesteros is tied for second in program history for aces in a match with her eight against the Boxers. She is also tied for second for aces in a match this season in the NWC.
• Kuerschner needs only eight assists in the Pioneers final match of the season to become the seventh setter in program history to record 1000 assists in their career.
• First-year Daphne Ibrao tied Ballesteros with eight digs in the match.
• Senior Ella Ruark was third on the team with five kills on the night.

 WHO'S NEXT

Lewis & Clark will honor their five seniors, Ballesteros, Nakashima, Ruark, Strand and Traxler ahead of their final home match against George Fox on Saturday. The match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will start as soon as the senior day ceremony is complete.