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Lewis & Clark College

Kelsie Nakashima, Ellar Ruark, Annika Traxler, Emily Strand and Bethany Ballesteros stand in front of the volleyball net wearing white and a crown of flowers on their head.
Claudia Loeber
3
Winner George Fox GFU 14-11,10-6 NWC
0
Lewis & Clark L&C 0-23,0-16 NWC
Winner
George Fox GFU
14-11,10-6 NWC
3
Final
0
Lewis & Clark L&C
0-23,0-16 NWC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
George Fox GFU 25 25 25 (3)
Lewis & Clark L&C 23 16 14 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Brian Hauge

Women’s Volleyball Falls to Bruins on Senior Night

Bethany Ballesteros, Kelsie Nakashima, Ella Ruark, Emily Strand, and Annika Traxler all played their final collegiate match.




PORTLAND, Ore. - Lewis & Clark College volleyball celebrated their seniors Saturday night, before they faced off against George Fox University in their Northwest Conference season finale.  

THE BASICS

George Fox 3, Lewis & Clark 0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-14)
(Lewis & Clark 0-23, 0-16 NWC)
(George Fox 14-11, 10-6 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

The match marked the final collegiate appearance for five Pioneer seniors: Bethany Ballesteros, Kelsie Nakashima, Ella Ruark, Emily Strand, and Annika Traxler. The quintet was honored in a pre-match ceremony celebrating their contributions to the Lewis & Clark volleyball program.

Sophomore setter Ruby Kuerschner became the seventh player in program history to record 1,000+ assists in their career. Kuerschner entered tonight's match, needing only eight assists to reach the milestone. Her assist to Ruark in the first set game Lewis & Clark a 16-10 lead.

Traxler (nine kills), Strand (seven kills) and Ruark (five kills) led the team in offense in their final home match. Kuerschner (four kills) and fellow sophomores HB Schuett (four kills) and Christi San Diego (two kills) rounded out the Pioneers offense.

Nakashima led four Pios with double-figures digs with 17 on the night. The senior had the teams lone service ace and was second on the team with four assists. Kuerschner added 12 digs, while Traxler and first-year Daphne Ibrao had 10 digs each.

The opening set saw the Pioneers lead almost the entire set as Traxler knocked down six kills and Nakashima had nine digs in the opening frame. The Bruins clawed their way back and tied the set at 23-all. They took their first lead of the set at 24-23 and earned the win on a service ace.

George Fox established control early in the second set, as they extended a 5-4 lead to 10-6 and 18-12. The Bruins pulled away late to take the set 25-16.

The final set saw continued offensive pressure from George Fox, despite strong efforts from the Pioneer seniors in their last collegiate frame and the Bruins secured the match with a 25-14 win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • Kuerschner ended her sophomore campaign with 1,014 career assists.
  • Traxler led the team this season with 228 kills and finished with 560 in her career.
  • Ballesteros (232 digs) and Nakashima (216) shared libero duties throughout the year and were first and second on the team in digs.
  • Strand and Ruark were the top two in hitting percentage in their final season, hitting .124 and .120, respectively. Strand also led the Pioneers with 35 total blocks. 
WHATS NEXT

Lewis & Clark heads into the offseason and expects to return 10 players from this year's squad.
 
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