SPOKANE, Wash. -- Kaimi Rocha pounded a season-high 22 kills to lead Whitworth to a 23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20 win over 20th-ranked Pacific Lutheran in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Saturday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates improved to 11-4 overall and 6-0 in the NWC with their first weekend sweep of the NWC's Tacoma schools since 2005. Perhaps more important, Whitworth moved two games ahead of both PLU (11-3, 4-2) and Puget Sound (12-2, 4-2) in the league standings.

The Pirates also extended a couple of streaks with Saturday's win. Whitworth has won its last nine matches overall, and its last 12 NWC contests dating back to last season.

The Lutes came out with intensity from the opening serve, grabbing a 6-1 lead, including a block and a kill by Bethany Huston. But the Pirates slowly pecked away at the lead, finally pulling into a 15-15 tie after back to back kills by Ka'ipo Rocha. Whitworth took the lead at 21-19 after a kill by Jalana White, but the Lutes outscored the Pirates 6-2 the rest of the set. Huston and Chelsea Nelson combined for blocks on the final three PLU points.

The Lutes once again jumped to an early lead in the second set, taking an 8-4 advantage on a kill by Nelson. But Whitworth answered with a 9-2 run, going ahead 13-10 on a block by Ka'ipo Rocha and Bree Riddle. Though the Lutes got within 15-14 on a kill by Samantha North, PLU never pulled back even with the Pirates in the set and Whitworth won it after a service error by the Lutes.

The third set was the tightest of the night. It included 11 ties and six lead changes as the teams exchanged blow for blow. PLU went up 12-9 following a Pirate attack error, but Whitworth rallied to a 17-16 lead on a block by Riddle and Kristine Kardell. The Lutes took their final lead of the set at 20-19 on another kill by Nelson before Whitworth went up 23-21 on a kill by Kaimi Rocha. The Pirates ended the set on a kill by Jalana White.

Whitworth appeared to be on the way to an easier win in the fourth set when a PLU attack error gave the Pirates a 12-7 lead. But the Lutes would have none of it, coming back to tie the set at 13-13 on a block by North and Erin Bremond. PLU tied the set for a final time at 16-16 following a Pirate service error, but Kaimi Rocha sparked a quick run and her kill gave the Bucs a 20-17 lead. Grumbach ended the match in Whitworth's favor with her 17th kill.

The close contest was a match-up of Whitworth's potent offense and PLU's powerful defense. The Pirates pounded a season-high 66 kills and hit .208 as a team. The Lutes teamed for 13.0 team blocks, including one solo block and seven block assists by Huston, who leads the league in that category.

Kaimi Rocha's 22 kills are the most she's had in one match since exactly a year ago (10/1/2010), when she hammered a career-high 27 in a win at Pacific (Ore.). Grumbach added a team-high 20 digs to her season-high 17 kills, while Ka'ipo Rocha finished with 11 kills and four block assists. Riddle added 56 assists and was in on four blocks herself.

Bremond and Huston had 10 kills each to lead the Lutes. Nelson and Kelsie Moore had nine apiece. Blair Bjorkman dug 19 balls and North dished 36 assists.

Whitworth returns to action on Wednesday night when the Pirates host Whitman College at 6:00 p.m.