SPOKANE, Wash. – After dropping the opening set, the Whitworth University volleyball team bounced back to end the 2013 season with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 28-26, 25-20) victory over the visiting Linfield College Wildcats in Northwest Conference action in Whitworth Fieldhouse on Friday evening.

"That was a great way to end our season," Whitworth head coach Kati Bodecker said. "Our girls came out and, although it was an emotional night for them, they kept their focus and they played hard. The bottom line was that they were able to finish the match. I'm very proud of how we played and how we finished."

Senior Briauna Stadeli put Whitworth in front, 6-3 in the opening set with a block, but Linfield make it a one point game with a block from Sam Hammons and Molly McTaggart. Whitworth maintained a lead on kills by seniors Kristine Kardell, Jalana White and Stadeli, but the Wildcats were able to put together a late rally and take a 23-22 lead on a Whitworth attacking error. After a Kailana Ritte-Camara kill put Linfield up 24-22, Kardell responded with a kill of her own to pull the Pirates within one, 24-23. Despite posting a .225 hitting percentage in the opening set, Whitworth could not hold off Linfield at the end as the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the match.

Opening the second set by trading leads, Whitworth was able to extend its lead on a kill and service ace from White. The Pirates jumped out to a 16-9 lead after a Linfield service error and the team held off a late Linfield rally, knotting the match 1-1 on a block from Stadeli and junior Tori LaBrie.

Whitworth opened the third set with a 2-0 lead, but Linfield kept pace with the Pirates down the stretch. The Pirates saw an 11-6 lead slip away as Linfield score five unanswered points to tie it 11-11. After falling behind 21-17, sophomore Maddye Dinsmore tipped a pass for a kill to spark a Whitworth comeback. Linfield led 24-22 before sophomore Nicole Leonard and White spiked three consecutive kills to put the Pirates in front 25-24. Senior Anna Buck served up an ace to give Whitworth the 28-26 set victory.

Linfield took a 3-0 lead in the fourth set before Whitworth was able to swing the momentum and get the crowd on its feet. A block from LaBrie and Kardell gave the Pirates their first lead, 4-3. Stadeli ensured that the Whitworth seniors were sent out with a victory as she slammed down a pass from Dinsmore for a kill that gave Whitworth the 3-1 match victory.

Jalana White led the Pirates with 22 kills, 10 digs and an ace while hitting .321 for the game. Kristine Kardell had 14 kills and four blocks, while Nicole Leonard had 12 kills, 23 digs and served up a match-high four aces. Maddye Dinsmore had 49 assists and 11 digs, while senior Whitney Santos recorded a match-high 29 digs.

Kailana Ritte-Camara and Victoria Thompson each had 13 kills for Linfield, while Courtney Wanamaker had a team-high 22 digs. Thompson also recorded five blocks, and Molly McTaggart served up two aces for the Wildcats.

Whitworth ends the season with an overall record of 15-13 and an NWC record of 9-7. Linfield falls to 7-15 on the season with a 3-12 NWC record. The Wildcats close out their season at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday at Whitman College.