SPOKANE, Wash. – Nicole Leonard's 18 kills led Whitworth back from a first-set loss to a 3-1 win over visiting Lewis & Clark on Friday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates won 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-19 to improve to 13-5 overall and 6-2 in the Northwest Conference volleyball standings.  The Pioneers dropped to 8-9 overall and 2-6 in the NWC.

Leonard had 18 kills and hit .240 for the Pirates on a night that the team was not quite firing on all cylinders.  That was most evident in the first set as Lewis & Clark led from the outset.  Emily Drake's service ace gave the Pioneers a 14-8 lead and they were never headed.  Ali Carleton's kill ended the set in L&C's favor.

The second set was tied 19-19 before Whitworth used a 6-3 run to close it out.  Brenna Bruil had two kills in that run and the Pirates claimed the final point on L&C's attack error.

Whitworth led the entire way through the third set to grab control of the match.  A Bruil kill established a 14-10 lead and Maddye Dinsmore's block extended the advantage to 17-12.  Cassandra Mendoza ended the set with her only service ace.

The teams traded leads for much of the fourth and final set.  Whitworth's attack error gave L&C its last lead at 11-10.  Whitworth used a quick 4-1 run to retake an advantage it would not lose again.  Mendoza's kill gave Whitworth a 23-17 lead and, appropriately, Leonard's kill ended the match.

The Pirates posted 10.0 team blocks, their highest total in a Northwest Conference match this season.  Bruil and Haley Vick had four block-assists each.  Bruil added 11 kills and Mendoza finished with 13 kills.  Dinsmore dished 44 assists and Mallorie Schoesler finished with 23 digs.

Kataleya Milan led L&C with 14 kills, while Carleton added 11 kills.  Alexe Navarro led all players with 24 digs and Vanessa Hall led her team with 23 assists.

Whitworth returns to action next Friday night with a home match against NWC-leading Pacific Lutheran.  The Pirates have won their last six in a row in NWC play.