SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth withstood a stiff test from visiting Lewis & Clark before prevailing 26-24, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23 on Saturday night in a Northwest Conference volleyball match.

The Pirates improved to 12-6 overall and 6-2 in the NWC at the halfway point of the conference schedule.  Whitworth is one game behind Willamette (7-1) in the league standings.

Both teams rallied at the end of the first set.  Lewis & Clark trailed 23-20 before four straight points gave the Pioneers a set-point at 24-23.  But then the Pirates scored three straight, including kills by Cassandra Mendoza and Nicole Leonard, to pull out the win.

Whitworth controlled the second set most of the way.  An 8-2 run gave the Bucs a 14-8 lead.  After the Pioneers pulled within 16-13, Whitworth closed on a 9-4 run to take a two-sets-to-none lead into the break.  Leonard had four kills in each of the first two sets to lead the Bucs.

Lewis & Clark never trailed in the third set, preventing the Pirates from completing a three-set sweep.  The Pioneers used four Whitworth attack errors to grab an early 10-3 lead.  The Bucs fought back to tie the set at 14-14 and it remained tied until 17-17, but Whitworth could never inch into the lead.  A final Pirate attack error ended the set in L&C's favor.

Whitworth led 20-16 late in the fourth set before L&C rallied to tie it 20-20 on a kill by Julia Somers that forced a Pirate timeout.  The final stanza was still tied 23-23 before Whitworth clinched the match on a kill by Corrine Bell and a service ace by Mallorie Schoesler.

Leonard led Whitworth with 14 kills and 18 digs.  Karina Lees came off of the bench for 11 kills.  Maddye Dinsmore finished with 45 assists and ten digs to guide the Pirate attack.

Somers led Lewis & Clark (7-8 overall, 4-4 NWC) with 14 kills and 13 digs.  No other Pioneer player reached double figures in kills.  Alexe Navarro led all players with 27 digs.

Whitworth will open the second half of its Northwest Conference schedule at home next weekend by hosting Pacific Lutheran (Friday) and Puget Sound (Saturday).