WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Whitworth volleyball team earned its third consecutive road win to open the Northwest Conference schedule with a 25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20 victory at Whitman on Wednesday night.

Cassandra Mendoza had 18 kills and Nicole Leonard added 16 kills for the Pirates, who improved to 9-3 overall and 3-0 in the NWC.  First-year player Lauren Budde added a career-high ten kills off of the bench.  Senior setter Maddye Dinsmore had 40 assists, 16 digs and three service aces.

The Bucs had to compensate for Whitman's strong blocking effort as the Missionaries finished with 10.0 team blocks.  Natalia Zea was in on six of those, while Anna Dawson was in on five.  Abby Seethoff led Whitman with 18 kills, but was the only player from her team in double figures.

Whitworth compensated with ten aces and finished with 56 kills to only 35 for Whitman (now 2-7 overall, 0-3 NWC). 

"Our outsides had a great match tonight," said Whitworth head coach Kati Bodecker. "They swung really aggressively as Maddye did a great job of getting them the ball. We were able to pull together as a team in the fourth set and finish well."

The Pirates took control of the opening set with a 7-0 run that turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 7-2 lead.  Leading 20-16, Whitworth closed on a 5-2 spurt that included a kill and a block assist by Leonard.

The second set was the Pirates' best offensive effort of the net as Whitworth hit .405 as a team with 17 kills.  Mendoza led the team with five kills in the frame, while Leonard and Budde each had four.  The Bucs pulled away from an 18-14 lead with a 7-3 run.

Whitman prevented a sweep by winning the third set, leading the entire way.  After Whitworth pulled within 22-19 on a kill by Leonard, the Missionaries scored three straight to close out the set.

But Whitworth would not allow a comeback, finishing the match in the fourth set.  Budde had six kills and Mendoza had five as the Bucs turned a 12-11 deficit into an 18-14 lead with a 7-2 run.  Leonard's final kill closed out the match.

Whitworth will finally return home, where the Bucs have played only one match so far this season, when George Fox visits on Saturday night in the conference home opener.  That match will start at 6:00 pm.