SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth used a balanced offensive effort to sweep visiting Puget Sound 25-14, 25-14, 25-17 in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Saturday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates bounced back from Friday's loss to PLU to improve to 11-7 overall and 8-2 in the NWC.  Five different Whitworth players had at least five kills and no Pirate had more than eight.

The opening set featured three distinct rallies.  Whitworth used a 6-0 run to open a 10-4 lead on a kill by Emiko Kahler.  Puget Sound (7-10, 4-6 NWC) answered with an 8-2 run to tie the set 12-12 after a block by Melanie Siacotos.  But the Pirates responded with a 10-1 run to pull away again and the set ended on a Logger attack error.

Whitworth jumped to an 8-3 lead in the second set and was never headed.  Corinne Bell and Madison Douglas had three kills apiece as the Pirate middle blockers began to assert themselves.   Whitworth also took advantage of nine Logger attack errors as Puget Sound finished the set with a negative hitting percentage.

Whitworth got 14 kills to clinch the match in the third set.  Jessica Schmautz came off of the bench for four kills to lead the Bucs.

Kahler led Whitworth with eight kills, while Bell finished with seven.  Douglas and Cassandra Mendoza had six kills apiece and Schmautz ended with five.  Gracie Meiners had a strong all-around contest with 23 assists, 13 digs, four kills and two service aces.

Kristen Miguel came off of the bench to lead Puget Sound with seven kills.  Rita Dexter finished with six kills.

Whitworth will next head to Whitman College in Walla Walla on Wednesday night.