TACOMA, Wash. – Kaity Barr has 12 kills and six aces in her Whitworth University volleyball debut to lead the Pirates to a 25-16, 25-22, 18-25, 25-14 season-opening victory at the University of Puget Sound on Friday night.

Barr hit .357 and also added 11 digs defensively.

Leading 10-8 in the opening set, Whitworth used a 5-0 run to take control.  The Pirates stretched the lead to 20-12 on a Logger attack error and won the frame on a setting error by Puget Sound.

The Loggers (0-3) jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the second set before Whitworth fought back to tie things at 12-12.  The Pirates finally took the lead 17-16, but the teams traded leads three more times before Whitworth scored the final three points of the set, which included an ace by Barr.

Puget Sound prevented a sweep by playing its best volleyball of the match in the third set.  The Loggers hit .371 with 16 kills while holding the Pirates to only 11 kills and a .184 hitting percentage.

Whitworth rebounded to dominate the fourth stanza.  The Pirates hit .324 in the frame while holding UPS to a .000 hitting average.  Whitworth never trailed, jumping to an 11-3 lead to force a Logger timeout. 

Libby Bunch added 10 kills for the Pirates and had the team's only block, while Jaye Hodge finished with seven.  Saylor Anderson dished 25 assists and Aleana Gallagher totaled 21 digs. 

Alli Reviglio led Puget Sound with 11 kills.

The teams are scheduled to play again on Saturday, but the match is dependent on the outcome of a severe snow storm expected to hit the Tacoma area overnight.