SALEM, Ore. – Willamette broke a 12-match losing streak to Whitworth and created a four-way tie atop the Northwest Conference volleyball standings with a five-set win over the visiting Pirates on Saturday night at Cone Field House. 

The Bearcats (9-9 overall, 8-4 NWC) are now tied with the Pirates (14-6, 8-4), along with George Fox (11-8, 8-4) and Puget Sound (10-8, 8-4), for first place with four matches to play in the schedule.  Willamette won 25-22, 25-22, 11-25, 24-26, 17-15.

Maddie Lee had 21 points on 16 kills, three aces, one solo block and two block assists for Whitworth.  Dani Queja scored 20.5 points on 20 kills and one block assist for Willamette.

The opening set featured 10 ties and seven lead changes.  The Pirates took a 12-11 lead on a kill from Jaye Hodge, but The Bearcats went up 15-13 on a kill by Kaitlyn Westby.  Megan Lange's service ace put the Bucs back ahead 17-16, Whitworth's final lead of the set.  Willamette used a 6-1 run to take a 22-17 lead on Emma Porter's kill.  After the Pirates got back within 24-22, the Bearcats won on a Whitworth attack error.

Willamette jumped out ahead in the second set.  The Bearcats led 7-0 after three Whitworth attack errors and a ball handling error, and led 10-2 after another Pirate attack error.  Whitworth fought back and tied the set 16-16 on a block from Lee and Cassidy Franklin.  Whitworth took a 20-16 lead after a bad set from the Bearcats.  Willamette finished on a 9-2 run, winning the set 25-22 on Olivia Cadien's service ace for a two-set advantage.

The Pirates never trailed in the third set, taking a 12-6 lead on an ace by Ella Jimenez.  Megan Lange's ace made it 19-9 in favor of the Bucs and Hodge's kill won it at 25-11.  Lee had seven kills in the third set for Whitworth.

The Pirates trailed 13-12 in the fourth set before Whitworth used an 8-2 run for a 20-15 lead after a kill from Amblessed Olemgbo.  Trailing 23-19, Willamette scored four straight points and had a chance to end the match in four sets before Cassidy Franklin and Okemgbo combined for a set-winning block.

Whitworth had a good chance to win the match after taking a 10-6 lead on a kill from Kaity Barr.  The Bearcats used a 5-0 run, capped by Steele Jasa's ace, to take an 11-10 lead.  Consecutive kills from Lee put Whitworth ahead 12-11.  Willamette served for the match a 14-13 and 15-14, but the Pirates fought off the point both times.  The third time was the charm for the Bearcats when another Cadien ace made it 17-15.

Hodge had 13.5 points on 12 kills, an ace and a block assist for Whitworth.  Franklin added 13 points on 10 kills and six block assists.  Jimenez led the Bucs with seven block assists and the team had 14 blocks overall.  Lange had 25 assists and for aces, while Eva Millan finished with 24 digs.

Cadien added 16 kills and three aces (19 points) for Willamette.  Emma Porter dished 51 assists.

Whitworth will return to action next weekend with the final home contests of 2022 when the Pirates host Lewis & Clark and George Fox.