PORTLAND, Ore. – Whitworth got eight team blocks and five service aces on the way to a sweep of Lewis & Clark on Friday night in a Northwest Conference volleyball match at the Pamplin Center.

The Pirates improved to 21-2 overall and 13-0 in the NWC with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-18 win over the Pioneers (0-20, 0-13).

L&C led 5-3 early in a first set that featured four ties and one lead change.  Whitworth used a 6-1 run to take a 9-6 lead on a kill by Cassidy Franklin.  But the Pirates had trouble shaking the Pioneers, who stayed within one point for much of the set.  Leading 16-15, Whitworth closed with a 9-4 run, winning the game on a kill by Abigail Hudson. 

The Pirates took control of the second set early, opening leads of 8-4, 12-6 and 16-8.  Hudson had another set-ending kill for the Bucs.  Whitworth served three aces in the set.

The Pirates jumped out 4-0 in the third set, but the Pioneers rallied to a 9-8 lead on a Pirate attack error. Whitworth went back in front 12-10 before L&C retied the game 13-13.  From that point the Bucs finished with a 12-5 run to close out the match.  Ella Jimenez had five kills in the final set.

Jimenez led Whitworth with 14.0 points on 11 kills, two aces and two block assists.  She also led the Pirates with 15 digs.  Amblessed Okemgbo added nine kills while Hudson added six.  Megan Lange had 13 assists, Josephine Thompson added 12 and Taylor Miche dished 10.  Franklin led the Pirates with five blocks (one solo, four assists).

Annika Traxler had 10 kills, 11 assists and three blocks for L&C. 

Whitworth will close out the trip to Oregon with a match at Willamette on Saturday.