SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University closed out a perfect Northwest Conference volleyball schedule with a dramatic come-from-behind five-set win over visiting Pacific Lutheran on Saturday night.
The 23rd-ranked Pirates, perhaps overcome with emotion after honoring five seniors prior to the first serve, fell behind by two sets before winning 14-25, 23-25, 25-9, 25-16, 15-12.
On a night that was dedicated to seniors, it was a sophomore middle blocker Lauren Kremer who came to the rescue with seven kills, four blocks and three aces to help Whitworth improve to 24-2 overall and 16-0 in the NWC.
PLU (18-7, 13-3 NWC) set a blistering pace early by hitting .611 in the opening set with 13 kills and only two errors in 18 attacks. Leading 13-11, the Lutes closed the set on a 12-3 run.
The Pirates appeared to right the ship in set two, jumping ahead 9-4 on a kill by Ella Jimenez. But PLU fought back and eventually tied the set 18-18 on a kill by setter Ayre Takamoto. A block from Alexis Eggert put the Lutes up two sets.
The Pirates finally found their groove in the third set. With the game tied 6-6, Whitworth outscored PLU 19-3 the rest of the way. The Bucs hit .312 in the set and held the Lutes to -.200, thanks in part to three blocks. Jimenez had three kills in the third.
Whitworth used another dominating run to secure the fourth set. Leading 12-10, the Pirates outscored the Lutes 8-1, including three consecutive aces by Taylor Miche, to build an insurmountable lead. Cassidy Franklin's kill ended the set in the Pirates' favor.
Whitworth never trailed in the final set, opening a 4-1 lead on a block from Jimenez. Lindsey Short's kill gave the Bucs their largest lead at 11-6 before PLU got within 14-12 after consecutive kills from Claire Hindman. Jimenez won it with her final kill of the night.
The Pirates served 15 aces to assist the comeback victory. Miche led the way with five, while Kremer had her three. Jimenez finished with a match-high 11 kills, adding two aces and two blocks for 14.5 points. Franklin and Abigail Hudson added eight kills apiece. Josephine Thompson dished 23 assists, while Megan Lange added 15. Amblessed Okemgbo led the Bucs with five blocks (one solo, four assists) and Miche had 13 digs.
After starting so hot, PLU finished the match with a .083 hitting percentage. Hindman led the Lutes with nine kills and four block assists, while Eggert blocked five (one solo, four assists). Takamoto served four aces and had 31 assists. PLU finishes the regular season tied with Puget Sound for second place in the NWC.
Whitworth will host the 2024 NWC Tournament on November 15-16. The first semifinal will feature the 2/3 match between PLU and Puget Sound at 4:30 pm. Top-seeded Whitworth hosts #4 George Fox at 7:30 in the second semifinal. Saturday's tournament championship will start at 6:00 pm.
