SALEM, Ore. – Whitworth could not stop the offensive onslaught of Willamette in a five-set Northwest Conference volleyball loss to the Bearcats on Friday night at Cone Fieldhouse. 

Willamette (8-9 overall, 6-4 NWC) won its fifth straight match with the 23-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 15-11 win over the Pirates (13-6, 7-2) and ended a five-match losing streak to Whitworth.

The Pirates pulled out the opening set despite the fact that the Bearcats led in kills 18-11.  Willamette used a 6-0 run to go ahead 9-5 on a kill by Emalia Freitas.  Whitworth slowly cut the margin and retook the lead 15-14 on a kill from Lauren Kremer.  The Bucs extended the lead and had set point at 24-20 before the Bearcats scored three straight to force a Whitworth timeout.  But Willamette's final attack went wide.  Kremer had three kills in the set for the Pirates.

Whitworth was never in the second set.  The Bearcats jumped out to a 12-3 lead on an ace by Alayna Hughes and led 15-5 after a kill by Lexie Scott.  The Pirates fought back to within 18-12, but Willamette finished on a 7-1 run.  The Bearcats hit .276 in the set and got six kills from Scott.  Amblessed Okemgbo had three kills for the Bucs.

Whitworth answered right back.  The Pirates jumped ahead 10-5 on consecutive kills by Lindsey Short and extended the lead to 16-9 after a kill by Alyssa Baird.  Okemgbo's block put Whitworth ahead 21-14 before the Bearcats rallied to within 24-21.  Kremer's kill ended the set.  Baird had nine kills in the third game.

The Bucs jumped out 7-4 in the fourth on a kill by Paige McKenzie.  Willamette pulled even at 10-10 and then used a quick 3-0 run to go ahead 14-12 on consecutive Whitworth errors, forcing a timeout.  The Pirates briefly retook the lead at 15-14 on Olivia Paul's ace.  Willamette answered with another 3-0 run and led the rest of the way, winning on a kill from Chelsea Velez.  The Bearcats hit .367 in the set.

This time Willamette took the momentum into the next set, jumping ahead 5-1 on a block of Okemgbo, forcing a Whitworth timeout.  The Bearcats led 8-4 on the changeover after a kill from Caroline Jameson.  Trailing 9-4, the Pirates got within 11-9 before Willamette closed out the match, winning on a kill from Katey Cramer.

Baird led Whitworth with 15 kills and 17.5 points.  Okemgbo finished with 11 kills and had 12.5 points.  They were the only Pirates in double figures.  Lauren Kremer had nine kills and hit .500, but did not have a block for the first time this season.  Josephine Thompson (21) and Mya Rodriguez (17) combined for 38 assists. 

Scott finished with 24 kills and Cramer had 20 to lead the Bearcats.  Jameson added 18, giving Willamette three strong offensive options.  Leina Chu dished 61 assists, while Hughes served six aces.

Whitworth will try to end a two-match losing streak on Saturday night at Pacific (Ore.).