TACOMA, Wash. – Amblessed Okemgbo and Alyssa Baird combined for 33 kills to lead visiting Whitworth to a 3-1 win over Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference volleyball match that forced a tie atop the conference standings with only a single match to play in the regular season.

Playing with heart and determination, the Pirates (19-6 overall, 13-2 NWC) defeated the Loggers (17-6, 13-2) 20-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-23.  The teams are tied atop the league standings and each won 3-1 on the other's home court.  If both teams win on Saturday night, they will be co-champions of the NWC and the right to host the 2025 conference tournament will come down to the league's tiebreaking protocol.  Meanwhile, third place Pacific Lutheran (14-8, 12-3) lurks only one game behind in the standings and still has a chance to force a three-way tie.  The Pirates play at PLU on Saturday at 6:00 pm.

Puget Sound never trailed in the opening set.  The Loggers jumped ahead 12-5 on a kill from Makela Pick.  They continued to lead 16-9 before the Pirates got within 22-19 on a kill from Baird.  Maddie Badger's kill ended the set in Puget Sound's favor.  The Loggers had three blocks in the opening game and hit .190 to Whitworth's .102.

Whitworth trailed 14-12 midway through the second set when the offense caught fire.  The Pirates used an 8-1 run to go ahead 20-15 on a kill by middle blocker Ali Bush, who was making her first career start in place of Rylie Harnden.  Overall Whitworth outscored UPS 13-3 over the second half of the game, winning after consecutive hitting errors from Badger.  Baird had five kills in the set and the Bucs hit .302 as a team.

The Pirates carried the momentum into the third set.  After an early 4-4 tie, Whitworth went on a 13-2 run to open a 17-6 lead which forced a pair of UPS timeouts along the way.  Lauren Kremer's kill was the set-winning point for the Pirates.  Whitworth hit .316 as Okemgbo, Baird and Kremer had four kills each.

The fourth set was the closest of the night with 15 ties and five lead changes.  The Pirates took an 11-9 lead on Kremer's kill before UPS used a 7-3 run to go up 16-14 on Badger's kill.  Trailing 19-18, Whitworth went on a 4-0 spurt to take a 22-19 lead on Lindsey Short's kill.  The Loggers got within 24-23 when Erin Fagan's final serve went wide.  Okemgbo had six kills in the fourth game and Whitworth hit .250.

The Pirates hit .235 and held UPS, the NWC's most efficient offensive team, to only .138 in the match.  Whitworth led in kills 63-44 and outscored UPS 74.5 points to 55.0 points.

The offensive attack was balanced with Okemgbo nailing 17 kills and Baird 16.  Kremer followed with 13 and Lindsey Short had 12.  Kremer added two solo blocks and three block assists for 16.5 points.  Josephine Thompson (28) and Mya Rodriguez (24) combined for 52 assists.  Bryanna Dodson, playing the entire way at libero, had a career-high 23 digs. 

Badger led the Loggers with 15 kills, while Fagan had 11.  Randi Rush dished 35 assists.