Sept. 20, 2006

Lutes Beat Loggers in Northwest Conference Contest

Match Statistics

TACOMA – Pacific Lutheran defeated host Puget Sound in four games Wednesday night to remain unbeaten in the Northwest Conference volleyball standings. The Lutes came out on top, 30-20, 26-30, 30-26, 30-22, and earned a measure of revenge for a five-game loss to the Loggers during the first weekend of the season.

Stacie Matz

The Lutes, now 8-4 overall and 3-0 in the conference, took a 7-6 lead in the first game and never looked back, rolling to the 30-20 victory. Puget Sound knotted the games at one apiece with a 30-26 victory in the second game, that despite the Lutes four times getting within a point of the host school.

Game three was similarly close with 11 ties and nine lead changes, but a kill by senior outside hitter Kati McGinn (Puyallup, Wash. / Puyallup HS) put the Lutes ahead to stay at 23-22, and McGinn finished it with another kill.

In the fourth game, the Lutes used two kills by McGinn, kills by freshman middle blocker Kelcy Joynt (Wasilla, Alaska / Colony HS) and freshman outside hitter Abby Mitchel (Puyallup, Wash. / Rogers HS), and two UPS attack errors to turn an 8-8 tie into a 14-9 lead. The Loggers never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

The two teams combined for 208 digs, including a match-high 35 from PLU junior libero Megan Kosel (Puyallup, Wash. / Emerald Ridge HS). Junior outside hitter Stacie Matz (Tacoma, Wash. / Western Oregon Univ.) added 24 digs and had a match-high 22 kills for the Lutes. McGinn had 13 kills and 20 digs and junior setter Gina Di Maggio (Olympia, Wash. / Tumwater HS) had 49 assists in the winning effort.

The Lutes return to action this weekend with a pair of home matches, their initial two of the season after 12 matches on the road. They host No. 25-ranked Cal State East Bay at 7 p.m. Friday, then return to Northwest Conference action hosting the Willamatte Bearcats at 7 p.m. Saturday.

- PLU -