Nov. 3, 2007

Lutes Wrap Up Unbeaten NWC Season With Win at Pacific

Box Score

Stacie Matz - 14 kills, 16 digs

Beth Hanna - 17 kills

FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran wrapped up an unbeaten Northwest Conference season with a 30-21, 30-24, 30-25 victory over the host Pacific Boxers on Saturday night at the Pacific Athletic Center.

The Lutes became the first team since Puget Sound in 2000 to go a perfect 16-0 against conference opponents. They also added to a pair of ongoing school records with their 19th straight win and their 23rd victory overall this season. During their 19-match winning streak, the Lutes have won 57 games while losing just seven.

PLU, 23-3, earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III West Region Tournament, which takes place next Thursday through Saturday at Cal State-East Bay in Hayward, Calif.

Despite the loss, the Boxers (14-9, 9-7 NWC) put a wrap on the best Pacific volleyball season in over a decade. The team finished with its first winning season since 1994, its most overall wins since 1996 and its most conference victories since 1995. Pacific also climbed one spot in the NWC standings, finishing in a tie for fourth place with Whitman.

Beth Hanna led the Lutes with 17 kills while Stacie Matz registered 14 kills. Megan Kosel added a team-high 20 digs and Gina Di Maggio added 36 assists. Jill Peacock led the way for the Boxers in her final match, finishing with 15 kills and a .407 attack percentage. Anela Iseke turned in a double-double of 28 assists and 28 digs.

Pacific put the Lutes on notice early in game one as Erica Drake served five straight winners, three on Caitlin Gollehon kills, to open up an early 7-2 lead. PLU responded with five service points from Lauren Poole to tie the set at 7-7. The two teams traded points until the Lutes opened up a slim 15-12 lead on Matz's service ace. Poole returned to serve four more winners, capped by a service ace, to open up the 21-15 lead. The Lutes cruised from there, allowing Pacific just three more points off of their own serve before Di Maggio closed out with
two aces to score the 30-21 victory.

The Lutes turned the tables in game two, jumping out to the early 11-5 lead on a kill from Hanna. Pacific tightened up and took advantage of three straight attack errors to pull within 12-10. The teams traded points most of the rest of the way until Brenna Archibald served PLU out with the last four points to take the 30-24 win.

Game three proved to be a close affair the entire way. Pacific pulled out to the early lead, going up 8-5 on a kill from Delanty. The Boxers kept the advantage until a pair of Hanna kills put PLU up for the first time, and for good, at 22-21. Pacific stayed within one point until Matz and Anella Olbertz combined for three kills that put the game out of reach.

(Courtesy of Pacific Sports Information Office.)