Oct. 5, 2007

Lutes Keep it Going, Down Linfield in Three Games

Gina Di Maggio - 48 assists

Stacie Matz - 16 kills

Box Score

PARKLAND, Wash. – Only one team is hotter than Linfield in Northwest Conference volleyball right now, and unfortunately for the Wildcats, they ran into that team on Friday night in Olson Auditorium.

Pacific Lutheran, ranked No. 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll, won for the ninth straight time, beating Linfield 30-25, 31-29, 30-25. The Lutes have now won 27 of 28 games during their nine-match winning streak. With the win, PLU improves to 13-3 overall and to 7-0 in the Northwest Conference. The Lutes now own a full two-game lead over both Linfield and Puget Sound (both 10-6 overall, 5-2 NWC) in the conference standings.

Friday’s match figured to be close as it featured the defending conference co-champions going head-to-head. A noisy crowd estimated at 500 added to the atmosphere, and both teams gave the fans plenty to cheer about.

Linfield, which came into the match having won nine of its last 10, led in all three games but was unable to finish off the Lutes.

In the first game, the Wildcats took a 13-10 lead on a kill by Molly Taylor, but the Lutes fought back to eventually tie the game at 16-16 on Beth Hanna’s service ace. PLU pulled away, getting two straight kills by Kelcy Joynt and another by Stacie Matz to take a 19-16 advantage. A service ace by Gina Di Maggio and consecutive attack errors by the Wildcats put the Lutes ahead 25-19, and they wrapped up the game from there.

In game two, four straight service points by Emily Vuylsteke put the Wildcats on top, 11-6, and eventually they built that advantage to 22-15 on Hanna’s attack error. The Lutes battled back, pulling within a point at 25-24 on back-to-back kills by Hanna. Once again, Linfield surged ahead, taking a 29-27 lead on Katelyn Baker’s service ace. But as they have throughout their current streak, the Lutes hung tough, getting a kill from Hanna, a service ace by Hanna and a Linfield attack error to take a 30-29 lead. Hanna, the freshman outside hitter from Clackamas, Ore., finished the game with her second service ace.

In game three, Linfield rallied from an early deficit to take a 13-12 lead. The Lutes turned it around, however, combining Matz's service ace, two kills by Anella Olbertz and three more kills by Hanna to take a 20-15 advantage. The Lutes eventually closed out the action on a kill by Matz.

Hanna had another impressive match for the Lutes with 17 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Matz added 16 kills and Kelcy Joynt contributed 13 for the Lutes, who also got 48 assists from senior setter Gina Di Maggio. The Lutes hit .259 as a team and limited the visiting Wildcats to a .174 percentage.

Katelyn Baker led the Wildcats with 10 kills and Stephanie Purser contributed 31 assists. Rachael Rahn led all players with 22 digs.

Both teams return to action on Saturday, the Lutes hosting Pacific at 7 p.m. and the Wildcats playing George Fox in Newberg, Ore.