Oct. 13, 2006

Friday the 13th Not Unlucky for PLU Volleyball

Match Statistics

Gina Di Maggio - 32 assists in win

Abby Mitchel - four kills in third game

TACOMA, Wash. – Friday the 13th wasn’t unlucky for Pacific Lutheran as the Lutes won for the 10th straight time, defeating the visiting Pacific Boxers, 30-28, 30-17, 30-17, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match at Olson Auditorium.

The Lutes, 15-4 for the season and ranked No. 23 in the American Volleyball Coaches Top 25 Coaches Poll, remain unbeaten and atop the Northwest Conference standings with a 9-0 record. The Boxers fell 6-13 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

Pacific Lutheran had trouble only in the first game, and then only in the late going. The Lutes raced out to a 10-3 lead with Kati McGinn providing three kills. With the score 13-8, Pacific scored four straight points on Megan Van Domelen’s serve to cut its deficit to 13-12. The Lutes again surged in front, 28-20, only to see the Boxers score seven straight points, again on Van Domelen’s serve. PLU finally won the game, 30-28, on McGinn’s kill.

McGinn, a senior middle blocker, finished the game with six of the 11 kills she recorded during the match.

The Lutes played much more like the unbeaten conference leaders in both the second and third games. Trailing 7-6, they got a kill from McGinn that started them on a run of seven straight points that led to a 13-7 lead. The Boxers never got closer than four points the rest of the way, the last time at 20-16 on Alyssa Finn’s service ace.

PLU never trailed in the third game, which was tied only once at 2-2. Freshman outside hitter Abby Mitchel and junior outside hitter Stacie Matz both finished the game with four kills for the Lutes.

Matz led all players with 12 kills, followed by McGinn with 11 and Kelcy Joynt with 10 for the Lutes. Melissa Dunn topped the Boxers with eight kills. Gina Di Maggio had 32 assists for PLU and Van Domelen had 24 for the Boxers.

Both Pacific Lutheran and Pacific play Northwest Conference matches on Saturday night, the Lutes hosting Lewis & Clark and the Boxers playing at the University of Puget Sound.

- PLU -