Sept. 14, 2007

Lutes Open NWC Title Defense With Win Over Willamette

Box Score

Beth Hanna - 16 kills

PARKLAND, Wash. – Defending Northwest Conference volleyball co-champion Pacific Lutheran opened its title defense with a 30-18, 30-16, 30-16 win over the visiting Willamette Bearcats on Friday night in Olson Auditorium.

The Lutes, ranked No. 21 in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll, improved their season record to 6-3. Willamette fell to 2-8 overall and to 0-2 in the conference.

Pacific Lutheran broke away from a 10-10 tie in the first game, scoring five straight points on Megan Kosel’s serve, to take a 16-10 advantage. The Lutes never led by less than that amount through the remainder of the game.

In the second game, Beth Hanna served three consecutive aces to give the Lutes a 9-3 lead, and they were never thwarted. The final game was more of the same as PLU jumped out to an early lead, allowing head coach Kevin Aoki to insert each of his 15 players into the match.

Hanna, a freshman outside hitter from Clackamas, Ore., led the Lutes with 16 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Kelcy Joynt had 10 kills and a .562 percentage, and senior outside hitter Stacie Matz added 10 more kills. Senior setter Gina Di Maggio had 40 assists for the winners, who also got 16 digs from Kosel.

For Willamette, Kelley Lindstrom had six kills and Brittany Ashby had 18 assists.

The Lutes return to action at 7 p.m. Saturday when they host Lewis & Clark in another Northwest Conference match.

- PLU -