Oct. 2, 2007

VOLLEYBALL: Lutes Face Big Challenge to Winning Streak

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran hosts Linfield, Friday, 7 p.m.; PLU hosts Pacific, Saturday, 7 p.m.

TOP TWO TEAMS MEET ON FRIDAY: Pacific Lutheran, winner of eight matches in a row and 12-3 for the season, currently sits atop the Northwest Conference standings with a 6-0 record. The Lutes host 5-1 Linfield, with whom they shared the 2006 NWC championship, in a Friday night showdown of the top two teams in the conference standings. These two teams finished the 2006 season with identical 14-2 conference records, though Linfield won the NWC’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs because they won five games compared to PLU’s four in head-to-head competition. Both teams qualified for the playoffs, and both saw their seasons come to an end at the hands of an upstart Redlands team.

Gina Di Maggio

MORE ABOUT LINFIELD: The Wildcats, 10-5 overall and unranked in the AVCA national poll, started the season in poor form with four losses in their first five matches. They’ve played much better recently, however, with nine wins – including five a row – in their last 10 matches. Katelyn Baker, an all-conference player a year ago, is the ‘Cats go-to player. She averages 4.91 kills and is leading conference players with an impressive .365 attack percentage. Linfield’s .250 team attack percentage is best among NWC teams, with PLU second at .223. Two of the NWC’s best setters will be on the floor as Linfield’s Stephanie Purser averages a hair under 12 assists per game to lead the NWC, followed closely by PLU’s Gina Di Maggio. Expect the proverbial barn burner on Friday night in Olson Auditorium.

…AND PACIFIC IS NOT BAD, EITHER: In past years, the Pacific Boxers didn’t really present that great of a challenge to the top teams in the Northwest Conference. That can no longer be said as the Pacific program has continued to show improvement. The Boxers, Pacific Lutheran’s Saturday opponent in Olson Auditorium, are tied for sixth in the conference with a 2-4 record, but they have an overall mark of 7-6. They have played tough against several nationally teams, including Puget Sound, Cal State-East Bay and Rhodes (Tenn.). Jill Peacock averages 3.74 kills per game to lead the Boxers.

Beth Hanna

TWO IN A ROW: Beth Hanna, Pacific Lutheran’s outstanding freshman hitter from Clackamas (Ore.) High School, has earned Northwest Conference Volleyball Player of the Week honors for the second straight week. Hanna led the Lutes to road sweeps of Whitman and Whitworth last week. She collected 35 kills – including 20 against Whitworth – while hitting .356. She added 26 digs and seven aces.

LUTES SWEEP WHITS: Pacific Lutheran bagged a pair of Whits in on an Eastern Washington hunting trip last weekend. PLU beat Whitman, 30-17, 30-21, 30-22, on Friday night, and came back the next night to beat Whitworth, 30-20, 30-26, 30-20. Kelcy Joynt and Beth Hanna slammed 16 and 15 kills, respectively, to pace the PLU offense against Whitman. Hanna also had 10 digs and three service aces, and Gina Di Maggio handed out 38 assists. Stacie Matz contributed nine kills, eight digs and four blocks. The Lutes rode the second straight night of strong hitting from Hanna and Joynt to beat Whitworth. Hanna finished the match with 20 kills and a .318 attack percentage, while Joynt had 13 kills and hit .267 against Whitworth. Both players also had strong defensive games as Hanna led the Lutes with 16 digs and Joynt added 13 more. Hanna also finished the match with four service aces. Di Maggio continued her outstanding floor leadership with 37 assists, while Megan Kosel chipped in with 14 digs.

LUTES STAY AT NO. 17: Pacific Lutheran remains in the No. 17 spot in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll. The Lutes have bounced a little bit in this year’s polls, starting out at No. 22 in the Aug. 21 preseason poll. They moved up one spot to No. 21 in the first regular season poll, dropped back down to No. 22, and have held down No. 17 for two weeks.

ABOUT THE COACH: Now in his 12th year as head coach at his alma mater, Kevin Aoki is within 11 wins of 200 in his outstanding career. Aoki has a 189-109 record, a .634 winning percentage.

- PLU -