The women’s volleyball team improved to 7-1 in Northwest Conference play with their sweep of PLU and Pacific (Ore.) on Wednesday and Saturday nights, respectively. They are off to their best start in conference play since 2001 and remain tied for first after this past week’s victories.
The Loggers broke the Lutes’ 35 match winning streak Wednesday night as they held onto a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-19) victory. Brynn Blickenstaff (Eagle, Idaho), with 17 kills and two service aces, helped the Loggers move into a tie for first with the Lutes.
Hitting .190 as a team, the Loggers did equally well in all three sets. They dominated at net with at total of six team blocks in comparison to the Lutes’ five. The Loggers executed their game plan from the beginning, leading from the start and never backing down.
“Throughout the whole season, the coaches have been talking about us reaching our full potential. We have been able to win games in the past, start out strong, finish strong, pass well, and focus well. Wednesday’s game was different in the fact that we were able to combine all of our skills, which ultimately led to our win,” sophomore Ana Pischl (Santa Clara/Calif.) said.
The Loggers were rolling with a six game winning streak when they hosted the Pacific Boxers Saturday night. Blickenstaff led the Loggers with eight kills and Jamie Ecklund contributed seven kills and two blocks to the tally.
The Loggers earned their first set victory as they held the Boxers to a -.200 hitting percentage. However, the Boxers regained their momentum in the second set. The Loggers responded to the pressure beautifully and were able to eek out a 25-23 win.
Determined to end the match, the Loggers blew past the Boxers to earn a 25-17 victory and a 3-0 match win the match ending with a service ace from Jackie Harvey.
The Loggers will travel to Eastern Washington on Saturday, Oct. 16 for a match against Whitman and will continue their journey on the road as they face Whitworth on Sunday, Oct. 17.