If one were to measure success solely on the wins of a team, then this measure would not tell the whole story of Logger volleyball. It is not just that the Loggers are winning, it is that they are doing so in dominant fashion.
The Loggers have won 10 out of their last 13 matches, with all of these wins coming in either a 3-0 or 3-1, in a best of five. They hold an overall record of 15-5, with their home record being 9-1, sending the message that Memorial Fieldhouse is no easy place to come and play. While some of us were off enjoying Fall Break, the Loggers were out on the court bringing credit to our University.
On the Friday of Fall Break, many of us were breathing a huge sigh of relief as a four-day weekend was upon us. Logger volleyball, on the other hand, was anticipating a matchup against Whitman in Walla Walla, Wash.
Both teams started slow in the match, but the Loggers were able to overcome for the win in the opening set.
With the game tied one set apiece, the Loggers caught fire in the third set and hit .273 to gain a 2-1 advantage. They held on to their momentum in the fourth set to clinch the match 3-1.
The next matchup was against a school with a similar name, but the matchup did not result in a similar outcome. The Puget Sound volleyball team climbed back into the match but could not hold off Whitworth in the fifth set as the Pirates (7-10, 3-7 NWC) scored the 25-18, 27-25, 23-25, 19-25, 15-7 upset over the 13th ranked Loggers (13-5, 7-3 NWC).
The Pirates took a 2-0 advantage, but the Loggers refused to be swept, winning the next two sets to force the match into a fifth and final set.
The Loggers had trouble finding the same rhythm of the previous two sets as Whitworth came from an early two-point deficit to an 11-5 lead and held on for the upset.
The best way to forget a loss is to go out and win the next one. That is exactly what the Loggers did, as 15th ranked Puget Sound defeated visiting George Fox in four sets. Junior Marissa Florant’s (Palo Alto, Calif.) 18 kills led the Loggers to the victory.
This win marked Puget Sound volleyball coach Mark Massey’s 300th career victory at Puget Sound.
“It really just means I’ve been around a long time and had some really good players on my side of the net,” Massey said about his 300th win. “It says a lot about the caliber of student-athletes we get at Puget Sound, being able to win 300 matches here and establish ourselves as one of the top programs in Division III.”
The Loggers did not let up coming off the historic milestone. Junior Jackie Harvey (Santa Barbara, Calif.) had 14 kills and the Loggers combined for 10 service aces as the Puget Sound volleyball team swept Pacific 25-18, 25-18, 25-16 on Saturday.
Five different Loggers had two aces in the win. Florant, junior Jenni Brehove (Vista, Calif.), junior Christina Chun (Pearl City, Hawaii), and freshman Andie Kenneally (Bend, Ore.) also joined the aces spree.
The Loggers hit .231 as a team in the match and Brehove dished out 32 assists. This was yet another showcasing as to why it is always difficult for opponents to walk away from Memorial Fieldhouse with a win.
The Loggers remain at home next week to host Willamette on Friday at 7 p.m.
