By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Senior outside hitter Dani Queja (Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School) pounded out 10 kills and the Willamette University Bearcats earned 10.0 team total blocks in a 3-0 win over Pacific University on Friday, Sept. 17at Cone Field House. The Northwest Conference victory improved the Bearcats to 2-0 in the NWC and to 3-5 overall. Pacific dropped to 5-4 on the season, 0-2 in the NWC.
Queja topped the WU offensive chart with her 10 kills as she registered a .318 hitting percentage. She also provided 11 digs. Olivia Cadien (So., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) and Sydney Locke (Fy, MB, Federal Way, WA/Decatur HS) each contributed six kills. Emma Porter (Sr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) guided the attack with 23 assists, and libero Shyla Sato (Sr., Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) was credited with 14 digs. Steele Jasa (Sr., DS/S, Bend, OR/Summit HS) chipped in with 10 digs.
WU's 10.0 team total blocks included a block solo by Lexi Martin (Sr., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS) plus 18 block assists. Kaitlyn Westby (So., MH, Redmond, WA/Eastside Catholic HS) ranked first with five block assists. Porter and Locke each achieved three block assists.
Mara Murphy from Pacific registered a match-high 13 kills. Lacy Churchfield attained six kills, a total that was matched by Alison Brown. Danica Nelson led the way on defense with 15 digs for the Boxers, while Shaianne Cambra tallied 10 digs. Cambra also produced 26 assists.
Pacific held a 34-30 advantage in kills, but the Boxers committed 23 attacking errors compared to 15 errors by the Bearcats. Willamette hit .153 as a team and limited Pacific to a .099 hitting percentage.
The Boxers had 12 serving errors, while WU finished with seven serving errors. Each team accumulated three service aces. The Bearcats held a large lead in team total blocks (10.0 to 2.0).
Although the score was close throughout most of the first set, Pacific achieved a 12-8 lead on a kill by Churchfield and a 14-10 advantage on a kill by Murphy. Willamette rallied to tie the set at 14-14. A bit later, with the score tied 18-18, the Bearcats rattled off four consecutive points on a bad set by Pacific, two attacking errors by the Boxers, and a kill from Queja. The teams exchanged the next four points, giving WU a 24-20 lead. A ball-handling error by the Boxers ended the set.
The second set included 16 ties and nine lead changes. The last tie was at 22-22 on a kill by Cambra of Pacific. Willamette broke the tie with a set-winning 3-0 run on a kill by Westby, a service ace from Porter and an attacking error by the Boxers.
In the third set, the score was tied just two times and Willamette never trailed. After the second tie occurred at 11-11, the Bearcats put together a five-point run to claim a 16-11 lead on a kill by Locke. Pacific recorded the next point, but WU quickly gained an 18-12 lead and led by at least five points until the Boxer cut the margin to 23-19. A kill by Queja and a combination block from Queja and Locke ended the match with a 25-19 win.
Willamette will return to action on Friday, Sept. 23 at Whitman College. Match time in Walla Walla, Washington, is set for 7 p.m. (PDT).
