By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Lewis & Clark College held off Willamette University for narrow victories in the first two sets and went on to defeat the Bearcats, 3-1, in a Northwest Conference match at Cone Field House on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Brigitte Russo of L&C earned 20 kills, while teammate Kataleya Milan achieved 18 kills.

The Pioneers upped their record to 4-7 on the season, including 3-2 in the NWC. Willamette's record moved to 5-9 overall, 1-4 in the NWC.

Kirsten Brehmer (Sr., MH/OPP, Evergreen, CO/Evergreen HS) led Willamette with 15 kills as she attained a .353 hitting percentage. Sarah Fincher (So., OH, Reno, NV/bishop Monague HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) provided the Bearcats with 12 kills.

Willamette held leads of 7-4 and 10-6 in the first set. L&C cut the margin to 12-11, but the Bearcats tallied five of the next eight points for a 17-14 advantage. The 5-3 run included two kills by Brehmer and one by Fincher, plus a service ace by Taylor Lum (Fr., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS).

A bit later, the Bearcats moved out to a 20-16 advantage after Brehmer and Fincher registered back-to-back kills. WU also was in front 21-19 before L&C rallied to win the set.

The Pioneers scored the next point on a kill by Kataleya and tied the score with a service ace by Vanessa Hall. Another ace by Hall and an attacking error by Willamette gave L&C a 23-21 edge.

WU received a kill from Lindsey Compton (So., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) to pull within 23-22, before Kataleya registered a kill for Lewis & Clark. Carly Hargrave (Sr., MH, Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas HS) pounded down an attack to get the Bearcats within 24-23. L&C won the set on a serving error by Willamette.

Lewis & Clark took the second set by an identical 25-23 score. There were 11 ties during the set between 4-4 and 18-18. The Pioneers claimed the lead for good with a 4-0 run that put them up 22-18. The final three points of the run were kills by Milan, Russo and Kelsie Dorpat.

WU cut the deficit to 24-22 on an assisted block by Hargrave and Brehmer. The Bearcats advanced to within a single point when Hargrave tacked on a kill, but Milan recorded a kill for L&C to end the set.

In the third set, L&C stormed out to a 7-3 lead. The Pioneers eventually held a 15-11 advantage after Russo earned a kill on a blocking error by Willamette. A kill from Lum, plus an attacking error by Russo, pulled WU within 15-13.

The Pioneers answered with a 5-0 run to increase the margin to 20-13. WU countered with a 3-0 run before L&C won the next two rallies for a 22-16 lead.

Willamette garnered nine of the next 10 points to battle back for a 25-23 victory.

Two attacking errors by the Pioneers and a service ace by Alida Holt (Fr., OH, Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt HS) started the rally, as WU moved within 22-19. Another attacking error by L&C, plus a block by Hargrave and Emily Compton (Sr., S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Boise State Univ.) enabled the Bearcats to cut the lead to one point. A service error by Holt gave L&C a 23-21 edge.

Hargrave supplied the Bearcats with a kill and the Pioneers registered an attacking error, leaving the score tied at 23-23.

Up next was one of the longest rallies of the night, with Willamette ultimately winning the point on a kill by Fincher assisted by Emily Compton. During the rally, the ball went over the net 10 times -- and there were three times the ball was kept alive following a block -- before Fincher's successful attack. A block by Lum and Emily Compton completed the comeback for Willamette.

L&C took a 12-3 lead in the fourth set and remained in front. The Pioneers owned a 15-5 margin after 20 rallies and won the set 25-12. Russo achieved six kills and Milan added four kills during the set.

The Pioneers registered 56 kills and hit .226 for the match, with Russo providing a .385 hitting percentage. Dorpat finished with 48 assists, while libero Alexe Navarro amassed 32 digs.

Willamette earned a .189 hitting percentage on the night despite hitting .200 or higher in each of the first three sets. The Bearcats amassed 44 kills. Emily Compton contributed 32 assists and a team-high 14 digs, while Riley Fawcett (Fr., LIB/OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) provided 12 digs. Lum achieved six block assists.

The Bearcats will host Pacific University in Northwest Conference action at Cone Field House on Friday, Oct. 4. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PDT).