By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Natalie Klotz (Sr., OH, Bonner Springs, KS/Bonner Springs HS) of Willamette University earned a match-high 19 kills, but Lewis & Clark College prevailed, 3-2, in the season-opener for both teams on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at Cone Field House. It was a non-conference match although Willamette and Lewis & Clark both compete in the Northwest Conference. The teams will meet in a home-and-away NWC series later in the season. On Wednesday, L&C won 25-16, 23-25, 26-24, 22-25, 17-15.
Although the Pioneers won the first set by a sizable margin the remaining four sets were all very close, with three decided by two points and one decided by three points.
Joining Klotz with double-digit kills for the Bearcats was Ana James (Jr., OPP, Imperial Beach, CA/Mar Vista HS), who recorded 12 kills. James, playing in her first match for Willamette, committed just two attacking errors and achieved a .400 hitting percentage. Emma Porter (Jr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) added 41 assists and 11 digs, while Shyla Sato (Jr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/MId-Pacific Institute) led all players with 23 digs. Dani Queja (Jr., OH, Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School) provided WU with nine kills and 10 digs.
Kelsey Parker was L&C's top attacker with 13 kills. She also accumulated nine digs. Debi Chun supplied nine kills for the Pioneers. Michelle McGinn registered 43 assists. Katie Shimaura finished with 22 digs.
The Pioneers earned 13 service aces and committed 13 serving errors, compared to seven aces and 14 errors for the Bearcats. L&C recorded a .187 team hitting percentage. Willamette hit .164 as a team.
In the first set, the team were tied at 13-13 before L&C went on a 9-1 run for a 22-14 lead on its way to a 25-16 win. Willamette trailed 5-1 early in the second set, but eventually rallied to take a 19-18 lead on a service ace by Queja. The Pioneers countered by grabbing a 23-20 lead, but WU closed out the set with a 5-0 run for a 25-23 win. The offensive surge began with a serving error by L&C. Olivia Cadien (Fy., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) followed with a service ace for the Bearcats. Klotz tacked on two kills, and the Pioneers committed an attacking error for set point.
The third set produced another close finish. Along the way, L&C held a 6-2 advantage and Willamette earned a 15-11 margin. WU eventually owned a 23-19 lead, but the Pioneers used a 4-0 run to create a 23-23 deadlock. The match also was tied at 24-24 before an attacking error by the Bearcats and a kill by Parker led to a 26-24 victory for L&C.
Willamette never trailed in the fourth set. The Bearcats were tied three times early in the set, but gained a 7-6 edge on a hitting error by the Warriors and never relinquished the lead. Later, a kill by Queja gave Willamette a strong 17-10 advantage. L&C battled back to within 21-19 on a kill by Annika Traxler. WU also led by just two points at 23-21 after Cameryn Nagaji recorded a service ace. A kill from Klotz increased WU's margin to 24-21. Traxler added another kill for L&C, but Queja won the next rally with a kill to complete the 25-22 win for the Bearcats.
The Warriors took a 3-1 lead in the fifth set. Willamette gradually rallied, cutting the lead to 11-9 after 20 rallies and tying the set at 12-12 on a kill by Klotz. L&C led 13-12, 14-13, and 15-14, but Willamette tied the score all three times, the last two on kill by James. A combo block by Parker and Emma Ehler gave Lewis & Clark a 16-15 advantage. On the next rally, Isabel Artiaga scored on a kill to provide the Warriors with the match-winning point.
Willamette will play four matches this weekend at the Emory Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. On Friday, Sept. 3, the Bearcats will take on LaGrange College (Ga.) at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT before playing host Emory University (Ga.) at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT. On Saturday, Sept. 4, Willamette will battle Covenant College (Ga.) at 10 a.m. EDT/7 a.m. PDT and will compete against Brevard College (N.C.) at 12:30 p.m. EDT/9:30 a.m. PDT.
