By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Dani Queja (Jr., OH, Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School) of Willamette University pounded out 10 kills and was credited with 14 digs against Lewis & Clark College on Saturday, Oct. 2. Even so, the Pioneers defeated the Bearcats, 3-1, at the Pamplin Sports Center. L&C dropped the first set but won the match 22-25, 25-17, 27-25, 25-22.
Both teams ended the evening with 5-6 overall records. L&C improved to 4-2 in the NWC, while the Bearcats moved to 2-4 in the NWC.
Queja led WU in kills, with Olivia Cadien (Fy., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) adding nine and Natalie Klotz (Sr., OH, Bonner Springs, KS/Bonner Springs HS) providing seven. Klotz attained a .636 hitting percentage with no hitting errors on 11 attacks. Libero Shyla Sato (Jr., Honolulu, HI/MId-Pacific Institute) finished with 25 digs and a match-high four service aces. Emma Porter (Jr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) contributed 24 assists and eight digs.
Debi Chun topped Lewis & Clark's offense with 16 kills, while Izzy Willis tacked on 14 kills. Michelle McGinn registered 28 assists, with Sydney Richardson producing 12 assists. Katie Shimaura amassed 18 digs, with Kelsey Parker earning 15 digs, and McGinn supplying 14.
The match was close throughout, as the teams combined for 31 ties and 19 lead changes. In the third set, there were 13 ties and eight lead changes.
Willamette led 5-2 and 9-6 following service aces by Porter and Sato in the first set. The Pioneers tied the score at 11-11 on a kill by Parker, and the teams were tied again twice over the next four rallies. WU took the lead at 14-13 on an attacking error by the Pioneers. Porter added a kill -- assisted by Sato -- for a 15-13 advantage, and the Bearcats remained in front for the rest of the set. Willamette's margin was just one point at 20-19 following a kill by Chun, but the Bearcats responded with a 3-0 surge to open a 5-3 run to end the set.
The Pioneers owned a slim 16-14 edge over the Bearcats after a kill by Kaitlyn Westby (Fy., MH, Redmond, WA/Eastside Catholic HS) of WU on the 30th rally of the second set. L&C score the next two points and eventually held a 21-16 lead after a combo block by Willis and Cameryn Nagaji. The Pioneers won, 25-17.
During the third set, neither team led by more than three points, with the Bearcats taking a 5-2 advantage on a kill by Porter and the Pioneers leading 21-18 much later after a kill by Chun. The teams were deadlocked four times from 22-22 until 25-25. A kill by Queja of Willamette forced the final tie. Lewis & Clark won the set two points later on a kill from Chun.
Willamette held several two-point leads early in the fourth set, and the Bearcats were in front, 9-6 after a bad set by Parker of the Pioneers. Later, WU broke an 11-11 tie with a service ace by Caiden. L&C responded with a 5-0 run that ended with a kill by Nagaji for a 16-12 lead. The Bearcats pulled within 21-18 and later reduced the margin to 24-22 on another service ace from Cadien. Richardson earned a kill for the Pioneers during the next rally to end the match.
The Bearcats achieved 9.0 team total blocks during the match on 18 block assists. Westby led the way with six blocks, while Lexi Martin (Jr., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS) added four. L&C recorded 5.0 team total blocks.
Up next for the Bearcats is an NWC match against Pacific University on Friday, Oct. 8 at Cone Field House. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (PDT).
