Lewis & Clark Earns 47 Kills to Defeat Bearcats, 3-0, in Volleyball

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Lewis & Clark College amassed 47 kills in three sets to defeat Willamette University, 3-0, on Friday, Oct. 17 in a Northwest Conference volleyball match at Cone Field House. The Pioneers earned 13 kills in the first set, added 18 in the second set, and recorded 16 in the third set, to achieve a 25-23, 25-21, 25-16 win.

L&C evened its record at 9-9 for the season, including 3-6 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 10-9 overall, 5-5 in the NWC.

The Pioneers hit .230 during the match. L&C limited Willamette to 30 kills and a .112 hitting percentage.

Isabel Valentine and Brigitte Russo paced Lewis & Clark with 11 kills apiece. Katalyea Milan tacked on nine kills and 10 digs. Tessa Belanger ended the match with seven kills and a .385 hitting percentage. Alexe Navarro earned a match-high 18 digs for L&C, while Emily Drake supplied 19 assists and Vaenssa Hall contributed 17 assists.

Alexa Dowdell (So., MH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) and Taylor Lum (So., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS) each recorded seven kills to lead the Bearcats. Lum also achieved a .357 hitting percentage. Sarah Fincher (Jr., OH, Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) provided six kills.

Lindsey Compton (Jr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) was credited with 22 assists and a team-high 12 digs for Willamette. Dowdell added nine digs on defense, while Taylor Gee (Sr., MH/OH, San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS) produced one block solo and five block assists.

Willamette's defense earned two blocks during the first four points of the match to take a quick 3-1 lead in the opening set. Gee and Fincher combined for the first block, while Gee and Elisa Ahern (Sr., OPP, Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) registered the second block.

The Pioneers tied the score at 6-6 and eventually held a 9-7 lead. A few points later, the teams were tied at 10-10. Willamette surged in front with a 4-1 run and went on to build a 21-16 lead following a kill by Lum.

After a timeout by L&C, the Pioneers went on a 6-0 run that started with a kill by Valentine and featured a service ace by Drake and a kill by Ali Carleton. The run included two hitting errors by WU and an assisted block by Carleton and Valentine.

Fincher responded with a kill for the Bearcats to tie the set at 22-22. The teams split two rallies before Lewis & Clark completed the set with a kill by Milan and a service ace by Navarro. The set ended after 10 ties and five lead changes.

The second set included 10 ties and three lead changes. Neither team led by more than two points until the Pioneers rallied from a 10-8 deficit with five consecutive points. Willamette countered with a kill by Holt and a pair of combo blocks by Lum and Compton to create a 13-13 tie.

Two rallies later, the score was tied again, but L&C added five point in a row to attain a 19-14 advantage. The 5-0 run included two kills by Brigitte Russo and one kill each from Valentine and Belanger.

WU cut the margin to three points on three occasions and eventually pulled within 23-21 on a kill by Alida Holt (So., OH, Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt HS). The final two rallies of the set went to L&C on a kill by Carleton and a kill by Milan.

The Bearcats surged out to an 8-3 lead in the third set behind one kill each from five players -- Gee, Dowdell, Compton, Holt and Lum. Lewis & Clark reduced the margin to 9-7 five rallies later and eventually tied the score at 10-10 with a kill from Carleton.

L&C added four of the next five points for a 14-11 advantage. WU cut the lead to 14-13 before the Pioneers pulled away with an 8-1 run.

Willamette's next match is set for Friday, Oct. 24 at the University of Puget Sound. The action is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (PTD).