Loggers Hold Off Rally by Bearcats to Win in Four Sets

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

SALEM, ORE. -- The University of Puget Sound earned 36 kills in the first two sets, and then held off a rally by Willamette University to defeat the Bearcats, 25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 25-22, in Northwest Conference action on Friday, Sept. 26 at Cone Field House. UPS improved to 3-9 on the season, 2-1 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 6-6 overall, 1-2 in the NWC.

Sarah Fincher (Jr., OH, Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) of Willamette led all players with 19 kills. She also provided the Bearcats with 15 digs and three block assists. Alexa Dowdell (So., MH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) supplied WU with 13 kills and made just one attacking error on 24 attacks to hit .500 for the match.

Puget Sound middle blocker Nicolette Reynaud pounded out 12 kills in the first two sets, with no errors on 15 total attacks, as she recorded a .800 hitting percentage. Emily Convery added eight kills during the opening two sets with no errors on 14 attacks.

Overall, the Loggers hit a .423 in the first two sets, while committing only six attacking errors on 71 total attacks. The Loggers concluded the match with a .296 hitting percentage, while Willamette hit .209.

Reynaud finished with 17 kills and one attacking error on 28 total attacks for a .571 hitting percentage. Convery ended the night with 14 kills, two attacking errors and 31 attacks, and hit .387 for the Loggers.

Willamette scored the first two points of the match on a kill by Fincher and an attacking error by Puget Sound. UPS countered with the next three points, before the Bearcats took a 4-3 lead by winning back-to-back rallies. The Loggers scored the next four points -- two on kills by Reynaud -- but WU eventually claimed an 8-8 tie on a service ace by Dowdell.

Neither team led by more than one point until UPS broke a 15-15 tie with two consecutive points for a 17-15 advantage. Willamette pulled within 17-16 and 18-17, but the Loggers scored three of the next four points for a 21-18 lead.

WU cut the margin to 21-20 with kills by Fincher and Dowdell. A kill by Convery was answered with a kill from Fincher, leaving UPS in front 22-21. A ball handling error and an attacking error by the Bearcats moved UPS to match point. Alida Holt (So., OH, Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt HS) of WU cut the lead to 24-22, but Reynaud completed the first set with a kill.

The Bearcats surged out to a 6-3 lead in the second set, including two kills from Dowdell. WU also led 7-5, but Puget Sound answered with a 6-0 run, as Moira McVicar served on five consecutive successful rallies for the Loggers.

Puget Sound also held a 15-9 advantage, but the Bearcats later pulled within 20-17 on a service ace by Holt. Willamette got as close as 21-19 following a kill by Fincher. UPS closed out the set with a 4-1 run.

In the third set, UPS pulled away from a 5-5 tie with a 10-3 run, as the Loggers took a 15-8 edge on the Bearcats. WU battled back, eventually tying the game at 18-18 on a bad set by Puget Sound.

WU moved in front, 19-18, on a kill by Riley Fawcett (So., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS). After UPS tied the score, the Loggers took the lead with a service ace by Shawna Smith and then added three kills -- two by Hannah Stinson -- to take a 23-19 lead.

The Bearcats rallied with a 5-0 run that included two attacking error by UPS, a kill by Elisa Ahern (Sr., OPP, Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS), and two more attacking errors by the Loggers. A solo block by Stinson allowed UPS tie forge a 24-24 tie.

Emma Liband (Fr., MH, Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS) of Willamette gave the Bearcats the lead with a kill and Fincher added another kill to win the set 26-24.

Willamette owned a 7-4 edge in the fourth set, but UPS tied the score at 8-8. Four consecutive points, including kills by Liband, Tynan Gable (Fr., S, Woodinville, WA/Woodinville HS) and Fincher provided WU with a 12-8 lead, but Puget Sound tallied six of the next seven points for a 14-13 margin.

UPS led 20-16 and 24-18 before the Bearcats charged back. Four points in a row cut the margin to 24-22, but Katie Rice of UPS registered the match's final point with a kill.

In addition to Fincher and Dowdell, other top contributors for the Bearcats were Taylor Lum (So., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS) and Peyton Wahl (Fr., DS/LIB, Richland, WA/Richland HS). Lum achieved seven kills and a .545 hitting percentage. Wahl registered a team-high 16 digs.

Lindsey Compton (Jr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) earned 28 assists in three sets, while Gable provided 17 assists during the final two sets of the match.

Reynaud and Convery of UPS were followed on the offensive chart by Smith, who recorded 10 kills and 12 digs. Rachael Garrison led the Loggers with 15 digs, while McVicar added 14 digs and supplied 53 assists.

The Bearcats are at home on Saturday (Sept. 27) to take on NWC opponent George Fox University. Match time at Cone Field House is 7 p.m. (PDT).