Fincher Earns 11 Kills for Bearcats, but Linfield Downs Willamette, 3-0

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Linfield College earned 46 kills and a .257 hitting percentage, as the Wildcats defeated Willamette University, 3-0, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match at Ted Wilson Gymnasium on Friday, Oct. 16. The Wildcats, who have won four of their last five matches, improved to 8-11 on the season, 5-5 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 11-6 overall, 7-2 in the conference.

Sarah Fincher (Sr., OH, Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) of Willamette registered 11 kills and committed just two attacking errors for the Bearcats. She hit .281 during the match.

Jamie Talbo and Molly McTaggart led the Wildcats. Talbo matched Fincher with 11 kills and two attacking errors. Talbo had just 23 total attacks on her way to a .391 hitting percentage. She also provided 20 assists. McTaggart achieved nine kills and one attacking error, while hitting .444.

Linfield gained an edge in serving, with seven aces and seven errors. Willamette produced only one service ace and had six serving errors.

The Wildcats surged out to leads of 4-0 and 5-1 in the first set. WU pulled within two points several times, including 13-11 following an attacking error by Linfield.

A 7-2 run extended the Wildcats' lead to 20-13, but Willamette still had one more rally. The Bearcats cut the margin to 23-21, and trailed just 24-22 following a kill by Riley Fawcett (Jr., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS). Caiti Barrie earned a kill for Linfield on the next rally to win the set.

There were five ties in the first 14 points of the second set, including 7-7 on a kill by Barrie. The kill started a 4-0 run by the Wildcats, who led 10-7 after a kill by Talbo.

WU trailed by just two points at 14-12 after a kill by Alexa Dowdell (Jr., MH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS), but Linfield never lost the lead. The set was still close when a serving error by Linfield's Quinn Takashima moved the Bearcats within 19-17.

Three straight rallies went to the Wildcats. Two of the points were earned on kills by Darian Stedman and Eryka Keoho. Linfield went on to win the set, 25-19.

The teams were tied at 9-9 in the third set. A 6-0 run by the Wildcats, ending with back-to-back service aces by Tiara Huffaker, gave Linfield a 15-9 edge. After WU scored the next point, Linfield added a second 6-0 run to take control of the set.

Fincher was followed on Willamette's offensive chart by Lindsey Compton (Sr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford), who recorded eight kills and a .238 hitting percentage. Compton also contributed 14 assists and 10 digs.

The match included just one block by either team. It was a solo block by Aspen Peterman (Fr., OH/OPP, Bend, OR/Bend HS) of Willamette in the third set.

Stedman of Linfield finished with nine kills. Courtney Uyeda supplied 14 digs, while Casie Gaza produced 18 assists and 11 digs.

Willamette will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 17 with a home match against George Fox University. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PDT) at Cone Field House.