Bearcats Surprise Loggers with 25-19, 25-17, 26-24 Win in Tacoma

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

TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University earned 9.0 team total blocks and held University of Puget Sound to a .025 hitting percentage, as the Bearcats upended the Loggers, 3-0, on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Memorial Fieldhouse. Willamette moved past Puget Sound 25-19, 25-17, 26-24 to improve to 5-11 on the season, 3-5 in the Northwest Conference. The Loggers fell to 11-5 overall, 6-2 in the NWC.

Alexa Dowdell (Sr., OH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) earned nine kills for the Bearcats, while Kunani Tuttle (Fr., S/OPP, Anahola, HI/Kappa HS) provided 21 assists and Kaylen Higa (So., LIB/DS, Mililani, HI/Punahou School) contributed 16 digs.

Taylor Lum (Sr., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS) registered five kills, produced a .400 hitting percentage, and finished the match with five block assists. Jennifer Lane (Fr., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) achieved six kills and four block assists.

Puget Sound was led by Hannah Stinson with 10 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Rachael Garrison achieved 16 digs.

The teams battled through nine ties and seven lead changes in the first set. WU trailed 5-4, but used a 4-0 run to take an 8-5 lead. Later, the Bearcats pulled away from a 15-15 deadlock by with a 5-0 run that started with two kills by Dowdell and a service ace by Lum. An attacking error by the Loggers and another kill from Dowdell completed the run.

Willamette remained in front for the remainder of the set. Ater Puget Sound cut the lead to 21-19, the Bearcats closed out the set with four consecutive successful rallies.

Kills by Dowdell, Lauren Stiles (Fr., OH, Altadena, CA/Flintridge Preparatory School) and Emma Liband (Jr., MH, Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS) pushed the score 24-19. A combo block by Stiles and Madison Haley (Fr., MH/OPP, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) ended the set.

The Bearcats trailed 5-3 in the second set, but later moved in front for good with a 5-0 surge that created a 12-8 lead. The run ended with one kill each from Dowdell, Lum and Lane.

A bit later, WU owned a slim 15-13 advantage, but four unanswered points gave the Bearcats a 19-13 margin. Willamette won the set, 25-17.

Puget Sound was in front 5-2 after seven rallies in the third set, before Willamette zoomed out to a 16-10 lead. The Loggers fought back for an 18-18 tie  and eventually took a 22-18 lead on a kill by Kristen Lane.

WU trailed 23-19 after another kill by Lane two points later, but a kill by Riley Fawcett (Sr., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS), a service ace by Tuttle and an attacking error by Puget Sound cut the margin to a single point.

Krsiten Miguel added a kill for the home team to give the Loggers a 24-22 lead. Willamette used a kill by Lum, plus a combo block by Lum and Lane, to tie the score. An ace from Stiles put the Bearcats in front 25-24, and an attacking error by Miguel ended the match.

Willamett will play at archrival Linfield College on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Match time in McMinnville, Oregon, is slated for 7 p.m. (PDT).