Queja Earns 16 Kills, but Loggers win Two Close Sets in 3-0 Win over Bearcats

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Dani Queja (Sr., OH, Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School) provided Willamette University with a match-high 16 kills and the Bearcats pounded out 13 more kills than the University of Puget Sound, but the Loggers won two sets requiring extra rallies on their way to a 3-0 victory in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday, Oct. 28 at Memorial Fieldhouse. Puget Sound won 27-25, 25-18 26-24.

The teams entered the match tied for first place in the NWC at 8-4 along with George Fox University and Whitworth University. With the win, Puget Sound improved to 12-9 on the season, 9-4 in the NWC. Willamette slipped to 9-10 overall, 8-5 in the NWC.

In other action on Friday, Whitworth defeated Lewis & Clark College, 3-0, George Fox lost to Whitman College, 3-0, and Pacific Lutheran University edged out Pacific University, 3-2. Puget Sound and Whitworth are tied for first place at 9-4. Willamette, George Fox, and Pacific Lutheran are tied for third place at 8-5.

Queja's 16 kills paced the Bearcats, while Olivia Cadien (So., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) tacked on 14 kills, and Kaitlyn Westby (So., MH, Redmond, WA/Eastside Catholic HS) earned eight kills. Westby hit .312, Lexi Martin (Sr., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS) hit .286, and Queja finished with a .270 hitting percentage. Emma Porter (Sr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) contributed 39 assists, while Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) made 19 digs. Caiden produced 10 digs and Queja added eight. Sydney Locke (Fy, MB, Federal Way, WA/Decatur HS) topped WU with three block assists.

The Bearcats registered 19 kills in the first set compared to 14 kills for the Loggers. WU attained a 12-9 edge in kills during the second set and a 16-11 margin in the third set. Willamette also ended the match with a 67-58 lead in digs. Puget Sound offset its deficit in kills and digs with a .231 team attacking percentage and 9.0 team total blocks, while the Bearcats finished with a .185 hitting percentage and 4.0 blocks. The Loggers gained an edge in serving with five aces and four errors, while WU had three aces and eight errors.

Sara Olsson supplied the Loggers with 11 kills and Avery Allemann ended the match with nine kills. Logan Winn was credited with 26 assists for Puget Sound, and teammate Jena Williams led the Loggers with 13 digs. Allemann accumulated four total blocks, including three block solos. Olsson earned three block assists.

Willamette trailed 9-4 in the first set following a combination block by Olsson and Maddie Klopcic. The Bearcats rallied to within 13-12, but trailed 15-13 before going on a 5-0 run for an 18-15 lead. The run ended with a kill by Queja.

A bit later, WU broke a 21-21 tie with a kill by Westby, a kill by Porter, and a successful attack from Cadien for a 24-21 advantage. The Loggers tied the score with a 3-0 run, but a kill by Caiden gave the Bearcats a 25-24 edge. Puget Sound won the next three points, ending with a kill from Olsson and a combo block by Olson and Klopcic for a 27-25 win.

The Bearcats were in front 6-3 after nine rallies in the second set. PS answered with a 9-4 run to go up 12-10. The Loggers gained a 16-12 scoring margin on a kill by Klopcic and eventually held a 21-15 lead. Puget Sound claimed the set 25-18.

Willamette and the Loggers played an exceptionally close third set that included 13 ties and six lead changes, as neither team led by more than three points. Willamette took an 18-16 edge on a service ace by Heavenly Tuputala (Fy., OH, Auburn, WA/Federal Way HS) and led 22-20 following a kill by Westby and assisted by Porter. The score was tied three times over the next six points including 23-23 and 24-24 on kills by Cadien. A kill by Winn of Puget Sound was followed by a WU attacking error, as the Loggers took the set 26-24.

Up next for Willamette is a match against Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Tacoma. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. (PDT).