Bowen Leads Bearcats with 12 Kills and Hits .458 in 3-0 Victory over L&C

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Syd Bowen (So., OH/OPP, Tigard, OR/Wilsonville HS) pounded down 12 kills and earned a .458 hitting percentage to lead Willamette University to a 3-0 win over visiting Lewis & Clark College in a Northwest Conference match at Cone Field House on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Willamette prevailed 25-10, 25-16, 25-21, to advance its record to 7-5 on the season, 2-3 in the NWC. The Pioneers fell to 5-8 overall, 0-5 in the NWC.

Katey Cramer (So., OH, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo Grande HS/Cuesta College) tacked on 10 kills and a .320 hitting percentage for the Bearcats. Willamette's libero, Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute), registered a match-high 23 digs, including several impressive saves.

Olivia Cadien (Jr., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) added eight kills and 10 digs for WU, while Cramer and Emma Porter (Grad., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) each made nine digs. Porter also supplied three hits on just eight attacks to go with 30 assists. Alayna Hughes (Fy., Eugene, OR/Sheldon HS/Univ. of Providence) led all players with three service aces.

For the match, Willamette achieved a .246 team hitting percentage while limiting L&C to a 0.87 hitting percentage. The Bearcats attained 40 kills, eight service aces, and 59 digs.

Izzy Willis was L&C's top performer with 12 kills and eight digs. Annika Traxler produced eight kills and nine digs. Libero Katie Shimarua recorded 15 digs and two service aces. Bethany Ballesteros finished with 10 digs.

Willamette surged through the first set, creating leads of 15-3 and 22-6, before winning 25-10. During the initial 15-3 run, WU benefited from seven kills and all three of Hughes' aces. The Bearcats ended the set with an impressive .588 hitting percentage on 11 kills, one attacking error, and 17 total attacks. Cramer provided four kills on five attacks during the set, while Bowen added three kills on three attacks.

The Bearcats built another strong start in the second set, as Willamette grabbed a 9-3 advantage, including four kills from Bowen. A bit later, the Bearcats led 15-6 on a kill by Kaitlyn Westby (Jr., MB, Redmond, WA/Eastside Catholic HS). The Pioneers battled to within 17-14 on a kill by Willis and trailed 18-15 after a kill from Annika Traxler. Caroline Jameson (So., OH/OPP, Everett, WA/Everett HS) of WU added a kill to open a 3-0 run for a 21-15 edge. Willamette took the set, 25-16.

In the third set there were seven ties and five lead changes. The Pioneers were in front 3-1 after four rallies, but WU held a 5-3 margin after a hitting error by Lewis & Clark. Several plays later L&C led 8-7 and the Pioneers went on to claim an 11-9 lead on a kill by Traxler. The Bearcats answered with an 8-2 run for a 17-13 advantage. Willamette's run included two kills from Cadien and one each by Westby and Jameson.

The Bearcats kept the lead the rest of the way, thanks in part to a pair of exceptional digs by Sato. With WU leading 19-7, Sato made a pancake dig in the middle of the court that led immediately to a quick set and a kill for Cramer. During the next rally, Sato added a diving dig near the back line that resulted in another kill for Cramer, as the Bearcats extended their lead to 21-17. L&C rallied to within 22-21 on a kill by Traxler, but WU tallied the next three points to win the match.

Willamette will remain at home to take on Pacific University. Match time at Cone Field House is set for 7 p.m. PDT.