Complete box score and play by play

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - (From Linfield SID Office) Turnabout was fair play for the Linfield Wildcats,who avenged their most bitter defeat of the 2005 season Friday night with a surprising three-game sweep of league leader Whitworth at Ted Wilson Gym. The much-awaited matchup of Top 25 teams didn’t quite live up to its billing, as No. 15 Linfield handed 18th-ranked Whitworth its first conference loss, 30-27, 30-22, 30-21.

The Pirates (15-3, 10-1 NWC) dealt the Wildcats (16-3, 8-3 NWC) their first loss of the 2005 season Sept. 23 in Spokane, following a 10-0 start.

The attacking duo of Lindsay Harksen and Lauren Kreiger battered the Pirates for 25 kills and six block assists, as Linfield outhit the visitors .229 to .090. Chelsey Gellatly passed out 43 assists.

Leading the way for the Linfield defense was libero Kelly Rilee, who totaled 20 digs and a pair of service aces. Michelle Wyatt and Harksen each had 10 digs, while Kreiger and Gellatly added nine.

The first game was a nail-biter with neither team able to build more than a two-point bulge until the final stretch. It took six lead changes before the Wildcats finally asserted themselves, pulling away from a 22-all deadlock. Inspired by a pair of emphatic kills from Kreiger, Linfield scored six of the next seven points to take command. Down by four and facing game point, Whitworth nearly rallied with aid of two Linfield ball-handling errors that sliced the margin to 29-27. But Harksen nailed a service ace and Katelyn Baker finished the match off with a kill.

Whitworth spun its wheels offensively in Game 2, committing as many attack errors (10) as kills. Linfield led for all but a brief instant, vaulting to a 16-10 lead midway through the stanza. But the Pirates fought back to take a momentary 22-21 advantage following kills by Brittney Bower and Whitney Murphy. Harksen pounded two of her five kills in the game as the Wildcats scored the final eight points to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the match.

Tied at 5, Linfield jumped to leads of 10-6 and 18-11 en route to the three-game sweep. Kreiger cleared the Whitworth defense for four kills and Harksen added three. Julie Marsh had four of her team-high 11 kills in the game, but it wasn’t enough for the shell-shocked Pirates.

Whitworth’s all-star center, Rebekah Hornor, picked up 33 assists and three kills. Marsh had 17 digs and Cassie Moore added 12. Danielsen picked up a match-high five block assists.