PORTLAND, Ore. - (From L&C SID Office) Whitworth overcame a loss in the opening game to win 28-30, 30-21, 30-28, 30-24 at Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference Volleyball match at Pamplin Sports Center.

Rusch had 40 kills in two NWC wins this week

After the Pirates took an early 16-9 lead in game one, the Pioneers mounted a comeback. Back-to-back kills by Katherine Fielder followed by back-to-back blocks by Fielder pulled the Pioneers within two points, then the Pioneers took advantage of three Whitworth errors to edge out to a 23-19 lead. L&C had game point, 29-25, when Whitworth mounted a rally. Back-to-back kills by the Pirates' Sarah Rusch and a kill by Nikki Bardewll made it a 29-28 Pioneer advantage before a Whitworth setting error earned the victory for the Pioneers.

Game two was all Pirates, with Whitworth earning a 30-21 victory.

In game three, the Pioneers Pioneers took a three-point lead, 14-11, on a kill by Cayley Rassmussen. The Pirates tied the game 15-15 on a service ace by Tracy Schwada, then took an 18-15 lead on an attack by setter Holly Ridings. The Pioneers tied the game 18-18 on a service ace by Andrea Chase and the two teams exchanged leads, with seven ties the rest of the way. With the game knotted at 27, Rusch put Whitworth ahead with a kill. The Pirates held on for a 30-28 victory, closing out the game on a kill by Ridings.

In game four, the Pioneers pulled within three, 25-22, with a kill by Fiedler, but a kill by the Pirates' Jill Solbrack put the momentum back on Whitworth's side. They held on for the 30-24 victory and the 3-1 match victory.

Rusch had 19 kills with three blocks (one solo, two assisted) to lead Whitworth. Tracy Schwada had 16 kills, four service aces, and two blocks (one solo block, one block assist). For the Pioneers, Katherine Fiedler had ten blocks (nine solo and one assisted) with nine kills. Sara Kettler had 12 kills with two blocks (one solo, one assited).

With the win, the Pirates improve to 9-7 (4-4 NWC). Whitworth is off again until next week when the Bucs return to the Portland area for three more matches beginning with a non-conference contest at Concordia on Thursday night.