TACOMA, Wash. - The University of Puget Sound held off a Whitworth University rally, defeating the visiting Pirates 30-22, 30-23, 27-30, 30-21 in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday night.
Holly Ridings posted a triple-double with 37 assists, 16 digs and 10 kills to lead Whitworth (10-12 overall, 5-8 NWC). Sarah Rusch had 11 kills and three blocks, while Nikki Bardwell finished with 10 kills. Monica Groves and Lindsey Denman had 20 and 19 kills, respectively, to lead the Loggers (14-8, 9-4). Whitworth rallied from a 17-10 deficit in the first game to within 20-17. But UPS retook control by outscoring the Bucs 10-5 the rest of the way. The Loggers won the second set in similar fashion, opening a 12-6 lead then holding off several Whitworth rallies. The Pirates got within 21-19 before UPS finished the game on an 8-4 run. In the third stanza it was Whitworth that took the early lead. The Pirates built a 25-14 lead on a kill by Bardwell before UPS rallied with a 12-1 run to tie the game 26-26. But Whitworth scored three of the final four points to force the match into a fourth game. The Loggers regrouped and controlled the final game by outhitting the Pirates .320 - .111. Denman finished off the match with a kill. The Pirates will continue the Tacoma trip with a match at newly-crowned NWC champion Pacific Lutheran on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. |
