Kelsey Bumgarner, Whitworth Sports Information Intern Complete box score and play by play
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth University swept to a 25-18, 25-23, 26-24 win over visiting Pacific University of Oregon in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Saturday night to complete a 2-0 home weekend and move into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings. Pacific’s Kelsy Takashima and Whitworth’s Kaimi Rocha (Fr., OH, Pukalani, Hawaii) traded kills to open the first set. Rocha and sister Ka’ipo Rocha (Fr., MB, Pukalani, Hawaii) continued a short Pirate streak with two more kills to go up 3-1 before a series of errors by each team tied the score 6-6. Kaimi Rocha led all players in the first set with 7 kills as the Pirates pulled away from a 12-12 tie and won 25-18 on an attack error by Caitlin Gollehon. The second set was tight the entire way. Following a 5-5 tie, the Pirates made a short surge with strong play at the net by Ka’ipo Rocha, Jill Solbrack (Sr., RS, Colfax, Wash.), and Tracy Schwada (Jr., RS, Whitefish, Mont.) to create a four-point gap 12-8. Dunn pounded 4 kills for Pacific in the set to keep the Boxers in the running, but Rocha’s two kills and a block by Holly Tomlin (Sr., MB, Kirkland, Wash.) and Nikki Bardwell (Sr., OH, Colville, Wash.) at the end made the score 24-21. Takashima led a short Boxer run to get within one, but Solbrack hammered one more kill for the Pirates to win 25-23. Pacific opened strongly in the third set when Kelsey Carter put down two kills and Dunn had one kill to jump ahead 3-0. Bree Riddle (Fr., S, Spokane, Wash.) served an ace to help the Pirates tie at 3-3, and after a series of side outs, Bardwell hit three kills and Tomlin served an ace to get ahead 12-9. Dunn turned the set around by rattling off three straight kills and added two more before the Boxers led 24-19. Whitworth made a strong comeback however, led by the solid serving of Tomlin, to rally off seven straight points. Kaimi Rocha and Jordan Hoffnagle (Fr., S, Spokane, Wash.) each had a kill, and a block by Ka’ipo Rocha and Schwada put the Pirates ahead 25-24. Tomlin finished the match off by serving an ace. Dunn led Pacific (6-14 overall, 5-7 NWC) with 15 kills and 9 blocks, while Takashima had 6 kills as the Boxers hit .081. Brittney Johnson handed out 19 assists and Lia Nishikura 10, and while Mari Kondo had 8 digs. Whitworth (13-11, 6-6) hit .163 in the match, led by Kaimi Rocha’s 11 kills and Bardwell’s seven. Riddle had 17 assists, and Bethany Castilleja (Sr., Lib, Kennewick, Wash.) led the defense with 12 digs. Bardwell also had 9 digs, and Rocha contributed 7 more. The Pirates moved one game ahead of the Boxers in the conference standings and are now tied with Linfield for fourth place. Whitworth travels to Tacoma to take on the University of Puget Sound on Halloween at 7 pm. Pacific will return home from its eastern Washington tour to face Willamette at the same time. Go to Athletics Home Page > Volleyball > Sports Releases > |
