Complete box score and play by play

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth University got off to a good start in Northwest Conference volleyball play on Friday night, sweeping visiting Willamette University 25-15, 25-21, 26-24 in the NWC opener for both schools.

Bardwell finished with 8 kills and 16 digs

The Pirates (8-5 overall, 1-0 NWC) got a match-high 14 kills from Kaimi Rocha (Fr., OH, Pukalani, Hawaii), while Nikki Bardwell (Sr., OH, Colville, Wash.) added eight kills and 16 digs. Bree Riddle (Fr., S, Spokane, Wash.) and Jordon Hoffnagle (Fr., S, Spokane, Wash.) combined to dish out 30 assists. Whitworth hit .177 in the match.

The Bearcats (2-9, 0-1) were led by Jessica Durham's 8 kills and 11 digs. Setter Clare Chedester handed out 19 assists. Willamette hit only .068 in the match.

Whitworth rolled to an easy win in the first set. The Pirates turned a 3-3 tie into a 13-6 lead with a 10-3 run early in the set. Rocha and Bardwell each had a pair of kills in the run. After the Bearcats got within 13-8 on an ace from Jaela Dinsmore, the Bucs turned back the rally with four straight points. Whitworth won the set 25-15 on a block assist from Ka'ipo Rocha (Fr., S, Pukalani, Hawaii) and Jill Solbrack (Sr., RS, Colfax, Wash.).

Willamette scored the first point of the second set, but did not lead again. The Pirates took their largest lead when Hoffnagle's aces gave them a 17-11 advantage. But Willamette rallied to within 21-19 after another ace from Dinsmore. Whitworth eventually won the set 25-21 after a Bearcat attack error.

The final set was the closest of the match, however it didn't appear like it would end that way when Bardwell served three straight aces to give Whitworth an 18-10 lead. But Willamette scored eight straight, including three aces from Kelly Lindstrom, to tie the game 18-18. Whitworth went up 24-21 after a kill by Morgan Veleke (Jr., OH, Kennewick, Wash.), but the Bearcats scored three straight to hold three match points. Randy Stephens (So., MB, Bozeman, Mont.) got a kill for another match point and the Pirates won it after a final Bearcat error.

Whitworth will conclude its conference home-opening weekend by hosting Lewis & Clark College on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Willamette continues its Eastern Washington road trip by playing at Whitman College.

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