Whitworth Pirates Volleyball
Sports Information
Whitworth Sweeps Second Place George Fox
Oct. 23, 2009

Ka'ipo Rocha Leads With 11 Kills, 3 Blocks

Whitworth (9-13, 5-6 NWC)

Defeated George Fox
25-20, 26-24, 25-17
Box score


Ka'ipo Rocha

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Ka'ipo Rocha had 11 kills and three blocks to lead Whitworth University to a 25-20, 26-24, 25-17 win over visiting George Fox University in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates won their fifth match in six tries to improve to 9-13 overall and 5-6 in the NWC. The Bruins lost sole possession of second place in the conference standings while falling to 14-5, 7-4.

Rocha (So., MB, Pukalani, Hawaii) hit .429 to lead the Pirates offensively. Kaimi Rocha (So., OH, Pukalani, Hawaii), Morgan Veleke (Sr., OH, Kennewick, Wash.) and Tracy Schwada (Sr., RS, Whitefish, Mont.) added eight kills apiece for the Bucs, who hit .165 as a team. Randi Stephens (Jr., MB, Bozeman, Mont.) finished with five blocks (two solo, three assists), while Jordon Hoffnagle (So., S, Spokane, Wash.) and Bree Riddle (So., S, Spokane, Wash.) dished 21 and 17 assists, respectively.

Lyndsay Hovee led George Fox with nine kills, and Kaitlyn Maddams added six kills and four blocks. Ali Toedtemeier and Lani Rasmussen each had 13 assists for the Bruins, who hit only .043 as a team.

Whitworth never trailed in the opening set, but could never break away either. After a Bruin attack error the Pirates took an 18-13 lead, but George Fox fought back to within 19-18 on Rasmussen's ace. The Pirates responded with five straight points and finished the set on a service error.

The biggest drama occurred in the second set, however. George Fox took a 17-14 lead after a Hovee kill and Pirate error before Whitworth scored five straight to lead 19-17. The Bruins responded and were poised to win the set at 24-22 after Stephanie Kerr's kill. But the Bucs scored the final four points of the set, with Schwada in on a block and getting a kill for the final two.

Whitworth led the final set 14-13 before finishing on an 11-4 run. Ka'ipo Rocha pounded the final three kills for the Pirates.

Whitworth has a chance to climb back to .500 after an 0-5 start in the NWC on Saturday night when the Pirates host Lewis & Clark College. George Fox will head to Walla Walla to take on Whitman College.