Pirates Post Second-Highest Hitting Percentage of 2009

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Ka'ipo and Kaimi Rocha combined for 19 kills to lead Whitworth University to a season-ending 25-5, 25-20, 25-22 win over visiting Pacific University in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates conclude the 2009 season with a 10-17 overall record and a 6-10 record in the NWC, bouncing back from an 0-5 start to conference play. The Boxers are 7-15 and 2-13 heading into their final match of the fall tomorrow night at Whitman College.

Kaimi Rocha (So., OH, Pukalani, Hawaii) and Morgan Veleke (Sr., OH, Kennewick, Wash.) had three kills each to lead Whitworth to a 25-5 win in the first set. The Pirates hit .304 while Pacific struggled with a -.250 hitting percentage. The Pirates built leads of 8-1, 12-2 and 20-3 before winning on Ariana Obert's (So., Lib, Deer Park, Wash.) service ace.

The Boxers regrouped to make the rest of the match competitive. Keleigh Kremers' kill tied the second set 10-10, before Whitworth took a 17-13 lead on a Boxer attack error. Pacific came back again to tie 18-18 on another kill by Kremers, but Whitworth outscored the Boxers 7-2 over the rest of the set and on on a kill by Ka'ipo Rocha (So., MB, Pukalani, Hawaii), who had five kills in the set to lead the Bucs. Alexa Block had eight kills in the second game for Pacific.

Whitworth never trailed or was tied in the third set, but the Pirates could never shake the Boxers either. A kill by Stephens gave Whitworth a 10-3 lead before Pacific rallied to within 10-9 after a kill by Lauren Baum. The Pirates extended the lead back to 17-12 on a Pacific error before the Boxers came back to within 20-18 on another kill by Baum. With Whitworth leading 24-20, Pacific fought off two match points before Kaimi Rocha ended it with her final kill of the night.

Block had a match-high 14 kills and eight digs to lead the visitors in both categories. Baum added seven kills for Pacific.

Ka'ipo Rocha finished with 10 kills, hitting .643 during the match, and led all players with six blocks. Kaimi Rocha had nine kills, while Obert finished with 12 digs. Whitworth hit .313 as a team, second only to the .323 the Pirates hit in an early season win over Kenyon College.

Tracy Schwada (Sr., RS, Whitefish, Mont.) and Veleke were recognized before the match as the Pirates' only two seniors. The pair combined for 10 kills and three blocks in the final contest of their careers.