Pirates Pull Upset for First NWC Win

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth University gained its first Northwest Conference volleyball win of the season in emphatic fashion, sweeping 19th-ranked University of Puget Sound 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 on Saturday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

Kaimi Rocha (So., OH, Pukalani, Hawaii) had a match-high 12 kills to lead the Pirates (5-12 overall, 1-5 NWC). Ka'ipo Rocha added nine kills with no errors in 20 attempts for a .450 hitting percentage and added five block assists. Ariana Obert (So., DS, Deer Park, Wash.) had a match-high 18 digs and Bree Riddle (So., S, Spokane, Wash.) dished 24 assists.

Brynn Blickenstaff led the Loggers (10-4 overall, 4-2 NWC) with seven kills, while Leigh Sumida had 16 digs. Stephanie Harvey dished 19 assists and also had five kills.

Whitworth bounced back from an early 3-1 deficit in the first set to take an 8-5 lead on a kill by Randi Stephens (Jr., MB, Bozeman, Mont.). After Puget Sound tied the score 12-12 on a kill by Kalli Kamphaus, Whitworth went on an 11-2 run to take control of the set. Consecutive errors by the Loggers ended it at 25-18 in Whitworth's favor.

The Pirates trailed only 2-1 in the second set before breaking away from a 7-5 lead with a quick 6-0 run. Ka'ipo Rocha had back-to-back kills in the set. Puget Sound pulled within 20-16 on a dump by Harvey, but Whitworth pulled away and won on a kill by Tracy Schwada.

The final set went back and forth as the teams traded leads. The Loggers took their final lead at 13-12 on when Harvey set the ball to an opening deep in the back of Whitworth's court. But the Pirates went on a 10-2 run to retake the momentum and won it on a kill by Kaimi Rocha.

The Pirates hit .229 as a team, while Puget Sound struggled to a hitting percentage of .066.

Whitworth will look to gain its second conference win of the season when the Pirates travel to Whitman College on Wednesday night. Puget Sound returns home to host Linfield College next Saturday.