Bearcats Sweep Past Pacific, 3-0, to Close Season

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

FOREST GROVE, ORE. --Taylor Gee (Sr., MH/OH, San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS)recorded 11 kills on a .529 attack percentage and Willamette University amassed 20 team total blocks, as the Bearcats defeated Pacific University, 3-0, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Willamette won 25-20, 30-28, 25-20, and concluded its season with a record of 12-13 overall, 7-9 in the NWC. Pacific dropped to 6-18 overall, 2-14 in the NWC.

It was the Bearcats' second 3-0 sweep of the Boxers this year. On Oct. 11, Willamette defeated Pacific 25-15, 25-22, 25-19 at Cone Field House in Salem, Ore.

The Bearcats built an 11-7 lead in the first set on the strength of a 6-0 run after trailing 7-5. After Willamette stretched its advantage to 17-11, the Boxers rallied, winning seven of the next eight points to tie the set at 18.

Willamette tallied the next four points, starting with a kill from Alida Holt (So., OH, Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt HS). After Pacific's Marie Rewick committed an attacking error, Taylor Lum (So., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS)and Elisa Ahern (Sr., OPP, Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) combined to block a shot by Una Areta.Another attack error by Kelly Wahl gave the Bearcats a 22-18 lead.

After Pacific closed within 23-20, Willamette scored consecutive points to win the set. Lum and Lindsey Compton (Jr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) blocked a shot by Haley Bedell, thenSarah Fincher(Jr., OH, Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) provided the final point with a kill.

The Boxers led 10-8 in the second set after an attack error by Fincher, but WU went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-10 lead on a ballhandling error by Pacific's Emily Farnham.

The Bearcats also led 21-18 after a kill by Lum, but the Boxers rallied to take a 22-21 advantage. Willamette responded with a 3-0 spurt, starting with a kill by Gee, and ending with an attack error by Bedell. WU dropped the next three points, but tied the set at 25 on a kill from Ahern.

An attack error by Holt gave the Boxers another match point, but Ahern responded with back-to-back kills to put Willamette up 27-26. A kill by Areta and an attack error by Lum handed Pacific a 28-27 advantage, but three straight Bearcat points, capped by a kill from Holt, clinched the set.

After the break between sets, Willamette surged out to a 7-3 lead in the third frame. The Bearcats advantage was cut to 9-7 after Rewick earned a kill for the Boxers, but Willamette responded with a backbreaking 7-1 run to claim a 16-8 edge.

A kill by Gee started the run, followed by a service ace from Tynan Gable (Fr., S, Woodinville, WA/Woodinville HS). After a kill from Bedel, WU quickly regained the momentum. Lia Zablan committed an attacking error, and Gee and Bailey Kray (Sr., S, Corona del Mar, CA/Mater Dei HS) got a combo block on a Bedel attack.

Kills by Gee and Kray sandwiched around a service ace from Riley Fawcett (So., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) to finish the spurt.

Later, a kill from Fawcett gave Willamette its largest lead of the set, 21-14, before the Boxers closed within 24-20 on a Bedell kill. Gee finished the set -- and the match -- with a kill on the very next play, giving the Bearcats a 25-20 victory.

In addition to 11 kills by Gee, Willamette's offense was led by 22 assists from Compton. The Bearcats achieved a .198 team hitting percentage, while limiting Pacific to a .109 percentage. On defense, Peyton Wahl (Fr., LIB/DS, Richland, WA/Richland HS) earned 13 digs and Alexa Becker (Jr., OH, El Dorado Hills, CA/Rider Univ.) achieved eight. Lum topped WU with five total blocks, while Gee and Compton each had four blocks.

Redwick led the Boxers with nine kills. Zablan's match-high 15 digs were followed by eight from teammate Emily Farnham.