Fincher Passes 1,000 Career Kills, but Lutes Defeat Bearcats, 3-1

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

PARKLAND, Wash. -- Sarah Fincher (Sr., OH, Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) of Willamette University moved past the 1,000-kill mark for her career, but Pacific Lutheran University won a key Northwest Conference battle 3-1 over the Bearcats on Friday, Oct. 30. PLU won the match, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20.

Fincher earned 13 kills against the Lutes and now has 1,005 kills in her career. Her career total includes 89 kills as a freshman at Southwest Baptist University and 916 kills at Willamette.

Alexa Dowdell (Jr., MH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) of Willamette led all players in Friday's match with 16 kills, while hitting .268.

Three PLU players ended the match with double-digit kills. Gabrielle Alley topped the Lutes with 14 kills, while Roshel Muzzall contributed 12 and Michaela Edgers added 10.

Pacific Lutheran improved to 15-7 overall and to 9-4 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 13-9 overall, 9-4 in the NWC.  The Lutes slipped into second place in the NWC standings, while Willamette moved from second to third. Whitworth University leads the conference at 11-2.

Emma Liband (So., MH, Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS) of Willamette returned to action after missing nearly five full matches. She recorded a match-high eight block assists.

The Lutes held a slim 12-11 advantage in the first set, before scoring three consecutive points for a 15-11 lead. The Bearcats cut the margin to 15-13 and 18-15 on kills by Dowdell, but PLU ended the set with a 7-1 run.

Willamette tied the match with a 25-23 win in the second set. The Lutes led for most of the set, holding leads of 9-3 and 19-15. The Bearcats eventually took a 21-20 lead at the end of a 6-1 run on a block by Liband and Lindsey Compton (Sr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford).

After the team split the next four rallies, WU owned a 23-22 lead. Compton provided a service ace for a two-point lead. A block by Edgers allowed PLU to move within one point, before a kill by Fincher closed out the set.

The third set was very competitive, with 13 ties and six lead changes. With PLU holding a 14-12 edge, WU gained momentum on a 5-0 run that included two kills each for Dowdell and Riley Fawcett (Jr., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS).

Pacific Lutheran scored five of the next seven points for a 19-19 tie and moved in front on a kill by Alley. Fincher tacked on a kill for Willamette, tying the score at 20-20. PLU put together five consecutive points to win the set, 25-20.

In the fourth set, the teams were tied at 13-13, before the Lutes used a 6-2 run for a 19-15 advantage. Willamette cut the lead to two points twice, at 21-19 on a service ace by Taylor Lum (Jr., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS) and at 22-20 on a kill from Dowdell.

Kills by Mackenzie Harris and Edgers moved PLU to match point. A service ace by Lucy Capron gave the Lutes a 25-20 win in the set.

Pacific Lutheran finished with 58 kills and Willamette earned 47. In addition, there were 21.5 team total blocks, including 11.0 by PLU and 10.5 by Willamette.

The teams also combined for 204 digs, with the Lutes recording 103 and the Bearcats producing 101. Kylai Cooley of Pacific Lutheran led all players with 28 kills, while Kenle Valade-Nunez recorded 19 for the Lutes. Willamettes leaders in digs were Kaylen Higa (Fr., LIB/DS, Mililani, HI/Punahou School) with 25 and Macy Hayashi (Sr., OH, Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS) with 24.

Willamette has played seven of its last eight matches on the road. The Bearcats will return home to finish the season with home matches against Whitworth University at 7 p.m. (PDT) on Nov. 6 and against Whitman College at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7.