Dowdell Ties Career High with 22 Kills, as Bearcats Rally Past Puget Sound, 3-2

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- It was the volleyball team's Senior Night at Cone Field House on Saturday, Nov. 5, and the three seniors on the Willamette University team contributed key plays, as the Bearcats rallied from a 2-1 deficit to surge past University of Puget Sound, 3-2. The Bearcats won 25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-12.

It was the second time this season that Willamette upended Puget Sound. On Oct. 8, the Bearcats won in straight sets, 25-19, 25-17, 26-24, in Tacoma, Washington.

With Saturday's win, the Bearcats ended the year with an 8-16 overall record, 6-10 in the Northwest Conference. Puget Sound fell to 15-9 on the season, 10-6 in the NWC.

Senior Alexa Dowdell (OH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) of Willamette led all players with 22 kills, as she matched her career high, which she set against Pacific Lutheran University earlier this fall. Jennifer Lane tacked on 15 kills for the Bearcats.

After the match, Dowdell and fellow seniors Riley Fawcett (Sr., OH, Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) and Taylor Lum (Sr., MH/OH, Honolulu, HI/Maryknoll HS) were honored for their four-year careers at Willamette.

Fawcett was credited with 11 kills and 11 digs against the Loggers. Lum provided timely plays with three kills, four digs and four total blocks, including two block solos.

Also for WU, Kaylen Higa (So., LIB/DS, Mililani, HI/Punahou School) recorded 32 digs, just one short of her career high of 33 digs set against Whitman College on Sept. 23. Lauren Stiles (Fr., OH, Altadena, CA/Flintridge Preparatory School) earned 11 kills and 16 digs, while Kunani Tuttle (Fr., S/OPP, Anahola, HI/Kappa HS) contributed 30 assists and 13 digs.

Kristen Lane topped Puget Sound with 16 kills. Hannah Stinson added 15 kills for the Loggers to go along with 18 digs. Katie Rice produced 11 kills, while Rachael Garrison led all players with 38 digs. Morira McVicar finished with 39 assits and Shari-Lynn Hayashi supplied 19 digs.

In the fifth set, the teams were tied at 6-6, before Willamette went on a 4-1 run for a 10-7 advantage. The run began with a service ace by Tuttle. It also included one kill each from Dowdell and Emma Liband (Jr., MH, Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS). A bit later at 13-11, Lane scored on a kill to put the Bearcats at match point.

A kill by Kristen Lane of Puget Sound cut the margin to 14-12, but an attacking error by the Loggers on the next rally gave Willamette the final point.

Willamette won the first set 25-23. The Bearcats prevailed after rallying from deficits of 7-4 and 13-9. The Brearcats tied the score at 15-15 on a kill by Liband, and moved in front on an attacking error by Katarina Moffett of Puget Sound. The teams were tied at 16, 17 and 18, before the Loggers scored on consecutive rallies for a 20-18 lead.

Puget Sound extended the margin to three points at 22-19, but WU rallied with a 6-1 run to win the set. The Bearcats opened the run with three straight points -- all on kills by Lane. An attacking error by Willamette allowed the Loggers to move back in front, 23-22.

A serving error by Puget Sound and a ball-handling error by the Loggers sent Willamette into the lead at 24-23. Dowdell pounded down a kill to complete the set.

The Bearcats eventually trailed 2-1 after Puget Sound won by matching 25-22 scores in the second and third sets. In the second set, the Loggers led 6-1 and 13-5, before the Bearcats charged back to claim an 18-18 tie. The 13-5 run included four kills by Dowdell.

Willamette and Puget Sound were tied two more times before the Loggers recorded three points in a row for a 23-20 edge. The teams split the next four points, as Puget Sound won the set.

In the third set, WU held an 8-3 advantage after a service ace by Stiles. The Loggers countered with a 9-2 run to take a 12-10 lead. The set was close the rest of the way, with Puget Sound eventually moving in front, 23-22, on a ball-handling error against Willamette. Kills by Erika Smith and Stinson closed out the set for the Loggers. The third set featured 11 ties and six lead changes.

The Bearcats pounded out 15 kills and had just one attacking error in the fourth set, as they hit .412. Willamette pulled away from a 7-7 tie to take a 15-10 lead. The Loggers scored the next point on a kill by Kristen Lane, but WU answered with a 4-0 run for a 19-11 margin.

Willamette's run started with a kill by Liband, continued with back-to-back kills from Dowdell, and ended with a combo block by Fawcett and Liband. The Bearcats coasted to a 25-15 win to force the fifth set.

Dowdell ended the season ranked second in the NWC with 298 kills and 3.47 kills per set. She concluded her Willamette career with 743 kills, 709 digs and 148 total blocks. Lum achieved 291 career kills to go with 143 digs and 178 total blocks. Fawcett registered 196 kills and 294 digs during her career.