Puget Sound Downs Bearcats 3-1, but Vasquez Sets Career High with 32 Digs

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Standout libero Elena Vasquez (Fr., Kingston, WA/North Kitsap HS) set a career high with 32 digs, but it wasn't enough for Willamette University on Friday, Oct. 27, as the University of Puget Sound defeated the Bearcats, 3-1, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match. Each team won one set by two points, with the Loggers winning the match, 25-21, 24-26, 26-24, 25-19.

Puget Sound ended the night at 9-11 on the season, 6-7 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 7-14 overall, 4-9 in the NWC. The teams split the season series, with the Bearcats grabbing a 3-1 win at Cone Field House in Salem, Oregon,  on Sept. 29.

The 32 digs by Vazquez topped all players on both teams in Friday's match. Her previous career high was 28 digs in a 3-0 win at Pacific University on Oct. 14. She has now earned 20 or more digs in nine matches this season, including a current string of six matches in a row.

Dreux Bertolucci (Jr., OH, Cottonwood, CA/West Valley HS/Shasta College) led Willamette with 11 kills. Lauren Stiles (So., OH, Altadena, CA/Flintridge Preparatory School) contributed 10 kills and just two attacking errors, while recording a .222 hitting percentage. Jaiden Mason (Fr., S/OPP, Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School) was credited with nine kills and a .208 hitting percentage, plus 14 digs, nine assists, three service aces and a block assist. Kunani Tuttle (So., S/OPP, Anahola, HI/Kappa HS) supplied 17 assists.

Three Loggers reached double digits in kills. They were Rita Dexter with 19 kills, Melanie Siacotos with 17, and Kristen Miguel with 13. All three hit over .200, with Dexter at .275, Siacotos at .258 and Miguel at .257. The Loggers achieved a .184 team hitting percentage, while Willamette hit .134. Moira McVicar amassed 49 assists and led all players with four service aces. Dexter registered a match-high four total blocks.

Rachel Garrison topped Puget Sound with 22 digs. Dexter provided 19 digs and Alli Reviglio earned 14. The Loggers finished with a 63-47 lead in kills and a 94-81 advantage in digs.

"We again played well and had our chances," Willamette Head Coach Tom Shoji said. "Puget Sound just was a little better than us at the right times. They made some good plays on critical rallies. We were always playing hard and never stopped."

Dexter gave Puget Sound a 2-0 lead at the start of the match with a solo block and a kill. The Loggers surged out to a 9-3 lead and never trailed during the first set. Willamette battled back within 18-14 on an attacking error by Siacotos, but Puget Sound won the next two rallies. WU went on a 7-4 run to pull back within three points at 24-21 on a service ace by Mason. Revigilio ended the set with a kill for Puget Sound.

The Loggers struggled early in the second set and committed nine attacking errors as Willamette built a 17-10 lead. Puget Sound recovered from the slow start and scored the next four points. Jennifer Lane (So., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) added a kill for the Bearcats, but the Loggers scored the next point, and then added two kills in a row by Dexter to pull within 18-17. Garrison earned three consecutive service aces, and the Bearcats committed an attacking error, as the Loggers grabbed a 21-18 advantage.

Several points later, the Loggers held a 24-22 lead, but the Bearcats surged back to win the set with four points in a row. An attacking error by the Loggers was followed by a combo block from Liband and Mason. Liband tacked on a kill, before another attacking miscue by Puget Sound ended the set.

In the third set, the teams were tied six times and there were two lead changes. The Loggers held a 7-3 lead, but Willamette eventually tied the score at 10-10. The Loggers used a kill by Dexter and two kills from Reviglio to take a 13-10 advantage. The Bearcats tied the score again at 13-13 on a kill by Bertolucci and at 17-17 on a solo block by Liband.

Puget Sound tallied the next three points, starting with back-to-back combo blocks, for a 20-17 edge. Willamette tied the score at 22-22 on a kill from Bertolucci, and moved in front when Mason followed with a service ace. The Loggers added one kill each from Reviglio and Siacotos, but a kill by Stiles allowed Willamette to force another tie at 24-24. A kill by Siacotos and a service ace by McVicar gave the Loggers a 26-24 win.

Willamette led 5-2 in the fourth set, and then added a kill by Lane, a kill by Stiles and three consecutive kills from Bertolucci to claim a 10-2 advantage. The Bearcats' lead was reduced to 12-10 following a kill by Miguel, but WU won two points in a row for a 14-10 margin.

Puget Sound tied the score at 16-16 when a kill by Dexter completed a 6-2 run. Willamette was in front 18-17 before a 5-0 run by Puget Sound created momentum and gave the Loggers a 22-18 lead. The fourth point in the run was McVicar's final service ace of the match. The fifth point was scored on a kill by Madie Lage. After the Bearcats tallied the next point, Siacotos earned three kills in a row to give Puget Sound a 25-19 win.

The Bearcats will take on 25th-ranked Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, on Saturday, Oct. 28. Match time is set for 5 p.m. (PDT). The Lutes top the NWC standings at 11-2 and are 17-4 overall.