Liband Provides Spark as Bearcats Rally for 16-14 Win in 5th Set versus L&C

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Senior middle hitter Emma Liband (Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS) of Willamette University, who earned kills and blocks at key times throughout the match, provided two big plays late in the fifth set, as the Bearcats rallied from a 10-4 deficit for a 16-14 win and a 3-2 match victory against Lewis & Clark College on Friday, Nov. 3 at Cone Field House.

With the win, Willmette upped its record to 8-15 overall, 5-10 in the Northwest Conference. L&C fell to 2-20 on the season, 1-14 in the NWC.

WU reduced its deficit in the fifth set to 11-10, but the Pioneers scored the next three points for a 14-11 lead. The Bearcats responded by grabbing the final five points of the match. The scoring surge began with the Pioneers committing a serving error. Kunani Tuttle (So., S/OPP, Anahola, HI/Kappa HS) then served the last four points for Willamette.

After a kill by Lauren Stiles (So., OH, Altadena, CA/Flintridge Preparatory School), Liband and Stiles stopped an attack by Bailee Cragun with a combo block to tie the set at 14-14. Liband added a kill in the middle for a 15-14 lead. Tuttle's next serve skimmed the top of the net cord and landed on the L&C side of the court for a match-winning ace.

"It was a real nice win tonight," Willamette Head Coach Tom Shoji said. "Emma played really well tonight ... including a block and a kill in the fifth set that were really critical. We were on the ropes, and she came through. It's good to see us playing hard at the end of a match. We continue to improve and learn. That's what you always want as a coach."

Liband led Willamette with 12 kills, a .450 hitting percentage and seven total blocks. Her blocking total included a match-high three solo blocks plus four block assists. Dreux Bertolucci (Jr., OH, Cottonwood, CA/West Valley HS/Shasta College) tacked on 10 kills, while Jaiden Mason (Fr., S/OPP, Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School) finished with nine kills, a career-high 24 digs and 18 assists. Tuttle recorded 22 assists, and Elena Vasquez (Fr., LIB, Kingston, WA/North Kitsap HS) supplied 15 digs. 

Like Liband, Jennifer Lane (So., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) produced strong play in the middle. She earned seven kills and a .400 hitting percentage on the attack, and earned four total blocks on defense.

Kortney Meyer pounded down a match-high 21 kills for Lewis & Clark and also compiled 15 digs. Casey Myszkowski was credited with 11 kills, while Annika San Nicolas recorded 25 digs. Mikayla Lopez achieved 22 assists and 12 digs.

Willamete zoomed out to leads of 5-1 and 7-2 in the first set, but the Pioneers tied the score at 8-8 on a kill by Sam Yorke. A few points later, the teams were tied 10-10. A kill by Anneke Banda followed by a kill from Cragun gave L&C a 12-10 advantage. The Bearcats countered with a 3-0 run to claim a 13-12 lead, but the Pioneers scored nine of the next 11 points and held a 21-15 lead after a kill by Meyer. L&C won the set, 25-18.

The second set included a phenomenal 18 ties and six lead changes before Willamette prevailed, 28-26. The set was close the whole way as neither team led by more than two points. At 24-24, a controversial play led to a 25-24 lead for the Pioneers. After receiving the serve, L&C tried to send over a free ball. The officials ruled that Liband touched the ball, which sent it back over the net and out of bounds. Shoji argued that the ball wasn't touched and had changed direction by hitting the top of the net.

While L&C scored the point, it was Liband who gained emotion from the play. On the next rally, she pounded down an emphatic kill, as Willamette tied the score at 25-25. The teams were tied again two points later. Mason added a kill for the Bearcats and Stiles earned a service ace to give WU the win and tie the match.

The Bearcats kept the momentum going in the third set, as they never trailed. Willamette took leads of 5-1 and 13-3 on its way to a 25-10 victory. WU hit .290 during the set, while limiting L&C to a .028 hitting percentage. Stiles and Bertolucci each had three kills during the set, and the Bearcats recorded 3.0 team total blocks.

Lewis & Clark grabbed a win in the fourth set. The score was tied at 10-10 following a Willamette kill by Kendall Fox (So., OH, Dupont, WA/Steilacoom HS). The Pioneers responded with three consecutive points to start a 10-4 run. WU battled back to within 20-16 on a solo block by Liband, and later trailed by just three points at 24-21. Banda registered a kill for L&C to end the set.

Willamette will conclude the season with a home match against George Fox University on Saturday, Nov. 4. Match time is set for 7 p.m. (PDT). It will be Senior Night for the Bearcats, who will honor Liband, the team's only senior, following the match.