Bearcats Down Covenant (Ga.), 3-1, and Roll Past Brevard (N.C.), 3-0, in Atlanta

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

ATLANTA, Ga. -- At the Emory Classic on Saturday, Sept. 4, the Willamette University Bearcats defeated Covenant College (Ga.), 3-1, and swept Brevard College (N.C.), 3-0. The wins improved the Bearcats to 3-2 on the season, as they finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. Covenant fell to 2-1 after losing to Willamette, while Brevard dropped to 1-3.

In the match against Covenant, the Bearcats were led by Natalie Klotz (Sr., OH, Bonner Springs, KS/Bonner Springs HS) with 17 kills and a .394 hitting percentage. Against Brevard, Shyla Sato (Jr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/MId-Pacific Institute) supplied 15 digs and Willamette accumulated 6.0 team total blocks on 12 block assists while holding the Tornados to a hitting percentage of -.022.

Klotz was one of several Bearcats with strong performances versus Covenant, as the Bearcats rallied from a close loss in the first set to win the match, 24-26, 25-7, 25-21, 25-19. Sato was credited with a match-high 23 digs, while Emma Porter (Jr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) registered 39 assists.

Olivia Cadien (Fy., OH, Mesa AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) earned 11 kills and Dani Queja (Jr., OH, Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School) finished with 10 kills for Willamette. The Bearcats recorded 53 kills and a .230 team hitting percentage. Cadien, Queja, and Kotz contributed three service aces, as the team accumulated 11 aces during the match.

Covenant received 10 kills from Summer Johnson, who hit. 292. Riley Howe and Kyla Bailey each provided nine kills. Anna Baldwin achieved 15 digs. Rachel Bartlett amassed 27 assists. The Scott hit .114 as a team.

Sato's 15 digs led the way against Brevard in a 25-16, 25-15, 25-10 win. Also playing well against the Tornados were Klotz with eight kills and Porter with 14 assists and five service aces. The Bearcats registered 10 aces during the match, giving them 21 aces on the day and 34 aces for the season. Axley Hoxit produced six kills for Brevard, while Bailey Lance earned nine digs.

Porter and Sato were named to the Emory Classic All-Tournament Team. Other players chosen for the All-Tournament Team were Tara Martin, Cassie Srb, and Deborah Hong from Emory University, Rachel Bartlett from Covenant College, and Hailey Stout from Greensboro College (N.C.). Tara Martin was selected as the Emory Classic Most Valuable Player.

In the first set against Covenant, the Bearcats trailed 13-7 and 17-12 before tying the score at 17-17 on an attacking error by the Scots. The 5-0 run also included two service aces by Klotz. The teams were tied six more times, including 24-24 after Klotz pounded a kill. Covenant scored the next two points for a 26-24 win.

Willamette responded to the close loss by rolling to a 25-7 victory in the second set. The Bearcats tallied the first 10 points, starting with kills by Queja, Klotz, and Porter. A bit later, WU owned a 16-3 advantage.

The third set began with a 5-1 run by the Bearcats, ending with a kill by Lexi Martin (Jr.., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS). Covenant tied the score several times over the next few rallies, including 8-8 on a kill by Bailey. Cadien supplied a kill for WU on the next rally, and the Bearcats held the lead for the rest of the set. The Scots were within 17-15 on a kill by Johnson, but Willamette scored five of the next seven points and went on to win the set, 25-21.

WU surged out to an 8-4 lead in the fourth set. Covenant moved within a single point at 11-10, but the Bearcats tallied the next four points ending with a service ace by Cadien and a kill by Klotz. Willamette eventually held a 21-13 lead and ended the match with a 25-19 win.

Strong play from the Bearcats allowed Willamette to easily win all three sets as they swept the Tornados. In the first set, Willamette surged out to a 10-4 lead and owned a 16-9 margin after a kill supplied by Klotz. Brevard cut the lead to 19-15, but WU went on a 6-1 run to win the set.

The second set featured a 10-5 lead for Willamette. Later, the Bearcats put together a 4-0 run, ending with a kill by Ana James (Fy., Jr., OH, Imperial Beach, CA/Mar Vista HS) for a 19-11 edge. The Bearcats prevailed, 25-15.

In the third set, the Bearcats held leads of 9-0 and 11-1 on their way to sweeping the match with a 25-10 win. Willamette limited the Tornados to five kills and a -.241 hitting percentage during the set.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Sept 11 with a neutral-site game in Portland, Oregon, against Illinois College. The match will be played at Lewis & Clark College at 10 a.m. (PDT).