Women’s Volleyball: Linfield Downs Pacific in Three

Linfield hosts Willamette Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

Linfield's Lauren Kreiger Photo courtesy: Linfield College

FOREST GROVE - Pacific proved that it could compete with one of the top teams in the nation Saturday, but 15th-ranked Linfield received a few more breaks to take a three-game match from the Boxers, 30-27, 30-16, 30-27, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Pacific Athletic Center.

The Boxers (7-15, 4-8 NWC) hit better than the Wildcats (17-2, 10-2 NWC) in games one and three, but experienced a letdown in a game two in which the visiting team dominated. Pacific finished with a .237 attack percentage for the match, while Linfield finished up at .308.

Megan Van Domelen led the Boxers with 11 kills and hit .450, while Jill Peacock connected for 10. Anela Iseke finished with 37 assists and Melissa Dunn had 15 digs.

Lauren Kreiger led four Linfield players with double-digit kills with 15 and Kelsey French came off the bench to finish with 14. Michelle Wyatt had 12 digs and Chelsey Gellatly connected for 40 assists.

Both teams played a strong game in the opening set, which included a .340 attack percentage for the Boxers. While Linfield led by as many as five points, the Boxers came within striking distance at the end. Peacock's kill brought Pacific within 28-27 and forced a Linfield timeout, but the Boxers did themselves in with a ball-handling error. Wyatt then issued a service ace to give the Wildcats a 30-27 victory.

Linfield dominated throughout the second game thanks to a match-high .354 attack percentage. A Pacific service error opened up a 10-5 lead, and a kill from Kreiger extended the advantage to 18-9. Pacific's fifth attack error of the game made the lead 11 for the Wildcats and French made two kills in the final three rallies to close it out at 30-16.

The teams traded leads back and fourth through the first half of the third game. French gave Linfield the lead for good as 12-11 with a kill, but the Boxers remained close in the rear-view mirror. Linfield had the 26-20 lead late, but watched Dunn, Peacock and Van Domelen score kills to bring Pacific within 29-27. A well-placed Linfield timeout did the trick as Katelyn Baker scored a kill off of the next serve to seal the match.

Pacific returns to action next Friday for their final road game of the season, traveling to Lewis & Clark before hosting George Fox on Saturday.

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