Warner Pacific Holds Off NCU
PORTLAND, Ore. – Warner Pacific held off a hungry Northwest Christian squad and earned a much needed conference victory at C.C. Perry gym tonight.
The Knights posted their best hitting percentage of the conference season at .288, swinging for 52 kills versus just 12 errors. WPC also put up a season high 10 total blocks.
The hosts started the match strong, posting leads of 6-2 and 13-4. The Beacons fought back to with five at 20-15, but the Knights’ Emily Damschen put home kills on three of the last 5 points to lead WPC to the set 1 win, 25-17.
Set 2 was much closer in the early going as the teams traded points to a 9-9 tie. With the set up for grabs, Melita Elliot toed the line and served the Knights to a 5-0 run. The visitors regrouped behind the hitting of Emily Miller who had 4 kills in the frame and drew with in three at 20-17. At that point, the Knights proceeded to reel off another 5 straight points to win the set 25-17.
A sweep seemed to be in the making in set 3 as Warner Pacific methodically built a 21-14 lead. Refusing to go quietly, the Beacons flipped a switch and won the next 11 points to steal set 3, 25-21. Cassie Bishop was the spark at the service line for NCU, dropping in three aces in the comeback.
The Knights bounced back for set 4 and Megan Marineau started the frame with a purpose, spiking home the first 3 WPC points. While the Knights trailed only at 1-0, NCU hung around and were down just by one (11-10) after a Kayla Hansen kill. Warner Pacific used a 9-2 burst to pull away, however, and held off any rally attempt to secure the set and the match, 25-18.
Leah Gradwohl paced WPC in kills (15) and tied Caitlyn McCall for a team high in digs (17). Megan Marineau added 11 kills and Melita Elliot registered 24 assists.
Northwest Christian was led by Miller’s match high 17 kills, joined by Cassie Bishop with 11. Mercedes LeClaire tallied a match high 21 digs.
The Knights improve to 7-8 overall and 3-6 in CCC play. Northwest Christian falls to 4-13 and 0-9.