KIRKLAND, WA - Northwest University women's volleyball earned its first victory at home over The Evergreen State College tonight, extending its conference record 3-0. The Eagles came out on top in three: 25-13, 25-17, 25-23.

The Eagles were joined by a blaring crowd tonight for their first home match, which was well-deserved as they put on an exciting three sets.

NU had a great start as it jumped ahead 5-0, right off the bat. Followed shortly after was another 5-0 run for the Eagles, putting them ahead 12-3. The first set ended with yet another 5-0 run for the Eagles, Morgan Harter totaling two service aces in that stretch. 

Both teams went back and forth to start the second frame, but a handful of Eagle kills set them apart, 17-12. Halsie Keltner and Karste Wright each had a pair of kills to end the set 25-17.

Evergreen State found momentum in the third frame, taking the lead at 16-15 and forcing an NU timeout. The Eagles struggled to gather themselves as the Geoducks extended the lead 21-17, forcing a second NU timeout.

The Eagles trailed 18-23 when Kaitlyn Mickle adjusted to the Geoduck front line blocking and scored the next three out of four points for the Eagles. Down by one, Morgan Harter set up a ball for Kalli Budge that put NU in the lead. The duo then ended the match with a block at 25-23. 

Head Coach Steve Bain says, "Both teams played hard tonight, and we give credit to Evergreen State for making key adjustments that put pressure on our blocking and defense. On our side of the net, we wanted to counter with good first contacts in the serve and pass phase, and when we did that, it allowed us to score points in crucial moments. I was especially pleased with our determination in the third set. We could have easily let that one get away, but our ladies were able to stay in each moment, which enabled them to make the plays when the match was on the line."

Kaitlyn Mickle led the offense with 14 kills on two errors. Kylie Lunday had five kills, and Delaney Sparks had six kills and two blocks. 

Kills were set by Morgan Harter with 18 assists and Allie Flynn with 17. 

The Eagles hit the road again this weekend to play Corban on September 8, followed by Bushnell on September 9.