SPOKANE, WASH. - The Northwest University volleyball team fought a five-set thriller against Whitworth University and came out on top to stay undefeated.
The Eagles played their final game in the Whitworth Tournament against the hosts after sweeping Whitman College on Friday. Meanwhile the Pirates swept Carlton earlier in the day and defeated Texas Lutheran on Friday 3-2.
The Eagles and Pirates traded blows at the beginning of the first set, but the Eagles began pulling away with a 6-2 run. The Pirates pulled right back and tied the set up 17-17, but the Eagles managed to squeak out the first set 25-20.
The Eagles dominated the start of the second set, going up 8-1 but the Pirates managed to get themselves back in the game with persistent kills and a five-point run half way into the set. It was a tight race to the finish, but the Pirates came out on top with a 25-23 win.
The third set saw both squads exchange multi-point rallies, but the Eagles strung together two big runs that secured the set win for themselves. The Eagles managed a 6-1 run that ballooned them to a 17-12 lead, then a five-point run that jumped them to 23 points. It was a strong performance as the Eagles secured the win 25-19.
The fourth set looked promising at the start for the eagles as they went up 9-5, but the Pirates commanded two, five-point rallies that not only kept them in the game, but also to the lead. The Eagles could not string together a run to get themselves the win. The Pirates win the fourth set 25-21.
The final set was sealed by the Eagles thanks to jumping out to a 6-2 then later rallied a four-point run to lead 12-6. The Pirates gave the Eagles a scare towards the end with a 5-1 run of their own, but the Eagles grabbed the final point, winning 15-12 and locked up the 6-0 record.
Kaitlyn Mickle had a monster performance with 21 kills in 54 attempts while Morgan Harter stood tall with 47 assists and 22 digs.
"Whitworth is well coached and has a talented roster so their grit and resilience was not a surprise," said Head Coach Steven Bain. "The ebb and flow of the match boiled down to first contact and fortunately, we were good enough in 3 sets to give ourselves an opportunity to win a tough match on the road. Overall, it's been a good preseason for the Eagles, and we will need to take what we have learned and continue to grow as we start conference play."
The Eagles get to rest for the week before traveling to the College of Idaho for the first conference game of the season on Friday, Sept. 5 at 6:00 PM.
n Friday, Sept. 5 at 6:00 PM.
