KIRKLAND, Wash. - The Northwest University volleyball team cleared Walla Walla University 3-1 after winning three straight sets. 

The Eagles return home after a rough road trip with three straight losses to Eastern Oregon, Corban and Bushnell. The Wolves have been having a season for the ages with an Under Armour Team of the Week nomination and taking down Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon, two of the country's best teams. 

Both teams were at each other's necks to start the first set, unable to shake one another off. However, the Wolves slowly inched their way ahead going into the home stretch 21-18. The Eagles kept creeping up, but the Wolves nailed the final kill to win set one 25-20. 

The Wolves jumped out from the second set up 3-0, but the Eagles kept it close, not letting the wolves out of their sight. It would be back and forth once more, but the Eagles pulled away with the lead, eventually leading 16-12. The Eagles would reach the 20 point mark first, but a 4-1 run by the Wolves kept the home stretch close 21-20. The Eagles finished the set in the final moments with a 4-1 run of their own to secure a 25-21 win. 

The Eagles started the third set hot, going so far as to lead 11-4. The Wolves then pulled off a 5-1 comeback run to close the gap to three. It wasn't long before the Eagles widened the gap again with a 20-14 lead. The Wolves would rally, but the Eagles took the match lead with a set three win 25-20. 

The fourth set saw the Eagles keep a steady lead throughout the first half. While the Eagles were up 14-11, the Wolves struck a 5-1 comeback to take the lead for the first time in the set. It would then become a back and forth affair once again as each team jossled for the 20-point mark, which was first reached by the Wolves. Both teams ended up tied 22 each, but the Eagles squeaked ahead for the set and match win 25-23. 

"Walla Walla is a strong team, and their offensive weapons are a tough match up for anyone," said Head Coach Steven Bain. "We definitely struggled with our first contacts in set one, which made it difficult to side out on a consistent basis. We made some minor changes between set one and two that changed the matchups in our favor and that was one of the differences in the match. Those adjustments combined with our ability to play clean put us in position to make plays when the match was on the line." 

The Eagles will stay home for tomorrow's latchup against Lewis-Clark State College at the Kristi Brodin Pavilion at 6:00 PM.