KIRKLAND, Wash. - The Northwest University women's volleyball team took an undefeated Lewis-Clark State College to five sets, but could not overcome the visiting team in the final moments.
The Eagles had a good time on Friday against Walla Walla with a mighty 3-1 win over the conference rivals. Meanwhile, the Warriors, ranked 17th in the nation, have been on a tear, being one of two teams in the conference to remain unbeaten.
The Warriors jumped ahead 5-1 on the strength of kills from Juliauna Forgach and Taylor Boyce. The Eagles, later, responded with a 3-0 burst keyed by Aubree Dees and Chloe Kennedy to jump out to a 12-11 lead. As the halfway point ensued, the Eagles strung together a 4-0 surge taking them to the 20-point mark. The Warriors fought back with a 3-0 run as Boyce took over. At 23-23, the Eagles pulled out the set behind Kaitlyn Mickle, who scored the final two kills in the closing stretch, sealing it for the Eagles 26-24.
Both teams traded mini-runs in the second set. The Warriors built momentum with a 9-3 lead capped by a Boyce kill. The Eagles later countered, tying the game up at 11 thanks to Dees and Sparks. Midway through, the Warriors responded with a 4-0 push to a 22–17 lead. Though the Eagles trimmed it to 23-22, the Warriors held on, finishing the set 25-23 in their favor.
The Warriors leaned on their top hitters in the third set. The away side surged early with a 12-9 lead. As the two squads jostled for dominance, the Eagles answered back, knotting it up 17 all after a 3-0 rally sparked by Mickle. The Warriors struck the decisive blow with a 5-0 run, putting the game out of reach. The Warriors closed out the third set 25–21.
With their backs against the wall, NU came alive in the fourth. Dees and Sparks powered a 4-0 run to give the Eagles a 12-9 lead. Even more deadlocked through the middle half, the Eagles used another 3-0 spurt fueled by Mickle's swings to go up 21-19. Despite a late push by the Warriors to come within 22–21, The Eagles finished the fourth set 25-21 to force a fifth.
The final set was a nail-biter. The Eagles started fast, going up 2-0 on back-to-back attack errors. The Warriors answered a little later, going up 10-6 after a four point burst behind Agu's two kills and Boyce's block. The Eagles clawed back a few points later to go within one as Mickle and Dees struck again. But the Warriors hammered back-to-back kills to finish to win the set 15-13 and the entire match.
"Obviously disappointing to lose a tight match but both teams played with terrific energy, and it was a fun match to be a part of," said Head Coach Steven Bain. "And as tough as it was to not get the win, I know our ladies will prepare for next week's matches with a positive mindset."
The Eagles will have one more home match in the home stand as they take on arch rivals Evergreen on Tuesday, September 23rd at 6:00 PM.
