FOREST GROVE, Ore. - In a three-way tie for first place in the Northwest Conference, the 16th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers kicked off the second half of NWC play with a four-set victory over the Pacific Boxers, 25-16, 23-25, 25-15, 25-19, on Friday night in Forest Grove, Ore.

In the first set, the Loggers used a six-point run to go from down 0-3 to up 6-3 to take an initial lead and from there, it was all Puget Sound as they took the first frame, 25-16. The Loggers had 18 kills and just five attack errors on 47 attacks as they hit .277 to lead off the match.

In the second set, the two squads traded runs but the Boxers held the momentum when it counted, scoring four of the final five points scored to even the match at one set each. The Loggers were hampered by three service errors in the set that allowed Pacific to overcome nine attack errors to take the set.

The third set was also a game of runs, as the Loggers used a six-point swing in the middle of the set to take a lead. A solid attack of 13 kills and just four errors on 40 attacks led the Loggers to a 25-15 third set victory and a 2-1 match lead.

In the fourth and final set, the Loggers saved the best for last, putting down 13 kills with just one attack error on 37 attempts for a match-high .324 hitting percentage.

The Loggers were led by 19 kills on .341 hitting from freshman Brynn Blickenstaff (Eagle, Idaho). Lindsey Denman (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor) added 13 kills while Emma Bryant (South St. Paul, Minn./Wisconsin-Superior) came off the bench to add 12 kills. Senior setter Jamee Fred (Centennial, Colo./Grandview) put up 37 assists in the win while freshman Juliette Witous (Sonoma, Calif.) finished with 28 digs.

Pacific was led by 15 kills from Melissa Dunn and 21 assists from Brittney Johnson. Mari Kondo added 25 digs in the losing effort.

The Loggers hit the court again on Saturday night when they travel to McMinnville to take on Linfield.

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