TACOMA, Washington – Northwest Conference road matches haven't been kind to the Puget Sound volleyball team in the early going of the NWC season, but the Loggers aim to change the trend at Whitworth (Oct. 1) and Whitman (Oct. 2) this weekend.
 
The strong start
Puget Sound began the 2021 season with eight wins in its first 11 contests, marking the program's best start to a season since 2016 (10-3). However, the Loggers lost their first two NWC road matches, at Pacific Lutheran (Sept. 22) and at Pacific (Sept. 24). The Loggers enter this weekend with an 8-5 overall record (2-2 NWC).
 
Jordan knocks 'em down
Jordan Holman matched her career-high for kills with 18 at Pacific (Sept. 24). Holman had 18 kills twice in 2019 – once against Lewis & Clark, and once against George Fox. Holman is the team-leader in kills with 123, and her 140 digs rank second.
 
Efficiency for Carley
Katherine Carley is the team's No. 2 leader in kills (115), and she is hitting a team-best .373. Carley is hardly one-dimensional – she also leads Puget Sound in blocks (39).
 
Around the conference
Both Whitworth and Pacific Lutheran are 4-0 NWC. Pacific follows with a 2-1 conference mark, while both Puget Sound and Whitman are 2-2. Lewis & Clark, George Fox, and Willamette each have one conference win, and Linfield is still searching for its first NWC win after four conference contests.
 
Scouting Whitworth (9-2, 4-0 NWC)
The Pirates enter the weekend with four consecutive wins, all of which are against NWC opponents. Maddie Lee far and away leads the team in kills with 169, and Saylor Anderson has 266 assists. As a team, Whitworth has a .191 attack percentage, and it is limiting opponents to a .112 clip.
 
Scouting Whitman (4-9, 2-2 NWC)
The Blues enter this weekend with consecutive wins over Linfield and Willamette. The Loggers beat the Blues in three-straight sets during the Puget Sound Premere earlier this season (Sept. 3). Christina Boxbers leads Whitman in kills with 89, and Megan Suka follows closely with 81. The Blues are hitting .126 as a team.