TACOMA, Washington (October 11, 2024) It was clear early in the first period that the Loggers would continue to bound further and further away from Whitman's reach after a slew of kills by the Maroon & White kept the Blues on their heels. Through the Logger's first ten points, they had a hitting percentage of 100% and Whitman was stuck in the trenches - with less than 10%. Twice in the first set the Loggers were up by at least ten, and fifteen at the most when they led the Blues 25-10. Maddie Badger ended the first set with her 6th kill of the night.
The second set however, was a different story. The Blues led by three for most of the set; Loggers only seemed within reach after a block or error by the Blues. But then, as the set was 20-22 in favor of Whitman, after a solid Mackenzie Leith serve and a one-handed Skya Favor block, the Loggers took the lead, 23-22. Leith served again, and Sarah Johnsen answered the call, sending the set to match point - which the Maroon and White won on a deflected kill by Johnsen.
The Loggers entered the third set up 2-0, juiced on the thrill of just barely winning the second period of play. Just like the first set, they pulled away quickly after an array of kills left unanswered by the Blues - whose untimely errors didn't aid in their efforts to catch up. The Blues did make it within three points of the Loggers, but it was a kill by Nicolette Raduziner that sealed the deal for the Loggers with the final kill - and point - of the game.
Logger Head Coach Mark Massey was proud of how the team's preparations throughout the week led them to their success tonight. "We did a fantastic job of target serving and were able to implement some systems that we haven't had to utilize before" said the Loggers' longtime head coach. Badger, Leith, and Johnsen all continue to be fundamental pillars of the Loggers' offense, with 11, 11, and 12 kills, respectively.
The team is looking forward to their next match up and another opportunity to emphasize their powerful offense, which is tomorrow evening at home versus the Whitworth Pirates. Whitworth bested Pacific Lutheran 3-1 this evening at PLU. First serve is scheduled for 6:00pm.
