TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers drop their first home conference game of the year, falling to the Whitworth Pirates 3-1. 

How it Happened
The Loggers got off to a blazing start in set one, leading the charge with a 6-2 run. Maddie Badger got started early, capping off some long rallies with back-to-back kills. The Loggers then extended their lead to seven, this time as Makela Pick and Skya Favor hammered the ball home. 

Puget Sound kept holding steady, as Badger and Pick teammed up for a block, and Erin Fagan hit one home to give the Loggers a 16-9 lead. Mackenzie Leith also got in on the action, picking up a pair of kills on the Loggers' way to another seven-point lead – 21-14. Whitworth went on a run at the end of the first set to make it interesting, but the Loggers held steady, as Badger put the final exclamation mark on a 25-20 first-set victory. 

The second set was also close, as the teams traded points early. Leith and Pick both hit well, picking up two kills each to give the Loggers an early 10-8 advantage. The Loggers maintained their lead with a Mya Rodriguez service error, but a 5-0 Pirate run swung the momentum back Whitworth's way. The Pirates continued to win points, as the Loggers dropped set two, 25-17. 

Whitworth continued to hit well, as the Loggers couldn't seem to gain their footing. Next thing they know, the Pirates were up 17-6. The Loggers started to piece it together at the end of the set, but kills by Fagan and Badger weren't enough to bring the Loggers back. The Pirates took set three, 25-13. 

The fourth set was back and forth early, as both teams were jostling for position. Badger had back-to-back kills to tie the set at five, and electric back-to-back Samantha Keightley aces pulled the Loggers ahead 12-11. The Loggers won a couple of solid rallies off Pirate attack errors, but well-timed timeout shifted the momentum. The Pirates pulled ahead 24-21, and with their backs up against the door, the Loggers started to come back. Badger played a major part with a block and a kill to pull the team within one, but the Pirates ended up taking set four, 25-23. 

Whitworth now controls their own destiny to host the NWC tournament. A Logger win against Whitman on senior night grants them at least a tie of first-place, but the Pirates hold the tiebreaker on "Record against NWC opponents in descending order of finish." The Loggers need a win, and a Whitworth loss to host the NWC championships at home next weekend, November 14-15th.

Top Performers
Badger finished with 15 kills and 5 blocks, and Keightley came in clutch with 24 digs - several of which were diving saves. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Kudos to Whitworth for outplaying us tonight - they won the serving/passing game, which allowed them to efficiently put up more kills than we did," said Logger head coach Mark Massey. "Maddie led us with 15 kills and several blocks tonight. Sam put up 24 digs, stealing a number of sure kills. Our outsides, Mack and Erin, were squeaky clean - only 3 errors each in almost 2 hours of play. Super-impressive since our passing was shaky, and our setter Randi was on the run a lot. Randi played superbly under pressure." 

What Happens Next
The Loggers stay at home as they celebrate their seniors against Whitman on November 8th, at 6:00 pm.