TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers kicked off their season at home against the Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties, dropping the match in three sets 0-3. 

How it Happened
It took both teams some time to get settled in the first set, trading points as an attack error by Makela Pick and a kill by Skya Favor got things started 1-1. Pick and Nicolette Raduziner kept the log rolling, bouncing kills back and forth to keep it close. An Erin Fagan service run and a run of Logger kills kept the momentum going, giving the team a 12-10 advantage. The Gusties bounced back with a rally of their own, retaking the lead 14-13, but the Loggers struck back, tying it at 15 apiece. 

The Gusties took control after that, going on a three-point run, followed by another five-point run, taking a commanding lead 23-16. The Loggers crept back with an ace and two Gusties errors, but ultimately dropped the first set 20-25. 

Gustavus Adolphus got off to another quick start, as the Loggers found themselves down 5-1 early in the second set. A kill by Raduziner, Maddie Badger, and a service ace by Raduziner brought the Loggers right back into the match, going on a 5-2 run to bring it within one. The Gusties bounced back with a 5-2 run of their own, pulling back ahead, but the Loggers held steady. In a game full of runs, the Loggers tied the set at 15, giving them a boost of energy. 

Both teams traded two-point runs, and the Gusties ended up pulling ahead after a couple of kills. Facing set-point, the Loggers came within one, but couldn't gain momentum as they dropped the second set 23-25. 

The third set started with a 5-0 run for Gustavus, as the Loggers took some time to talk over some strategy. It paid off, winning the next three points and pulling within two. The Gusties created an opening, though, stringing together some points and taking a 18-8 lead. The Loggers weren't done yet, though, as kills by Mackenzie Leith, Raduziner, and Pick helped the team to an impressive 8-2 run. Two final kills by Pick and Raduziner brought the Loggers within four, but their comeback fell short as they lost the final set 20-25. 

Top Performers
Pick and Raduziner led the team with eight kills apiece, while Favor collected six of her own. Randi Rush got her season started with a solid 24 assists, and Akira Anderson led the team with 17 digs on the back line. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Gustavus was exactly the kind of big, strong team we wanted and needed to face," said Loggers head coach Mark Massey. "They served us tough, and we didn't pass quite well enough to run our offense. We did make some great digs, as well as blocking adjustments/execution, and by the end of the match, we had cut their offense in half … so a work in progress. We are looking forward to two more tough matches tomorrow."

The Loggers will be back in action tomorrow, August 30th at 9:30 am against Southwestern University, and at 6:00 pm against cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran. Roll Logs!