TACOMA, Wash. -- Puget Sound comes back to beat cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran in five sets, taking the crown and winning 3-2.
How it Happened
The Loggers came to play immediately, as they dominated the first set.
Maddie Badger and
Aubrey Tanner had themselves a great night - one that started out with back-to-back kills. A quick Lute run put PLU on top, but a pair of Lute attack errors brought the Loggers back into the game. Down 8-9, an impressive 6-0 run gave the Loggers a commanding lead. Badger had three kills during that span, showing why she's the reigning Northwest Conference Athlete of the Year.
Another major Puget Sound run put the set entirely out of reach.
Mia Fedota found the court for her second kill of the evening, and Badger added another kill to her total. This launched a 9-1 run, as the Lutes were held to a mere 14 points in the first set. Tanner found her groove while serving, recording three aces in six points.
Gena Fink heated up as well, adding three kills in-between the aces.
Viviann Garcia put the cherry on top with a final kill, as the Loggers took set one, 25-14.
Badger kept her hot hand to start the second set, going a perfect seven for seven to hit a perfect 1.000 early in the game.
Calista Davis, who played really well in her setting duties, recorded her first ace of the game to help the Loggers out to a 3-0 lead. The Lutes pulled ahead 8-5, but a 5-1 Logger run put Puget Sound back in the match.
Camryn Shigemasa came in to serve, joining Davis with an ace of her own. Tanner slotted a nifty kill, and also teamed up with Fedota to block their way to a 10-9 Logger lead.
The teams went back-and-forth from there, trading the lead deep into the set.
Nicolette Raduziner was a powerhouse, putting in work both offensively and defensively to get the Loggers back on track. Tanner notched two kills in a row, and Fedota added another to tie the set at 18 apiece. A late-set Lute run was unfortunately timed, as they took set two, 19-25.
Badger, as she did in the first two sets, got off to another great start with two blocks in a row.
Charlotte Fleetwood came into the match and made an immediate impact, as her two kills put the Loggers up 5-2. Badger battled with the Lutes, keeping the Loggers afloat with three kills between a pair of Lute points.
PLU piled on the points, as all of a sudden, Puget Sound found themselves down 14-18. Badger added a kill and her third block of the set, with a Fedota kill bringing the Logs back within one. Fleetwood,
Meredith Coleman, and Raduziner all kept it close, but the Lutes slowly pulled away. PLU took set three, 21-25.
Backed against the wall, the Loggers responded with an electric fourth set. A Badger kill and Fleetwood block gave Puget Sound a smooth 3-2 lead early. Back-to-back kills by Tanner kept the Loggers ahead, but a 6-1 Lute run put an end to that quickly. Raduziner chipped in a pair of kills, helping the Loggers tie the game at 12 apiece. Another Lute run put the Loggers down 12-16, But Shigemasa's second ace of the evening, along with a kill by Tanner and a pair of Lute mistakes, pulled the Logs back within one.
Ursula Harrington made a major impact when it mattered the most, tying the set at 18 apiece and forcing a Lute timeout. PLU responded with a 4-1 run, putting Puget Sound down 22-19. In a wild turn of events, a massive 6-0 run helped the Loggers close out the set. Raduziner's two kills in a row, along with a Tanner kill and a Badger block helped the Loggers put the set away. They forced several key Lute errors, winning set four 25-22 and forcing a fifth set.
Puget Sound got off to the best start possible in the fifth set, jumping out to an early 6-1 lead. Badger and Tanner both had two kills apiece to open the set 4-0, showing why they're two of the best athletes in the entire conference. Fleetwood also got in on the action, adding two kills of her own to make it 7-2.
PLU wasn't done yet, though, coming back with a 6-0 run to make it 7-9. A block by Harrington and Fleetwood, as well as a kill by Raduziner tied the game at nine, as the finish line started to creep into sight. The Lutes made it 12-10, but the Loggers got the last laugh. Badger got her 17th kill of the night, while Tanner powered her way to a pair of kills to shut the door completely. The Loggers took set five 15-13, completing the comeback and winning the game in dramatic fashion.
Tanner had a career night, hitting .400 with 20 kills, 16 assists, and a whopping 24 digs. Badger also hit well, finishing with 17 kills, 4 blocks, and a .375 hitting percentage. Davis led the way with 35 assists, averaging a smooth 7 assists/set.
What Happens Next
The Loggers stay at home to play Willamette on Saturday, October 24th at 6:00 pm.
