CLAREMONT, Calif. -- The Loggers are back in the win column, claiming their first win of the season against No. 11 La Verne.
How it Happened
Game 1
The Loggers kicked off their California road trip against Pomona-Pitzer, taking the Sagehens to four sets. Puget Sound kept it competitive early in the first set, battling back to tie the game at seven apiece early. The Sagehens went on an 11-2 run to force the Loggers' hand, going up 19-9 in a blink of an eye. The Loggers responded with a 4-1 run of their own with a couple of impressive kills, but the Sagehens were able to put set one away 25-16.
The second set started out really well for the Loggers, jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead thanks to good service by
Nat Wong, and a kill by
Maddie Badger.
Lauren Ly backed it up with a pair of aces herself, extending the lead to four.
Aubrey Tanner and Nicolette Razuziner both got in on the action, picking up their first kills of the set to make it a 13-10 ball game. Despite maintaining the lead until late, the Sagehens got hot at the right time, and eventually took the set, 25-23.
The third set was all Loggers, as they blasted out to a 9-3 lead. They dominated the set with excellent hitting, putting together an impressive .444 hitting percentage, going along with 20 kills. After being up 18-13, the Loggers went on a 7-2 run to close out the set. Raduziner picked up a pair of kills, sophomore
Ursula Harrington got one of her own, and Tanner put the cherry on top with two straight kills to send the Loggers into the fourth set.
The Sagehens began their run early in the fourth, jumping out to early 7-3 lead. Despite kills by Raduziner and
Mia Fedota, the Loggers just couldn't grasp the run they needed to keep pace with Pomona. Tanner contributed three straight points by herself, notching a kill before two straight aces pulled the Loggers back within four. The Sagehens closed the game out, as the Loggers dropped game one, 3-1.
Game 2
The evening match was all Loggers, as the team took on the reigning national runner-up La Verne. In an impressive match, the Loggers piled on an impressive .295 hitting percentage across three sets, including 42 kills to sweep the Leopards.
The task wasn't easy, though, as La Verne got off to a strong start in set one. Down 8-6, the Loggers went on their longest run of the day, scoring eight straight to dampen the spitits of the Leopards. Raduziner got a pair of kills,
Maddie Badger clocked in three blocks, and all of a sudden, the Loggers found themselves up 14-8.
Charlotte Fleetwood and Harrigton got in on the scoring, securing back-to-back kills to extend the Loggers' lead to seven. Badger piled on two more kills to secure the deal, blowing out La Verne 25-15 to finish the first set.
The second set was very similar to the first, as the Leopards got off to another strong start. A mid-set 9-3 Logger run gave Puget Sound the advantage
Alexis Higgins and
Samantha Keightley both recorded service aces, Badger got another couple of kills, all of which put the Loggers back in front. Fleetwood and Harrington paired up for a block, and kills by Badger and Tanner helped the Loggers extend their lead to seven. Four straight points capped off another fantastic set, as the Loggers found themselves up 2-0.
The third set was intense, as both squads traded blows back and forth the entire set. Puget Sound struck first, as Fleetwood, Badger, and Tanner got the Loggers out to a 3-1 lead. The Leopards pulled within two, but a 5-1 Logger run helped Puget Sound respond immediately.
Amber Smart stepped in to serve, going on a 2-0 run which included an ace to make it 20-12. La Verne showed why they were the DIII runner-up last year, as they brought it all the way back to tie the game at 23 apiece. The team traded points, but a kill by Tanner and a Leopard attack error sealed the deal. The Loggers take this one, 26-24.
Badger finished with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage, while Keightley led the team with 17 digs.
What Happens Next
The Loggers gear up for two more games against UC Santa Cruz and Whittier tomorrow, September 12th.
