SALEM, Ore. -- The Loggers win a five-set thriller at Willamette, taking down the Bearcats 3-2 to get back in the win column.
How it Happened
The first set got off to a rocky start, as the Loggers found themselves down 3-9 early in the first set.
Maddie Badger didn't take long to get rolling, as she notched the first two kills of the game for the Loggers. Puget Sound responded with a 7-1 run of their own, with
Mia Fedota,
Gena Fink, and
Ursula Harrington all contributing kills to the stat sheet. They forced a Willamette timeout and got right back into the match. A 7-2 Bearcat run immediately followed, though, which proved to be a bit too late in the set for the Loggers to catch up. Puget Sound found themselves in the hole early, as the Bearcats took the first set.
Similar to the first set, Badger led the way early with a pair of quick kills. Despite the game going back and forth, the Loggers were able to hold onto an early set lead. Harrington and
Nicolette Raduziner both picked up kills for the Loggers, who found themselves out to an 8-5 start. Badger and Raduziner then picked up a pair of kills, as Raduziner started to get the hot hand in the match. She piled on yet another kill, making it 14-11.
Meredith Coleman and
Charlotte Fleetwood both added kills of their own, and after the Bearcats pulled back within three, the Loggers sealed the deal with a 6-1 run to end the set.
Willamette secured the first two points in the third set, but a 6-0 Logger run put a damper on the Bearcats' momentum immediately. Badger added a kill and two blocks, as the Loggers forced a number of Bearcat attack errors. Puget Sound wasn't done with the run yet, as another Badger kill, and a service ace by
Camryn Shigemasa made it 9-3. Willamette slowly chipped awau at the Logger lead, but an impressive 7-1 Logger run gave the Loggers a 2-1 set lead.
Mia Fedota and
Nat Wong both had kills on the Loggers' set-ending run, with a
Samantha Keightley ace to add the cherry on top.
The Bearcats were the ones who came out swinging in the fourth set, going on an 8-1 run to put themselves up 10-5 early. Harrington and Raduziner both had kills to pull within striking distance, but the Bearcats went on another 5-0 run to go up 17-8. By that point, it took an effort for the Loggers to come back, but they were up for the challenge. Down 22-15, the Loggers went on an impressive run to get back into the match. Badger had her final three kills of the night all in a row, as the Loggers made it 24-21. The 7-2 run ended there, as the Bearcats forced a fifth set.
The final set of the day went the Loggers' way early, getting off a 5-0 run to put the Loggers up 6-2. Fedora and Fleetwood recorded kills during that stand, with a Bearcat attack error making it 7-3. Fleetwood added another block, with Fedota adding a kill of her own. All of a sudden the score was 10-4 in the Loggers' favor. The Bearcats fought to the end, though, as a small run crept up to make the game close once more. Fleetwood put the team on her back, as the First-Year put the game away with two final kills, winning the game for Puget Sound.
The Loggers take this one, 3-2 in a thriller.
What Happens Next
The Loggers take the rest of this weekend off, and gear up for their game against Lewis @ Clark. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm PsST;
