TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers drop both of their matches in four sets, battling hard against Franklin & Marshall and the University of Wisconsin River Falls.
How it Happened
Game 1
It took a little for the Loggers to settle into match one, as they took on the Diplomats. Franklin & Marshall came into the season receiving votes on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll. The Loggers held in with the Diplomats for a while, going on a 5-0 run in the middle of the set to make it a 20-15 game. Kills by
Gena Fink,
Aubrey Tanner, and
Ursula Harrington kept it close, but the Diplomats took game one.
The Loggers went blow-for-blow early on in set two, as a service ace by
Lauren Ly and a Fink kill put Puget Sound on the board. This led to a Logger run, as the team catapulted to a 13-12 lead in the set. All-American honorable mention
Maddie Badger had three straight kills in the frame, as the Loggers took an impressive 18-15 lead. The Diplomats got hot at the right time, though, as the Loggers dropped set two 25-21.
Thanks to an impressive team hitting percentage of .375 in the third set, the Loggers climbed their way back into the match. They finally found their groove, starting off strong with a 10-5 lead.
Nicolette Raduziner had a coupe of key kills, and a pair of aces kept the Loggers lead at five. The Diplomats tied the game up at 16 apiece, but a 9-3 run extended the match. Tanner and Badger had back-to-back kills, and Raduziner capped it off with a set-sealing kill of her own.
The fourth set proved fruitful to start, as the Loggers started playing some of their best volleybal lof the day. They jumped out to a 10-6 lead, as Vivian Garcia heated up her arm. Fink then went back-to-back to make it 16-14 Logs, but a 6-1 run put the Diplomats solidly in front. Kills by Badger and Harrington brought the Loggers's back within three, but Franklin & Marshall came out the victor nonetheless.
The Loggers dropped game one 3-1.
Game 2
In a game that extended late into the evening, the Loggers battled hard against UW River Falls. Puget Sound kicked off the game, going on a quick 5-2 run to jump out in front. The Falcons responded with a run of their own, putting themselves back on top 12-8. A much-needed timeout changed the tides, as The Loggers catapulted in font 14-12. A back-and-forth match ensued, and after finding themselves down 20-18, Puget Sound pushed their way to the finish line. Two kills and a block by Tanner led the team during the stretch, as they took set one, 25-23.
The teams went back-and-forth in the remaining three sets, as the Loggers kept pushing to find ways to win points. Badger led the way with 14 kills and four blocks, and
Samantha Keightley led the game with 26 digs. The team looks to improve on the second day of the Puget Sound Premier, as they take on No.1 UW Oshkosh, and cross-town rival PLU.
First serve is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 5th.
