University of Puget Sound

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers went blow-for-blow with the No.1 team in Division III, before falling to Pacific Lutheran on day two of the Puget Sound Premier

How it Happened
Head coach Mark Massey and the Logger volleyball team got off to a great start against UW Oshkosh. Maddie Badger got the log rolling with a block to open the game, following it up with a kill moments later. This set the team on a run, as they found themselves up 9-6. The Titans put up eight straight points to make it 14-9, but the Loggers weren't out of it yet. 

Kills by Badger and Aubrey Tanner kept the Loggers in the game, as the team forced a win-by-two scenario. Mia Fedota and Gena Fink had back-to-back kills to tie the game at 24 apiece, and after going down 25-24, the Loggers rattled off three in a row to put the set away, 27-25. 

Following an intense set, the Loggers responded well yet again. They jumped out to an 8-4 lead thanks to a pair of kills by Aubrey Tanner, and several forced attack errors. They started to get into a groove, as Nicolete Raduziner fired off three kills in an 11-3 Logger run to put the team up 19-9. Badger also fired off a couple of kills, with Tanner putting the cherry on top. Raduziner finished with six kills in the set, as the Loggers jumped out to a 2-0 set lead. 

The defending national champions responded well, though, going up 6-1 to start the third. Tanner, Fink, and Badger added a couple kills each to pull it back within one, but the Titans kept slowly pulling away. Down five, the Loggers climbed right back into the match. Kills by Tanner, and a service ace by Lauren Ly propelled the Loggers back into the match with a 7-2 run. Despite pulling back within one to make it 22-23, the Titans pulled ahead to win the third set 25-23. 

The Loggers continued to press hard, but Oshkosh kept showing why they're a national contender. In the fourth set, the Titans got off to an early lead, and despite a couple of Logger runs, they pulled out a 25-19 set victory. In the fifth set, the Loggers pulled ahead 5-4, but a 6-0 Titan run made the deficit too much for the Loggers to handle. Oshkosh held on, as the Loggers narrowly dropped the match 3-2. 

In the evening game against PLU, the Loggers used the game as a chance to regroup and get everyone involved in learning the new system. With 10 new athletes on the roster this year, it was an important match to set up the Loggers' depth the rest of the season. Freshman Charlotte Fleetwood had a standout game, hitting .250 with 7 kills in just two sets. Tanner led the way with 10 assists, and Samantha Keightley finished with a team-high 13 digs. The team dropped all three sets, but have the momentum of their game against Oshkosh to take them into next weekend.

What Happens Next?
The Loggers head to Southern California for the Whittier/La Verne Tournament on September 11-12.