NWC Volleyball: Linfield Falls in Four at Whitman

With the loss, Linfield falls to 12-8 on the season and 7-4 in the NWC.

Photo courtesy: Linfield Athletics

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Lydia Hayes slammed 20 kills, pushing her career total to 999, to power Whitman to a 3-1 Northwest Conference volleyball victory over Linfield Friday night in Sherwood Center.

Winning by scores of 26-30, 30-26, 30-22, 30-24, Whitman climbed above the .500 mark, improving to 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the NWC. The Missionaries remain tied with Pacific for fourth place in the conference standings.

Third-place Linfield falls to 12-8 on the season and 7-4 in the NWC.

Hayes, who hit a match-high .389, collected 18 of her kills in the first three games.

Needing three more to reach 1,000 career kills, the 5-foot-10 senior managed just two as Whitman's balanced attack took hold in the deciding fourth game.

Teammates Rosa Brey, Leslie Compean and Kaelyn Merkel combined for 12 kills as the Missionaries closed out the match.

Brey finished with 17 kills, 13 digs and four blocks. Compean added 15 kills while hitting .368. Setter Kristan Brown handed out 56 assists.

Losing for only the third time in its last 10 matches, Linfield got 19 kills and 14 digs from outside hitter Katelyn Baker. Emily Vuysteke and Molly Taylor had 10 and eight kills, respectively, for the ‘Cats.

Kelsie Butts, a first-year defensive specialist, led the Whitman defense with a match-high 24 digs. Merkel chipped in with 18.

Defensive specialist Rachel Rahn had 21 digs for Linfield. Libero Hannah Veley added 18.

AHEAD:

Linfield heads to Spokane for a 7 p.m. NWC match Saturday at Whitworth. Whitman stays at home Saturday to host Willamette at 5.

Source: Linfield Athletics

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