Willamette Ends 15-Match Losing Streak

The 'Cats last win prior to Friday was a 3-0 rout of Cascade College on Oct. 3, 2006.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

SPOKANE, Wash. - Willamette University split a pair of matches on the first day of the Whitworth Invitational on Friday, as Lewis-Clark State College defeated the Bearcats, 3-0, before WU downed the University of Montana-Western, 3-1.

Lewis-Clark won the first match 30-16, 30-14, 30-16.

Willamette lost the first game of the second match before rallying past UMW, 24-30, 30-28, 30-26, 31-29.

Willamette is now 1-5 on the season.

Lewis-Clark improved to 3-2 after defeating Willamette, while UMW dropped to 0-8 after losing to the Bearcats.

Lewis-Clark won the opening match by hitting .304 on offense, while forcing Willamette into 23 attacking errors.

WU also registered just two serving aces and committed six serving errors.

The leading attacker for LC SC was Cintia Alessi, who recorded 12 kills and a .370 hitting percentage.

Brittney Kubik added nine kills and just one attacking error on 13 total attacks for the Warriors.

Her .615 hitting percentage topped all players in the match. Setter Lisa Davis registered 22 assists and Lindsay Scott recorded 15 digs.

For Willamette, Jessica Durham recorded five kills and Kelley Lindstrom added four kills. Clare Chedester led all players for either team with 25 digs.

Brittany Ashby added 12 digs and 15 assists, while Edyth Lee-Barrnes contributed 11 digs.

Against Montana-Western, the Bearcats trailed by only a single point at 21-20 in the first game.

UMW followed with a 9-4 run to win the game and take an early lead in the match.

The Bearcats countered with a 30-28 win in the second game. Willamette again trailed 21-20, but took a 28-25 lead on a kill by Lindstrom.

UMW pulled within a single point at 28-27 and 29-28, but Lindstrom provided a kill on the next rally both times. Lindstrom recorded five kills during the game.

In the third game, WU claimed a 30-26 victory.

The Bearcats surged out to a 13-4 lead and held a 27-19 advantage, before UMW scored five consecutive points to pull within 27-24. The Lady Bulldogs never got closer.

WU led 10-8 and UMW held a 15-12 advantage in the fourth game.

The Bearcats regained the lead at 17-15, only to have the Lady Bulldogs move in front, 20-18.

A 9-4 run followed for Montana-Western, as Willamette fell behind, 29-23. WU put together a run of its own by scoring eight consecutive points to win the game and the match.

Courtney Nicholls of UMW made three attacking errors during Willamette's run, while Lee-Barnes and Christine Dion earned kills for WU.

Durham served the final seven points of the match, including an ace for the final point.

Lindstrom topped the attacking chart for Willamette with 13 kills.

Julie Stutzman pounded out 10 kills to go with a .350 hitting percentage. Stutzman also earned six digs, three block solos and one block assist.

Chedester led the defensive charge, with a match-high 29 digs. Ashby supplied 44 assists, while Durham contributed 17 digs and seven kills.

Montana-Western placed four players in double figures for kills, led by Brianna Ternes with 14.

Jandi Farnsworth added 13 kills, while Aisha Snyder and Ashlee Johnson added 10 each.

Stephanie Couture provided 48 assists and 19 digs. Kiley Myers paced the Lady Bulldogs with 22 digs.

Willamette's victory ended a 15-match losing streak.

The 'Cats last win prior to Friday was a 3-0 rout of Cascade College (30-18, 30-20, 30-12) on Oct. 3, 2006.

The Whitworth Invitational will conclude on Saturday.

Willamette will play host Whitworth at 10:00 a.m.

Following that match, the Bearcats will either play at 2:00 p.m. (PDT) in the third place match or at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) in the championship match.

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