Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran honors its senior class tonight as it closes out the regular season with a clash against in-state rival Whitworth University.
Series History: The Lutes and Pirates have met 95 times since the 1982 season with the series tilted 49-46 in favor of Whitworth who has won the last four meetings. That includes a 3-0 victory back on Oct. 10 in Spokane.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (13-8, 11-3 NWC) returns home to Olson Gymnasium riding a six match win streak and is jockeying for playoff seeding after securing a spot in the four-team NWC Tournament last weekend.
Shaela Allen-Greggs was dialed in last Friday in Forest Grove against Pacific University, leading the team with 11 kills and no errors with a .458 attack percentage in a three-set sweep of the Boxers. Savanna Colliado had three aces on the night while Macy Matsushima had a team-high 17 digs.
The following night wasn't as easy with the Lutes erasing a 7-2 deficit in the fifth set to down host Linfield 15-11 to secure the 3-2 victory. Allen-Greggs again led the Lute offense with 18 kills with Julissa Pernsteiner adding 10.
The Lutes rank second in the NWC in aces, serving up 2.1 per set while ranking third in the nine team circuit in digs with 16.6 per set.
Individually, Macy Matsushima sits second in the league in digs, averaging 4.5 per set while Ayre Takamoto is third in assists with 8.4 per set. Bailey Johnson is fifth in the league in aces with 35 across 75 sets played while Alexis Eggert checks in sixth in the conference in blocks (0.75 per set).
About the Pirates:Â Whitworth (18-6, 12-2 NWC) heads into the weekend riding a five match win and still in contention to repeat as NWC regular season champions.
The Pirates two blemishes came on back-to-back matches, falling 3-1 at home to Puget Sound on Oct. 11 before getting edged 3-2 on the road against a hot Willamette team.
Since then, Whitworth has dominated, including earning a 3-1 win over George Fox last Friday and a 3-0 sweep of Lewis & Clark last Saturday.
Amblessed Okemgbo leads the Pirates in kills with 282, averaging 3.0 per set. Alyssaa Baird has 215 kills on the season with Lindsey Short adding 210. Whitworth rotates two setters with Mya Rodriguez averaging 4.97 assists per set while Josephine Thompson averages 4.57 per set.
Defensively, Olivia Paul leads the team in digs with 310 on the season, averaging 3.5 per set. Whitworth leads the league in blocks with 173 on the season and sits second in the conference in both kills and assists.
Thank You Seniors!
This year's senior class has continued the Lute tradition of success, winning the 2022 NWC title and qualifying for the conference tournament all three years of its existence.
The 2025 seniors own a 67-33 record over the past four years, including a 50-12 mark in conference play and an impressive 31-3 record inside Olson Gymnasium.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been a tough team to beat inside Olson Gymnasium, owning a 63-9 record inside the facility since the 2017 campaign. That includes boasting an 25-1 record inside Olson since the 2023 season and currently owning an 11 match unbeaten streak.
Luteville Highlights
NWC Coaches' Poll
This August, the Lutes were picked to finish second in the league standings in what coaches believe will be a tight race for the conference title. One point is all that separates PLU from the top spot with three points the buffer from first to third.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Next Match:
Nov. 14at 2025 NWC Tournament
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu