Setting the Scene: After three matches on the road, the Pacific Lutheran University volleyball team gets to enjoy the comforts of home. The Lutes welcome Oregon rival Lewis & Clark College to Olson Gymnasium for a chance to sweep the season series.
Series History: The Lutes have dominated the all-time series against the Pioneers, enjoying a 66-31 edge in the series that dates back to the 1980 campaign.
PLU enjoys a 16-match win streak in the series and has won 22 of the last 23 meetings. That includes winning the last six in straight sets, including a 3-0 victory in Portland back on Sept. 28.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (14-6, 9-2 NWC) returns home to Olson Gymnasium after winning two of its three matches on the road.
The Lutes rolled up Willamette University 3-0 last Friday night before rebounding from an opening set loss to take down Linfield University 3-1 the following day. Shaela Allen-Greggs headlined the day on Saturday with 13 kills while Julissa Pernsteiner had an even dozen along with seven blocks.
On Tuesday night, the Lutes and University of Puget Sound traded jabs before the host Loggers escaped with the 3-2 victory. UPS tallied nine of the first 11 points of the fifth set to net the win and avoid the season sweep. Pernsteiner was on point once again with 13 kills with Allen-Greggs adding 11 and Kailee Efros-Bohn netting 10.
Shaela Allen-Greggs leads the team in kills per set, averaging 2.39 while Julissa Pernsteiner is a hair behind at 2.34 per set. Claire Hindman nets 2.28 per set with a team-high 171 total kills. Pernsteiner is the team leader in blocks with 72, including 24 solo blocks while Alexis Eggert checks in with 44 stuffs.
The offense flows through the hands of Ayre Takamoto who has a team-best 8.89 assists per set. Defensively, Makenna Jackson paces the squad, averaging 4.74 digs per set while serving up 45 aces on the year.
NWC Rankings: The Lutes lead the league in team digs and aces per set, and total aces. Individually, Ayre Takamoto paces the conference in both assists per set (8.89) and total assists (676) while Makenna Jackson leads the NWC in total aces (45) and is third in aces per set while also ranking third in digs per set (4.74). Julissa Pernsteiner is second in the conference in total blocks and third in blocks per set.
Mr. 500: Head Coach Kevin Aoki clinched his milestone 500th career win on the road back on Sept. 28, a 3-0 victory over Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Aoki, the head coach since 1996, heads into tonight with a 505-228 career mark at his alma mater.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (0-16, 0-9 NWC) heads to Tacoma looking to snap a 20-game slide that dates back to the 2023 season.
Two weekends ago, the Pios kept things close against a pair of local rivals, falling 3-1 to George Fox University on Oct. 11 and 3-1 to Pacific University at home on Oct. 12 Against Pacific, the homesteading Pios won the opening set 26-24 but ran out of steam as the match rolled on, falling 25-23, 25-18, and 25-16.
The Pros fell 3-0 to Willamette on Oct. 15 in a match that was closer than the score indicated, including a marathon 31-29 set two. Lewis & Clark has been off since then, enjoying a 10-day break from conference competition.
Annika Traxler leads the Pios in kills, netting 148 on the season, accounting for over 30 percent of the squad's kills this fall. Ruby Kuerschner is the team's leader in assists with 289 while ranking second in aces with 19.
Emily Strand boasts a team-high 27 blocks with Bethany Ballesteros averaging a team-best 3.27 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 139-22 record in the facility since the 2006 season, including winning 21 of the last 22 matches inside Olson. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2023, 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
Weekend Highlights from Around Luteville
Check out all the highlights from another great weekend in Luteville. Football, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball combined to earn six wins and no losses last weekend in NWC play.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Despite winning the NWC regular season and tournament titles last fall, the Lutes were picked to finish second in the conference standings in the annual preseason coaches' poll.
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.
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Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. 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.
Last spring PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
Next Home Match:
Nov. 1 vs. George Fox at 7 p.m.
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