Setting the Scene: The Lutes continue their opening homestand tonight, welcoming Willamette University to Olson Gymnasium for the third of four straight home matches.
Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have tangled 93 times since the 1980 campaign with Pacific Lutheran enjoying a 60-33 advantage in the all-time series. PLU has won seven straight, including winning all three meetings last season. The Lutes prevailed 3-0 in Salem, Oregon back on Sept. 22 before taking the regular season series with another 3-0 sweep on Oct. 21. The two teams met in the inaugural NWC Tournament on Nov. 10 with the host Lutes claiming yet another 3-0 victory.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (5-4) finished out its non-conference slate last Friday, cruising past Columbia Bible College (Canada) 3-0 in the home opener.
It was a match that saw all 17 Lutes participate with Makenna Jackson and Julissa Pernsteiner the only two to participate in all three sets.
Pernsteiner led the Lutes with six kills on just 11 attacks, boasting a .273 hitting percentage while also netting a team-best seven blocks. Claire Hindman hit .400 on the night with five kills and two aces while Shaela Allen-Greggs also added five kills.
Jackson paced the defense with nine kills against the visiting Bearcats.
NWC Rankings: The Lutes lead the league in team digs this season while sitting second in the nine team circuit in aces per set, digs per set, and team aces.
Ayre Takamoto leads the conference in assists per set (8.06) and total assists (274) while Makenna Jackson is second in the league in total digs with 161.
Mr. 500: Head Coach Kevin Aoki sits four wins away from achieving a milestone 500th career win. Aoki, the Lute head coach since 1996, has a career mark of 496-226.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (2-7, 1-0 NWC) had a rough start to the season, dropping seven of its first eight matches before opening conference play on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over Lewis & Clark College.
Olivia Cadien led the Bearcats in the win over Lewis & Clark, collecting 13 kills and 13 digs, in a match that saw host Willamette dominate the final two sets, prevailing by 25-12 and 25-11 scores.
Katey Cramer paces Willamette's offense, averaging 2.78 kills per set. Cadien checks in at 2.34 kills per set and a team-leading 88 digs while Leina Chu is the distributer with a team-best 218 assists.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 135-20 record in the facility since the 2006 season. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2023, 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
Weekend Rewind
Check out the goals, interceptions, and kills from around Luteville last weekend. PLU volleyball won against Columbia Bible, men's soccer tallied two wins, while football had a strong defensive outing in the home opener.
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.
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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:
Sept. 24 vs. Puget Sound 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