Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran finishes off the regular season at home inside Olson Gymnasium, opening a two-match homestand tonight against in-state rival Whitman College.
Series History: This will be the 99th all-time meeting between the Lutes and the Blues with Pacific Lutheran owning a commanding 75-23 advantage in the series that dates back to the 1982 season. Whitman got the best of the Lutes in the first meeting of the season with the Blues securing a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-9) victory in Walla Walla back on Oct. 11.
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 Blues: Whitman (10-11, 9-5 NWC) heads to Tacoma riding a three-match win streak and is fighting for the fourth and final spot in the 2025 NWC Tournament. The Blues own a one game lead on Willamette University in the league standings but have the Herculean task of playing PLU and University of Puget Sound on the road on consecutive days— two teams that have already punched a ticket to the conference tournament.
Whitman's recent streak began on Oct. 24, earning a five set home win over Linfield. The winning ways continued last weekend at home, sweeping Lewis & Clark College 3-0 last Friday night before earning a 3-1 win over George Fox University the following night.
Arina Gushchina is the Blues' top offensive threat with 189 kills on the season, averaging 2.86 per set. Addie Belt has 171 kills while Sammy Holmer and Lilli Thompson both have over 100 kills on the year.
Haylee Pruse is the primary setter, averaging 5.7 assists per set. Defensively, Jamie Bartok boasts a team-best 4.1 digs per set.
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 Home Match:
Nov. 8 vs. Whitworth at 6 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