Setting the Scene: The Lutes wrap up their homestand tonight, welcoming crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound to Olson Gymnasium.
Series History: This is the 107th meeting between the two Tacoma rivals. Puget Sound holds a 63-43 edge in the series dating back to 1980. The Lutes and Loggers met three times last fall with PLU winning two of those encounters. Puget Sound prevailed 3-2 in a non-conference match on Sept. 2 but the Lutes got revenge during the conference season, posting a 3-1 victory in Olson Gymnasium on Sept. 20 and escaping UPS's Memorial Fieldhouse with a 3-2 win on Oct. 18.
About the Lutes: Defending NWC Champion Pacific Lutheran (7-4, 2-0 NWC) opened up conference play over the weekend, netting a pair of three set sweeps at the expense of Linfield University and Willamette University.
Against Linfield, Claire Hindman led the Lutes with 11 kills while Kailee Efros-Bohn added 10 on a night the Lutes boasted a .226 attack percentage, including hitting at a .385 clip in the third set.
Shaela Allen-Greggs paced the Lutes the following night against Willamette, collecting 11 kills with Efros-Bohn contributing 10. Ayre Takamoto had a match-high 31 assists along with four aces.
PLU was dialed in serving both matches, netting 19 aces over the two three-set victories.
NWC Rankings: The Lutes lead the league in team digs and aces per set while sitting second in the NWC in six more stat categories.
Ayre Takamoto leads the conference in aces per set (0.60), assists per set (8.33), total aces (24), and total assists (333).
Mr. 500: Head Coach Kevin Aoki sits two wins away from achieving a milestone 500th career win. Aoki, the Lute head coach since 1996, has a career mark of 498-226.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (5-5, 2-0 NWC) experienced similar success over the weekend, defeating Willamette 3-1 on Friday before sweeping Linfield 3-0 on Saturday.
Erin Fagan and Maddie Badger paced the Loggers in their win over Willamette, both collecting 11 kills. The following night, Mackenzie Leith had 13 kills and Sarah Johnsen had six blocks in the three set win over Linfield the following night.
Badger has been a menace for opposing teams, leading the squad with 79 kills on the season while Leith adds 66. Randi Rush averages a team-high 3.31 assists per set while defensively, Samantha Keightley leads the Loggers with 4.3 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 137-20 record in the facility since the 2006 season, including winning the last 19 matches inside Olson. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2023, 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
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.
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.
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:
Oct. 11 vs. Whitworth 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