Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran finishes off its opening homestand of the season tonight, welcoming crosstown nemesis Puget Sound to Olson Gymnasium.
Series History: This will be the 105th meeting between the Lutes and Loggers since 1980 with Puget Sound holding a 63-41 edge in the series. The two teams last met on Sept. 2 in a non-conference matchup at the Puget Sound Premiere with the Loggers escaping with a 3-2 victory.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (3-7, 2-0 NWC) sits in a four-way tie for first place with the other three Washington schools after opening conference play last weekend with a pair of three sets sweeps.
The Lutes steamrolled Pacific 3-0 (25-22, 25-8, 25-14) on Friday, racking up 40 kills on the night, including 10 from Elle Thomas.
The following day was much of the same for PLU, smashing Linfield 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-19) with Thomas again leading the way with 10 kills.
Halle Hetzler finished the weekend with 45 total digs and on Monday was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and the 15th time in her decorated career.
Baylee Johnson leads the Lutes in kills with 116, averaging 3.05 per set while Elle Thomas averages 2.87 per set. Olivia Evaro leads the NWC in assists, averaging 9.26 per set while Halle Hetzler leads the NWC and ranks fourth in D3 in digs per set with 6.55.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (9-1, 2-0 NWC) has been red-hot, winning nine of its opening 10 matches of the season and is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
The reigning league champions opened the season by winning all four of its matches at the Puget Sound Premiere, including five set victories over Saint Benedict (Minn.), Eastern (Pa.) and PLU.
The Loggers won three more matches in Texas the following week with the lone blemish a 3-1 setback to host Southwestern.
Last weekend, the Loggers rolled Linfield 3-0 before needing five sets to escape with a victory over visiting George Fox.
Mia Fedora leads the Loggers in kills with 87 on the season (2.0 per set) while Sarah Johnson has 77 on the year. Randi Rush is the team's primary setter, averaging 6.4 assists per set while on the defensive end Samantha Keightley averages 4.4 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 126-20 record in the facility since the 2006 season. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Lute Welcome Back Highlights
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:
Oct. 6 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