Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran closes out its homestand tonight, welcoming Oregon rival Lewis & Clark to Olson Gymnasium.
Series History: The Lutes and Pioneers are meeting for the 95th time tonight, with PLU holding a 63-31 advantage in the all-time series. The Lutes have won 13 in a row, including a pair of 3-0 sweeps last fall.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (7-7, 6-0 NWC) has been on fire to start Northwest Conference play, winning six straight matches to open the conference slate for the first time since 2013.
The Lutes hit the road last weekend, earning a 3-0 victory over Whitman and a 3-1 win in Whitworth.
Claire Hindman led the Lutes with 11 kills against the Blues with Elle Thomas netting 10 kills and Haley Goto finishing with five blocks.
The following night Baylee Johnson had 13 kills and Thomas added 12 in the four-set win over the Pirates. Halle Hetzler finished with 43 digs and five aces to give PLU a victory in Spokane for the second consecutive season.
Baylee Johnson leads the Lutes and ranks third in the NWC in kills, averaging 3.1 per set. Olivia Evaro leads the conference in assists, averaging 9.6 per set while Halle Hetzler leads all of collegiate volleyball (NCAA Divisions I, II, III, and NAIA) in digs per set (7.12).
Attaways: Halle Hetzler won NWC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for the third consecutive week and the 17th time in her storied Lute career. Hetzler previously won the award on Sept. 25, Sept. 18, and Sept. 5. Last fall, Hetzler won NWC Player of the Week four times while earning the honor three times apiece during the 2021 fall season, the 2021 spring season, and in 2019.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (5-9, 0-6 NWC) heads into the weekend looking to snap a six-match slide. The Pioneers closed out their non-conference slate by winning three of four at the Oregon Trail Classic— earning wins over West Coast Baptist (Calif.), McMurry (Texas), and Wells (N.Y.).
It's been tough sledding since league play began, dropping four set matches to Whitworth, Linfield, and George Fox, and three-set matches to Whitman, Puget Sound, and Willamette.
Izzy Willis leads the Pios in kills with 173 on the season, averaging 3.6 per set while Annika Traxler contributes 2.77 per set. Ruby Kuerschner is L&C's top setter, averaging 5.79 per set while defensively, Katie Chimaera leads the team with 4.35 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 127-20 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 Highlights vs. UPS
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. 21 vs. Willamette at 7 p.m.
Bjug Day 2023
October 17-18 is the 10th annual Bjug Day of Giving. Lutes like you are giving to what they love, including LanceLute who has been training for the big day.
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