Setting the Scene: The Lutes continue their homestand tonight, welcoming George Fox University to Olson Gymnasium as the two squads jostle for potential seeding for the second annual NWC Tournament.
Series History: The Lutes enjoy a 51-27 edge in the all-time series that dates back to the 1980 season. PLU has won four straight and seven of the last night, including a five set victory back on Oct. 5 in Newberg.
PLU swept the series last fall, including a 3-1 Lute victory in the inaugural NWC Tournament Championship game on Nov. 11.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (15-6, 10-2 NWC) split a pair of matches last week, dropping a five set heartbreaker to crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound before rolling Lewis & Clark College 3-1 last Friday.
Tuesday's showdown against Puget Sound was a back and forth affair. The Lutes won the opening set 25-17 only to drop the next two by 25-18 and 25-16 scorelines. PLU prevailed 25-16 in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set. PLU had a rocky start to the fifth, conceding nine of the opening 11 points and was unable to recover as the host Loggers took the 15-9 to avoid the season sweep.
PLU responded in a big way just a few days later with Julissa Pernsteiner collecting 10 kills in a 3-1 win over Lewis & Clark.
Claire Hindman, Julissa Pernsteiner, and Shaela Allen-Greggs are a three-headed attack the headlines the PLU offense. Hindman has a team-best 178 kills on the year, averaging 2.25 per set while Pernsteiner is just two kills off Hindman, averaging 2.35 per set. Allen-Greggs leads the team in kills per set with 2.37 with 173 total kills on the year.
Pernsteiner has shown to be a versatile player at the net with a team-best 73 blocks while Alexis Eggert adds 48.
Ayre Takamoto is the reason for that offense success, netting 713 assists this fall, averaging 8.91 per set while also contributing 34 aces on the season.
Makenna Jackson has a team-leading 47 aces while averaging a team-high 4.73 digs per set.
NWC Rankings: The Lutes lead the league in service aces (191) and total digs (1,318), while sitting second in the nine league circuit in digs per set (16.27) and points.
Ayre Takamoto leads the league in assists with Makenna Jackson second overall in total aces and third in both aces per set and digs.
Mr. 500: Head Coach Kevin Aoki clinched his milestone 500th career win on the road back on Sept. 28, a 3-0 victory over Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Aoki, the head coach since 1996, heads into tonight with a 506-228 career mark at his alma mater.
About the Bruins: George Fox (12-9, 8-4 NWC) heads to Olson Gymnasium having won three straight and five of its last six matches.
The Bruins' lone blemish during that stretch was a five set setback to NWC leading Whitworth University on Oct. 18. Since then George Fox has piled up win over Whitman College (3-0), Pacific University (3-1), and Willamette University (3-1).
Gracie Beardon heads into Friday's clash as the team leader in kills with 223 on the year, averaging 2.75 per set with Addison Robert son chipping in 2.30 per set.
Kennedy Kibby and Addison Coulter have shared the setter role for GFU with Kibby averaging 5.4 assists per set with Coulter netting 4.5 per set. Defensively, Piper Hilgaertner has a team-best 422 digs on the year while Allaire Gilder paces the squad with 42 blocks.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 140-22 record in the facility since the 2006 season, including winning 22 of the last 23 matches inside Olson. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2023, 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
Weekend Highlights from Around Luteville
Check out all the highlights from another great weekend in Luteville. Football, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball combined to earn four wins over Lewis & Clark.
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.
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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:
Nov. 2 vs. Pacific 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