Setting the Scene: First place in the Northwest Conference standings is on the line when the only two unbeaten squads clash in Olson Gymnasium as the PLU Lutes host in-state rival Whitworth University.
Series History: This will be the 92nd meeting between the Lutes and Pirates in a rivalry the dates back to the 1982 season. PLU has won three straight and owns a razor thin 46-45 edge in the all-time series.
Last fall, the Lutes downed Whitworth 3-1 on Sept. 30 in Spokane before outlasting the Pirates 3-2 on Oct. 28 inside Olson Gymnasium to secure the program's 12th NWC regular season crown.
About the Lutes: Defending NWC Champion Pacific Lutheran (11-4, 6-0 NWC) has been on a roll, heading into the weekend having won seven straight matches, 22 straight NWC matches, and 20 consecutive at home.
The Lutes had to work for their wins on the road last weekend, scratching out a 3-1 victory over Pacific University last Friday night before outlasting George Fox University 3-2 the following evening.
Against the Boxers, PLU took the opening set 25-17 but came up short 33-31 in a marathon second set. The third went long as well with PLU inching out a 28-26 victory before securing the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth.
Julissa Pernsteiner headlined the Lutes with a career-high 14 kills while also adding six blocks. Claire Hindman added 13 kills while Ayre Takamoto had a team-best 47 assists and Makenna Jackson led the defense with 19 digs.
On Saturday, the Lutes dropped the opening set 25-21 before winning the next two 25-23 and 25-12. George Fox evened the match after winning 28-26 in the fourth, setting up a decisive fifth set. Kailee Efros-Bohn solidified the win for PLU, getting the match clinching kill in a 15-13 set five victory.
Shaela Allen-Greggs led the Lute offense with 15 kills with Efros-Bohn collecting 10. Takamoto had 42 assists with Jackson collecting 20 digs. As a team, PLU had 17 aces on the night from six different servers.
NWC Rankings: The Lutes lead the league in team digs and aces per set, and total aces. Individually, Ayre Takamoto paces the conference in both assists per set (8.95) and total assists (492) while Makenna Jackson is second ion both total disc (275) and digs per set (5.00).
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 this weekend with a 502-226 career mark at his alma mater.
All-Star Attaways: Makenna Jackson had 39 digs and seven aces over the weekend and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this fall.
The Roy, Washington native was previously recognized on Sept. 30 while Ayre Takamoto was the NWC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 3.
About the Pirates: Whitworth (14-2, 6-0 NWC) heads across the Cascades having won six straight matches and 10 of its last 11. The Pirates' lone blemish during that run was a 3-0 setback to 10th-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Calif.) back on Sept. 14.
Five of Whitworth's opening six conference games have been inside the friendly confines of the Whitworth Fieldhouse in Spokane. The squad's lone conference win on the road was a 3-0 win over Linfield University on Sept. 27.
This past weekend, the Pirates outlasted Willamette University 3-2 on Friday before downing Lewis & Clark in straight sets the next night.
Ella Jimenez leads the Whitworth offense with 189 kills on the year, averaging 3.44 per set, along with a team-best 31 aces. Amblessed Okemgbo is second on the team in kills, one of three Pirates with over 100 kills through the opening 16 matches.
Josephine Thompson and Megan Lange are the top two setters on the team, rotating in and combining for 490 assists so far. Thompson averages 4.81 per set with Lange clocking in at 4.42 per set. Defensively, Taylor Miche leads the squad averaging 4.55 digs per set while Cassidy Franklin has a team-high 56 blocks.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 138-20 record in the facility since the 2006 season, including winning the last 20 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 went toe to toe with nationally ranked Whitworth on homecoming while volleyball, men's soccer, and women's soccer all went 2-0 on the road in Oregon.
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.
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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:
Oct. 12 vs. Whitman 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