The Whitworth volleyball team traveled to Portland, Oregon on Saturday Oct. 13  to compete in a Northwest Conference match against Lewis & Clark College. The Pirates earned a 3-0 win against the Pioneers. This win places the team at the top of the Northwest Conference with a 10-1 season record. At the end of the first set the score was close at 26-24, the second set at 25-17, and the final set ended with a score of 27-25.

“Overall this weekend went really well. We were able to pull ourselves through tough situations. We played with heart, which is something we always talk about prior to game time. Every single player played their best and helped us win,” Junior Danielle Tang said.

Some highlights from this weekend included 19 kills from senior Jessica Schmautz, the current conference leader in kills. In addition to Schmautz’s 19, senior Lauren Budde made 10 and junior Emiko Kahler made nine. Senior Erin White finished the game with 40 assists and freshman Addy Woolery made 20 digs.

“At this point in the season everyone is facing some point of fatigue but everyone came together and battled through that,” said Junior Elise Anderson.

Both Anderson and Tang emphasized the importance of consistency.

“We have been putting a lot of work in during practices, and we really want to continue to transfer that hard work onto the court on gameday. We want to be a well-rounded team that can do everything, consistently,” Tang said.  

As the team enters the second half of the conference season, “a huge goal for us is going to be, no matter who the team is playing,to give it our all, and find our best every match,” Anderson said.

This Friday, Oct. 19 the Pirates will face George Fox University, which has a 2-8 conference record, at 7 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. On Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. they will play Pacific University, which stands 7-3.