Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran finishes off its home schedule tonight, welcoming crosstown nemesis Puget Sound to Olson Gymnasium.
Series History: This is the 103rd meeting between the intracity rivals with the Loggers holding a 62-40 edge in the series since the 1980 season. Today is officially a rubber match between the two programs with the Lutes beating the Loggers 3-0 back on Sept. 3 at the Puget Sound Premiere before UPS won 3-2 back on Oct. 5.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (14-8, 9-5 NWC) heads into the final week of the regular season sitting one match out of first place in the NWC standings.
The Lutes have been red-hot in their final homestand, winning four straight and six of their last seven to get in the mix for the program's first league crown since the 2018 season.
PLU started the homestand by breezing past Linfield and Lewis & Clark by identical 3-0 scores on Oct. 21 and 22 before grinding out five set wins over Pacific and Willamette last weekend.
Elle Thomas finished with 15 kills in the win over the Boxers to pace the Lutes while Hailey Iha had 15 with a .483 attack percentage in the senior night win over Willamette.
Halle Hetzler was the defensive leader both nights, combining for 71 digs and on Monday was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week and the fourth time this fall.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (13-9, 10-4 NWC) heads into Olson Gymnasium riding a three-match win streak. The Loggers fell 3-2 to George Fox on Oct. 21 but flipped the script the following day with a 3-2 win over Pacific.
On Friday, The Logger dispatched Willamette 3-0 before downing Linfield 3-1 on Saturday.
Avery Allemann has a team leader in kills with 211 on the year, averaging 2.4 per set while also leading the Loggers in blocks with 95. The offense is fed through setter Logan Winn who has 758 assists this fall and a team-best 30 aces. Chloe Akin-Bannan is the team leader in digs with 323 on the season.
Thank You Seniors!
2022 Senior Class by the Numbers:
55-32 overall record
40-18 record in Northwest Conference play
23-6 record inside Olson Gymnasium
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 124-20 record in the facility since the 2006 season. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
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.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on August 31 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.
Next Match:
Nov. 4 at George Fox in Newberg, Ore. (7 PM)
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