Setting the Scene: After two weekends of tournament play, the Lutes open up Northwest Conference action tonight, hosting defending league champion and in-state rival Whitworth.
Series History: Tonight is the 88th all-time meeting between the Lutes and Pirates in a series dating back to 1982. It's visiting Whitworth holding a one match lead in the all-time series, enjoying a 44-43 edge including winning the last two meetings and seven of the last eight.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (5-3) opened the season with four wins at the Puget Sound Premiere over Labor Day weekend before winning one of three matches against some nationally-ranked opponents at the Augsburg Invite last weekend in Minnesota.
The Lutes lone victory in Minnesota came at the expense of Wisconsin-La Crosse, rolling the Eagles 3-0. PLU fell by 3-0 scorelines to 17th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus, fifth-ranked and defending national champion Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and host Augsburg.
First-year Elle Thomas leads the Lute offense with 65 kills on the year along with nine aces while Baylee Johnson adds 60 kills. Olivia Evaro quarterbacks the offense, averaging 7.7 assists per set. Defensively, Breeze Bartle has a team-best 13 blocks while reigning NWC Libero of the Year Halle Hetzler paces the back row with 5.4 digs per set.
About the Pirates: Defending NWC Champion Whitworth (6-2) heads to Olson Gymnasium having won four of its last five matches.
The Pirates competed last weekend at the Transylvania Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky. Whiwtorth blew past Illinois College 3-0 while also netting a 3-1 win over U Chicago and a 3-2 win over Texas Lutheran. The Pirates saw the weekend end on a sour note, stumbling 3-1 to host Transylvania.
Maddie Lee leads the Whitworth offense, having racked up 109 kills through the opening eight matches. Megan Lange averages 5.1 assists per set with Eva Millan leading the defense with 4.3 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 119-18 record in the facility since the 2006 season. That includes unbeaten home records during the 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2007 campaigns.
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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 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.
Full Circle: Last season the Lutes ended their home slate against Whitworth and this year the Lutes open their home slate against the Pirates. Whitworth prevailed 3-1 last fall on Oct. 30 in what was PLU's lone blemish at home during the 2022 season.
Next Home Match:
Sept. 17 vs. Whitman College
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