Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran continues its homestand tonight, hosting Oregon rival Lewis & Clark College inside Olson Gymnasium. Its the second of five straight home matches for the Lutes.
Series History: The Lutes and Pioneers have battled on 93 occasions since 1980 with the scales tilted 62-31 in favor of PLU. The Lutes have won the last 12 meetings, including a 3-0 victory on Sept. 24 in Portland.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (10-8, 5-5 NWC) returns home after playing a pair of five set matches last weekend in eastern Washington against the Whits. The Lutes came away with the 3-2 victory over Whitworth last Friday, scoring the final five points of the match the secure the win before coming up short 3-2 at Whitman the following night.
Hailey Iha leads the Lutes and ranks sixth in the NWC in hitting percentage (.281) while Elle Thomas and Baylee Johnson rank eighth and ninth in the league in kills, averaging 2.9 and 2.7 per set, respectively.
Olivia Ever is third in the NWC in assists at 8.48 per set with Breeze Battle seventh in blocks (0.83 per set). Setting the tone in the backline is Halle Hetzler who leads the NWC in digs per set (6.1).
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (1-14, 0-10 NWC) heads into the weekend searching for its first win of the conference slate, looking to snap a 13-game slide.
The Pios lone victory of the season was at the expense of Hollins on Sept. 3. Last weekend, L&C nearly pulled out the victory, falling short in a five-set thriller to visiting Linfield.
Ellie Weber has a team-best 103 kills on the season while Izzy Willis has 100, averaging a team-best 2.3 kills per set. Ashley Kane is the Pios' primary setter, netting 5.1 assists per set while Katie Shimaura leads the defense with 4.6 digs per set.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium has been a daunting environment for opposing teams with the Lutes enjoying a 120-20 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.
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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.
Next Home Match:
Oct. 28 vs. Pacific at 7 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