PORTLAND, Ore. — In dire need of a Northwest Conference win, the Linfield Wildcats got back to their winning ways by downing the Lewis & Clark Pioneers 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20 on Saturday at Pamplin Sports Center.
 
How it played out
After winning the first set and dropping the second, Brianna Sanford and Darian Stedman sent back a crucial block that secured a third-set victory, allowing the Wildcats to pull away from the Pios.
 
Stat check
Taylor Petersen led the 'Cats offensively with 11 kills. Her effort was aided by Stedman and Sanford, who recorded eight kills each. En route to eight kills, Sanford recorded an impressive .467 hitting percentage at the net.
 
Garnering a big performance from Kortney Meyer that included 15 kills and 15 digs, Lewis & Clark refused to allow Linfield secure an easy victory. As a team, the Pioneers recorded 40 kills, 70 digs and 11 blocks.
 
Despite the effort, the Wildcats were still able to pull away from the competition. With 43 kills, 79 digs and 11 blocks, the Wildcats' team attack was relentless.
 
Kayla Magbaleta was the Wildcats' defensive leader with 24 digs. Also aiding defensively was Taylor Souza and Destyni Grace who added 13 digs each. Grace logged 19 assists and one service ace.
 
Regan Dean recorded five kills and four digs, Mackenzie Courtney drove home six kills and added three digs, and Audrey Hyem had four kills and three digs. Mattie Kelly added four digs to go with 16 assists.
 
Where they stand
After suffering a seven-match losing streak, the Wildcats' victory boosts their overall record to 9-8 and conference record to 3-7. Lewis & Clark drops to 2-15, 1-9 in league play.
 
Coming up
The Wildcats remain on the road for a match against the Pacific Lutheran Lutes on Friday at Olson Gymnasium and Auditorium. The match is slated to begin at 7p.m.