TACOMA, Wash. – Looking to halt a two-match losing streak, the Linfield Wildcats took the third set against the Puget Sound Loggers, who went on to win in four sets.
 
The Loggers have surged up the Northwest Conference standings winning five of their last six and sit at 6-2 in conference play. The Wildcats have lost their last two and sit at 1-7.
 
Linfield led 3-1 in the first set, but Puget Sound surged back and used a big 12-1 run.
 
The Wildcats pulled to withing 23-20 with four straight points, but the Loggers won the next two points following a timeout to take the first set, 25-20.
 
In the second set, the Wildcats had the lead early at 10-6 on an ace by Sofia Zielinski, but the Loggers came back with a 9-1 run to take control of the second set.
 
A kill by Regan Dean helped Linfield tie the set at 20, but Puget Sound was able to win eight of the next eight points to take the second set, 25-23.
 
Things turned around for the Wildcats in the third set, who led 7-3 on a kill by Kara Thomas and kept the Loggers at bay throughout the set.
 
The Loggers won four straight points at set point, but a kill by Raelynn Hammock helped the Wildcats take the third set, 25-18.
 
Linfield looked like it was going to take this match into a deciding set, with a kill by Aylea Dixon at 9-5 and a kill by Thomas made it 17-15.
 
Puget Sound took the match with a 25-22 win in the fourth set winning three of the last four points.
 
Both teams had difficulty landing their attacks, Puget Sound had the 16.7 percent to 12.9 percent edge.
 
Dean had a double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs and Hammock had a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs.
 
Dixon had 35 assists and two aces. Lori Cimmiyotti had three assisted blocks and Hannah Waterman and Thomas had two.
 
UP NEXT
The Linfield Wildcats will host their travel partner, the Willamette Bearcats on Wednesday at 7 p.m.