SALEM, Ore. – In their Northwest Conference opener, the Linfield Wildcats fell 3-0 to the Willamette Bearcats on Wednesday night.
 
The loss puts Linfield 4-9 overall and 0-1 in the conference and the win improves Willamette to 2-8 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a 5-3 lead thanks to a kill by Megan Stanek, but a 6-0 run by the Bearcats helped them win the first set, 25-15.
 
Willamette dominated the second set grabbing a 17-6 lead thanks to two Linfield errors and went on to win the second set 25-10.
 
The 10 points in a set are the lowest by the Wildcats in a match this season, their previous low was 11 against Lakeland.
 
In the closest set of the match, Linfield was able to stay in the set with Willamette at 11-10 on an assisted block by Hannah Waterman and Anikalea Keliiheleua.
 
The Bearcats took control of the third set with five straight kills at 14-14 and went on to win the third 25-19.
 
Picked sixth in the preseason NWC poll, Willamette holds the 28-26 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last four meetings.
 
The Wildcats landed just 2.1 percent of their attacks meanwhile the Bearcats landed 28.6 percent.
 
Hannah Waterman and Megan Stanek had five kills in the match.
 
The setters, Aylea Dixon and Sofia Zielinski, had 11 and 10 assists, respectively.
 
Maya Nakasone turned in her fourth straight match with double-digit digs and seventh of the last eight.
 
UP NEXT
After being on the road for the first 13 matches of the season, Linfield hosts George Fox on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the home opener.