SPOKANE, Wash. – Linfield University was overpowered in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-16) road loss against Whitworth in NWC volleyball action on Saturday at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
Linfield's offense showed promising moments but struggled to sustain momentum against a solid Whitworth defense. The Wildcats tallied 24 kills on 85 attempts, achieving a .118 hitting percentage, led by
Camryn Hirst, who had a strong performance with five kills and a .308 hitting efficiency.
Kaitlyn Hough added six kills, while
Araeya Watanabe contributed five kills and one service ace to support the offense.
Setter
Kanoe Contreras guided the Wildcats with 11 assists, part of Linfield's total 23 assists in the match. The Wildcats also found success from the back line serving the ball, logging three aces, with one each from Hirst, Watanabe, and
Paige Richards.
On defense, Linfield recorded 32 digs to withstand Whitworth's offensive pressure. Contreras and
Malia Haynes stood out defensively, tallying eight and four digs, respectively. Linfield's blocking efforts were highlighted by
Madison Millard and Hirst, each notching a solo block, and Hirst and Hough combining for a block assist.
Despite Linfield's efforts, Whitworth displayed dominance with 45 kills, 10 aces, and 10 total blocks, ultimately finishing with a .333 hitting percentage. The Wildcats found themselves unable to overcome Whitworth's persistent attacking as the Pirates capitalized on Linfield's 14 attack errors and 10 receiving errors throughout the contest.
With the loss, Linfield falls to 5-15 overall and 2-12 in Northwest Conference play.
NEXT
Linfield turns its attention to Lewis & Clark who comes to McMinnville on Wednesday for a showdown at 7 p.m.
