GEORGETOWN, Texas – Linfield volleyball (3-4) opened Saturday's match with a strong first-set before Texas Lutheran rallied to secure a 26-24, 25-14, 25-19 victory on Southwestern's Campus.
Linfield controlled much of the opening set, jumping out to a 7-1 advantage behind three early kills from
Nora Myre and a
Kaarina Geymann service ace. The Wildcats stretched their lead to 18-10 after back-to-back aces from Myre. Texas Lutheran gradually erased the deficit and tied the set at 20-20, but Linfield responded and reached set point at 24-23. The Bulldogs scored the final three points to steal the opening frame, 26-24.
Texas Lutheran carried that momentum into the second set, building an early 6-1 lead. Linfield cut the margin to 6-4 before the Bulldogs regained control and steadily pulled away.
Ascha Nielsen provided three kills in the set, while Myre also added three, but Texas Lutheran closed set two, 25-14.
The Wildcats again started quickly in the third, taking a 3-0 lead behind a Myre kill,
Kaitlyn Hough block and
Naia Alefaio-Foifua service ace. Texas Lutheran responded to take a 10-5 advantage, but Linfield continued to battle. Consecutive Nielsen kills and a Margaritah Banuelos ace trimmed the deficit to 13-9, and the Wildcats later scored four straight points to pull within 23-19 before Texas Lutheran finished the match.
Myre led the Linfield attack with 10 kills while adding 13 digs, two aces and a solo block. Nielsen turned in the Wildcats' most efficient offensive performance, recording six kills on 14 attempts with a .286 hitting percentage. Hough added five kills and a block, while
Madison Millard finished with three kills, two blocks and an ace.
Alefaio-Foifua anchored the back row with a match-high 22 digs and an ace. Banuelos handed out 16 assists, while Geymann contributed nine assists, seven digs and an ace.
Linfield now sets their sights on the start of Northwest Conference play just under a week away. The 'Cats head to Eastern Washington to take on Whitworth and Whitman next Friday and Saturday.
To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com.
