Loggers Have Big Offensive Day in SW Invitational Split

By Puget Sound

GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The Loggers start the Southwestern Invitational off on a good note, taking down Texas Lutheran 3-0 before dropping their rematch with Southwestern University 0-3.

How it Happened
Game 1:
Puget Sound extended their win streak to two, knocking off the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22). Both teams took a while to get into the match, as the teams traded the first couple of points in the first set. A 5-1 run, thanks to two kills by both Maddie Badger and Erin Fagan, gave the Loggers an 8-4 lead, and from there, they never looked back. Makela Pick and Mackenzie Leith also got in on the kill action, with the Loggers earning 20 out of their 25 points via the kill. The stout offensive action, combined with an impressive defensive effort of only allowing 5 kills by the Bullldogs, gave the Loggers an early 1-0 set lead. 

Puget Sound put their pedal to the metal in the second set, going on a 5-1 run to start the set.

Kills from Fagan, Pick, and Skya Favor helped contribute, as the Loggers kept their lead the entire set. An 11-4 run gave the Loggers a 20-11 lead thanks to kills by Favor and Badger, as well as a service ace by Lauren Ly. A couple of Texas Lutheran attack errors aided Logger points down the stretch, and Leith finished the set off with a kill to put the Loggers up 2-0. 

Fagan and Badger continued their hot hitting streaks, as each notched three kills apiece en route to a 9-5 start to the third set. The Bulldogs kept it competitive the rest of the set, though, as the lead never grew to more than five the rest of the match. The Loggers poured on the kills yet again in the third set, hitting .349 as a team and finishing the set with 20 kills. An ace by Akira Anderson, and kills by Badger and Leith wrapped up the set for the Loggers, as they finished off the Bulldogs without allowing a single lead change. 

Game 2: 
After a couple hour break, the Loggers were back for game two of the day, this time a rematch against Southwestern University.

The Loggers struggled to get into the match, as the Pirates went on an 8-0 run to kick off the afternoon. Fagan, Pick, and Badger all tried to spark a comeback with a couple of kills apiece, but to no avail. The Loggers went on a nice little run on set-point thanks to a Pirate attack error, a Randi Rush ace, and a kill by Leith. The Pirates polished off the set 14-25 with a kill, giving them a 1-0 lead. 

The second set was more of the same story for the Loggers, as the Pirates got hot early yet again. They went on a 13-3 run to start the set, as Puget Sound found themselves in a similar hole to the first set. This time, they were able to slowly climb out of it. They went on a 6-0 run thanks to a couple of kills and a service ace by Amelia Reed, pulling it back within four. The teams traded runs, with the Loggers pulling as close as one after a Ly service ace. The teams traded points late in the set, but the Pirates pulled away, handing the Loggers a 22-25 loss. 

Each set got progressively better for the Loggers, as a thriller capped off the Loggers' afternoon. The teams traded points yet again, with the Loggers taking an early 5-3 lead thanks to a Fagan kill.  The match was close until a 7-1 Pirates run gave Southwestern a 16-11 lead. The Loggers responded with a 4-0 run of their own, pulling the match back within one. The teams traded points until the Loggers' backs were up against the wall. Down 22-24, the Loggers went on a 3-0 run to push the set to extras. After an intense back-and-forth, the Pirates got the last laugh, winning the set 27-29. Despite the loss, the earlier win and growth in the sets provide a good foundation for the season to come. 

Coach's Thoughts


Top Performers
 Fagan and Badger were dominant on the offensive side of the board today, with Fagan racking up 28 kills, and Badger hitting over .400 with 25 kills of her own. Samantha Keightley nearly averaged 7.0 digs per set, recording 20 in each game as the Libero. Rush also contributed 78 assists, setting her teammates up for three 20-kill sets. 

What Happens Next
The Loggers stay in Texas for one more day, facing No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan at 12:00 pm CST on Saturday, September 6th.