The volleyball team celebrates after the final match of the season Nov. 5 at home. Joel Ray/Photo editor

The Linfield volleyball team ended the season positively with a loss and a final win. The Wildcats lost to Pacific Lutheran University in three sets Nov. 4 and took home a win against George Fox University on Nov. 5.

Pacific Lutheran stepped up its blocking, with 15 blocks from the opposing side. The strong energy from PLU’s side caused 34 attack errors and 8 service errors from the Wildcats. PLU quickly gained its lead in the first match with a score of 14-3, and then 22-7. The Lutes worked together to win the first set with a score of 25-9.

The momentum was sustained in the second set for the Lutes as they jumped to the lead early in the game.

Senior Samantha Lau, however, had 5 digs, and freshman Leimomi Hookano had two kills. The Lutes took the second set 25-16.

The Wildcats were able to keep things closer in the third match but were unable to hold out for a win. Freshman Audrey Frazier contributed with 12 assists, while freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara had five digs and five kills. Pacific Lutheran won the match with a final game score of 25-17.

Facing off against George Fox University again, the Wildcats came away with another winning score.

Hookano started out the first set with five kills and Frazier had 12 assists, out of her match-high of 36. The Wildcats won the first set with a score of 25-23.

Both teams stayed within two points of each other throughout the whole second set until the Bruins sprang ahead, earning a 19-9 lead and winning the game 25-16. The Bruins and the Wildcats continued to keep it close in the third set. The Bruins charged ahead once again and took the set 22-25.

Linfield came back in the fourth and fifth sets. The Bruins committed a few errors, giving the Wildcats the momentum they needed to win the match.

“Although we lost two sets in a row, we regained a lot of momentum after the third set and ended up with a win,” Hookano said.

Sophomore Kelsey Ludin had 12 kills. Freshman Victoria Thompson had six kills along with Hookano, who had nine kills and eight digs.

The volleyball team ended its season with a record of 11-14 and 6-10 in the Northwest Conference.

“Our team ended the season on a high note. We had a lot of energy that night and everyone was on the same page,” Hookano said.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

Freshman Audrey Fraizer and senior Tara Hill block a Boxer spike Oct. 29 at home. Joel Ray/Photo editor

Coming toward the end of its season, the volleyball team played matches, on Oct. 28 against Lewis & Clark University in Portland and Oct. 29 against Pacific University at home.

During the volleyball match the team came out with a win against Pacific by winning three of the four sets. The first set of the day, Linfield lost 25-9.

The Wildcats came back strong during the second set. Starting the set off, junior Bethany Dickey scored the first point with a serve. The Boxers were defeated due to attacking errors.

Sophomore Shayli Coppock scored the winning kill. In the third set Linfield came back from behind and reclaimed a win, 25-23. The winning point of the third set was made by freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara.

The final set was evenly matched for majority of the time, until Pacific outside hitter Keahi Braginsky-Ahloo made an error after sophomore Kelsey Ludin spiked the ball over the net. The Wildcats took the lead early in the set staying ahead for the entire set. winning 25-13.

The Wildcats played Lewis & Clark for a close match.
Linfield took an early lead in the match, winning the first match 25-17.

The second set was closely fought for the win, but the Wildcats struggle and narrowly lost, 26-24.

The teams continued to battle it out, and the Wildcats earned another win during the third set, winning 25-23. The turning point of the match was the fourth set, when the Pioneers pulled ahead by four points, winning 25-21.

The final set was quickly lost with the Pioneers scoring 15, while the Wildcats were only able to score five points. Lewis & Clark won the match three to two.

The team is placed in sixth the Northwest Conference standings.

The Wildcats play their final two matches Nov. 4 and 5 at home against Pacific Lutheran University and George Fox University.

Pacific University is ranked second in the Northwest Conference, while George Fox is ranked eighth. The last to matches will finalize the volleyball standings.

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Kaylyn Peterson/Sports editor
Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Freshman Leimomi Hookano spikes the ball against Willamette on Oct. 12 at home. Victor Zhu/Staff photographer

The Linfield Wildcats went up against Willamette University on Oct. 12 and Puget Sound University on Oct. 15, working hard but losing both matches in the end. Linfield dropped to 8-11 overall and 3-7 in the conference.

During the match against the Bearcats on Oct. 12 the Wildcats started strong with an early four points but the other team caught up quickly, evening the score with 10 points. Willamette secured the win with a score of 25-21. During the second set, the Bearcats held steady as the Wildcats struggled to get ahead. The Wildcats made many advances but it was not enough to keep Willamette from taking the game 25-22. The third set began with a strong start for the Wildcats as they racked up points. The Bearcats, however, caught up again. The two teams rallied back and forth until the Bearcats surged ahead, taking the game 25-21 and winning the match in three sets.

Leading the way for the Wildcats, freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara with 11 kills and nine digs, senior Samantha Lau with 26 digs and freshman setter Audrey Frazier with 24 assists and seven digs.

In the first set in the match against Puget Sound, the Wildcats were sure to pull out a victory. The Wildcats were three points away from the opposing team with a good chance of taking the first set when a few errors gave the win to the Loggers 25-19.

The second set started with an early lead for the Loggers, but the Wildcats tied the match at 10 and again at 24. Again, two errors allowed Puget Sound a win with a score of 26-24. The third game was a strong start for the Wildcats, surging ahead by four points, and then again with eight. Puget Sound closed the gap, but then began misfiring, giving Linfield a 25-14 victory. In the final set, the Loggers piled up their kills and digs. The Wildcats couldn’t keep up with the sudden momentum and the score shot up to 23-12 in the Loggers’ favor. Linfield was unable to regain its composure and Puget Sound took the game with a score of 25-13, winning the match in four sets.

Senior Tara Hill and freshman Leimomi Hookano each contributed with six kills. Lau had 30 digs, a match-high, with an ace and a kill. Freshman
Mahina Galletes had 25 assists and 13 digs. Ritte-Camara had nine kills and 13 digs, and sophomore Kelsey Ludin had 10 kills and two aces.

The Wildcats continue to fight their way through the Northwest Conference as they head to Washington to play Whitworth University on Oct. 21 in Spokane, Wash., and Whitman
College on Oct. 22 in Walla Walla, Wash.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

Freshman Victoria Thompson and sophomore Kailana Ritte-Camara block the ball set by the Bruins on Oct. 8 in Newberg, Ore. Kaylyn Peterson/Sports editor

The Linfield volleyball team had a split weekend, losing its first match but coming back to the top with a win on the second match.

The Wildcats lost to Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 7 in Tacoma, Wash. They beat George Fox University on their home court Oct. 8 in Newberg, Ore.

The win improved the Wildcats to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in the conference standings.

Pacific Lutheran, with a nine-win streak under its belt, beat the Wildcats on Friday 25-17, 25-19 and 25-14.

The Lutes and Wildcats played a back and forth game to fight for the lead. The game started with a 4-4 tie but the Lutes pulled ahead again to a 12-6 lead.

Linfield came back with six points in a row, but the Lutes came back for the win.

In the second game, the Wildcats started strong with a five point lead. Freshman Victoria Thompson and senior Tara Hill spurred the quick start with kills.

The women struggled for the lead, but PLU pulled ahead in the end after tying the score again.

The third set remained close, but the Lutes delivered 12 out of the last 14 points of the game, taking the Wildcats out early.

Senior libero Samantha Lau performed well with 16 digs, freshman Audrey Frazier contributed 17 assists and freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara had eight kills.

In five sets, the Wildcats beat the Bruins 19-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-19 and 15-8 on their homecoming weekend.

Benefitting from the moves of Ritte-Camara, Thompson and sophomore Kelsey Ludin, the frontline had 17 kills, 10 kills and three assists, and 10 kills and six assists, respectively.

Defensively, the Wildcats impressed as Lau dug 23 balls, freshman Courtney Wanamaker had 13 digs, and Frazier dealt out a whopping 43 assists, as well as four block assists.

“This weekend’s matches showed how well we can work hard and push through,” Ritte-Camara said in an email. “Although we weren’t successful Friday night, we tried even harder Saturday to be the team we know we can be. By working together, having energy and having fun, we pulled through Saturday night and won in five sets. I think it really shows how much character we have. We will not give up until the game is over.”

The Wildcats are back at home Oct. 12 and 15 facing off against Willamette University and Puget Sound University.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

Freshman Audrey Fraizer sets the ball for sophomore Kelsey Ludin during the Wildcats’ game against Northwest Christian University on Sept. 28. Joel Ray/Photo editor

The Linfield volleyball team continued on in the Northwest Conference this week, winning two matches and losing one, leaving Linfield 7-8 and 2-4 in the conference standings. The Wildcats played Northwest Christian University Sept. 28, Lewis & Clark College Sept. 30 and Pacific University Oct. 1.

“The season has been good, sophomore Kelsey Ludin said. “We have a lot of new girls on the team, so it has been fun getting to know them and play with them.”

“I’m looking forward to growing and improving as team.”

The Wildcats played the Northwest Christian Beacons in a close four-game match Sept. 28. The first set featured 11 kills from Linfield, shaking Northwest Christian and winning the game 25-23. The Beacons came back in the second set, tying the match early with a score of 25-23. The Wildcats came back quickly in the third game when they got eight points up on the board before Northwest Christian was even able to score. Linfield swept the game 25-13.

Both teams struggled for the lead in the fourth and final match, but the ‘Cats ended the match with a score of 26-24 when freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara smashed a spike over the net.

The match against Lewis & Clark started out strong for the Wildcats Sept. 30 as the girls controlled the first set 25-17. The Pioneers quickly gained the lead in the second set. Linfield struggled to catch up and eventually surrendered the set to Lewis & Clark, losing 25-15. Linfield stole the third set with a score of 25-22. The Wildcats took the fourth and final set after a back and forth struggle with the Pioneers, winning 25-17. Among many stars of the night, Ritte-Camara had 18 kills, and senior libero Samantha Lau had 19 digs.

“Our offense has stepped up a lot, and we have started making the other team earn their points rather than just giving the points up,” freshman Audrey Frazier said. “I think we have really come together as a team and that will show in our future games.”

The girls fought for the lead in the match against Pacific on Oct. 1 but faltered, losing 25-21, 25-14 and 25-21.

The Wildcats stay strong and positive as they focus on further improving and sweeping the conference.

“I am really looking forward to the second half of the season and meeting the teams that we have already played again,” Frazier said. “We have already improved so much since our first conference match and I can’t wait to come back and play those teams after we have reached our full potential.”

Next up, the ‘Cats will go up against Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., on Oct. 7 and George Fox University in Newberg on Oct. 8.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

The women’s volleyball team played hard Sept. 23 and 24, falling back in the first match but winning the second to make them 1-3 Northwest Conference record and 5-7 overall for the season. The Wildcats went up against Whitworth University Sept. 23 and Whitman College Sept. 24 in the first home games of the season.

Both Linfield and Whitworth shared back and forth leads, with no more than two point differences until Whitworth pulled ahead, making the match 25-20. Whitworth had a strong lead in the second game but Linfield held its own for most of the game until Whitworth ended the set 25-20. The two teams struggled for a lead in the third match but Whitworth ended the match with a 25-21 lead in the last set.

Senior libero Samantha Lau had a game high of 22 digs while freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara had a successful 21 kills. Freshman Audrey Frazier contributed with a solid 32 assists.

The Wildcats pulled ahead and ended their three match losing streak, defeating Whitman in a five game match Sept. 24. Ritte-Camara highlighted the match with 14 digs and 23 kills, finishing with a team-high .242 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Ludin helped the win with 11 kills and six digs. Lau had 31 digs.

The ‘Cats have a full week ahead with two home matches and one away. The women play Northwest Christian on Sept. 28  and Lewis & Clark on Sept. 30 at home, and Pacific University  on Oct. 1 in Forest Grove. All three games are at 7 p.m.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

The Linfield volleyball team started out the season with four wins and four losses, playing in two tournaments Sept. 3 and 4 in Portland and Sept. 9 and 10 in Seguin, Texas.

The tournament in Portland began with a split of two matches the first day. Mayville State defeated Linfield in the first match. Linfield won two games, both with scores of 25, making it a close match for Mayville State to win. Senior Samantha Lau kept the Wildcats in the match with 23 digs.

The second match of the day went much smoother as the Wildcats defeated Embry-Riddle with three game scores of 25. Lau had 15 digs and freshman Audrey Frazier helped the team by picking up 27 assists.

On Sept. 4, the Wildcats achieved two game scores of 25, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Edgewood Eagles. Freshman Kailana Ritte-Camara brought the heat with 11 kills, 13 digs, a pair of service aces and two block assists. Lau contributed to the two wins with 34 digs.

Linfield defeated New Hope Christian within three games, all with scores of 25. The girls pulled away from a tie in the first game and controlled the next two to win the match. The Wildcats ended the tournament with a 2-2 split.

“We’re 2-2, so I think we’ve been a little inconsistent, but the matches we lost have been close. So, that’s encouraging,” Coach Shane Kimura said. “The new freshmen players are really talented. They’re getting a lot of time on the court.”

The volleyball team split the scores again in Texas Sept. 9 and 10. Linfield was beat by Gallaudet and Texas Lutheran on the first day but came back around on Sept. 10 to defeat Concordia-Texas in five games with a team total of 96 digs and LeTourneau in three games with a team total of 53 digs.

“I think we’ve done well so far this season, but we could work on our consistency for future games,” sophomore Stephanie Neuman said. “We need to learn how the new girls play and learn how to work with them.”

Coach Kimura has high hopes for this season with the new freshmen and the strong returning players.

“The ultimate goal is to win the conference championships. We want to be a great serving team and a great passing team as well,” he said.

Neuman has high hopes for the team this season and for herself.

“I just want to live in the moment and leave it all on the court this season,” she said. “It is such a privilege to play for a college team. I don’t want to take the opportunity for granted. We have a lot of potential for the season to come.”

The Linfield Wildcats will play again on Sept. 14 at Willamette and again on Sept. 17 at Puget Sound. The first home game will be on Sept. 23.

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Kelsey Sutton/Copy chief
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.