The Linfield Wildcats volleyball team finished its first round of NWC conference games in good position.
At the halfway point of the conference season, Linfield is in third place with a 5-3 record. Coach Shane Kimura said this record comes after hard work and winning tough matches. He said he is pleased with where his team stands but also that he knows the road ahead is going to be tough.
“We have a winning record for the first half, so that is good,” he said. “[During] the second half of the season, we are going to be on the road more than we will be at home, which will be a good test for us.”
The final two games of the first half of the conference season took place Oct. 9 and 10. The first match was against the George Fox University Bruins. Linfield jumped ahead quickly, winning the first two games.
With two games under their belts, the ’Cats’ match resembled an Oct. 2 game against Whitworth in which Linfield won the opening two games and dropped the following three. But the ’Cats finished strong this time. They completed the three-game sweep with a 25-21 game three victory. It was the first time during the season that Linfield won a match in three straight games.
Junior defensive specialist Kelsey Franklin said that attitude was the key to finishing off the match.
“You can’t let them think that they have a chance to win,” she said. ”Each set you have to come back stronger or the other team will take the momentum.”
With its first sweep behind them, the team’s attention shifted to the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes, one of the top-ranked teams in the conference.
The Wildcats were slow out of the gate, losing the first match 25-15, but gave a strong response in the second game.
With the score tied at 22, Linfield reeled off three consecutive points to take the second game 25-22. Following the Linfield run, PLU hit its stride. They took the next two matches, 25-18 and 25-11, to seal the victory.
Kimura said that he believed the team’s offense was the key to winning the second game and losing the other three.
“In the second game, our ball control was better, and because of that, we hit better,” he said. “ In the games we lost, we didn’t hit the ball well.”
Now the team prepares for their second match against each of their NWC opponents. Freshman Kelsey Ludin said that these matches have a slightly different approach to them.
“We know their tendencies. There are no surprises so that changes things a little,” she said.
Kimura agreed, saying that there will be no surprises during the second round of matches. It is essential for the Wildcats to not beat themselves, he said.
“We know what we are going to see so that won’t be a surprise,” Kimura said. “For us, the key is take care of our side of the net. We just want to be better on our half of the net.”
As Linfield prepares for the second half of the season, both Ludin and Kimura say they understand that they have improvements to make.
“Overall, we just need to play more consistent,” Ludin said. “Our team has great chemistry, and we just need to keep building on that.”
Kimura said he is pleased with the defense so far but that the offense will be the key in the second half of the season.
“Defensively we have been solid,” he said. “On the opposite side, our hitting percentage is not very high, and we are working to get better at it.”
Linfield plays its next home match against
the Willamete University Bearcats at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Jerry Young/Freelancer
Jerry Young can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Linfield Wildcat Volleyball team entered its third week of Northwest Conference play in good shape. However, week four brought a mix of good and bad.
The ’Cats finished the week 1-1, making them 4-2 overall and third place in NWC play.
First up on Oct. 1 were the Whitman College Missionaries from Walla Walla, Wash. Linfield easily controlled the first two games, winning 25-16 and 25-17. Its success marked the first time this year that Linfield wasn’t tied or trailing after the first two games.
While the Wildcats were well in control, coach Shane Kimura said he knows how important it is not to lose focus.
“You have to be aggressive and you can’t let up,” he said.
This aggressivness was echoed in junior Rosa Gimson, one of the Wildcats’ veteran players.
“Once you get ahead, you can’t relax,” she said. “You just have to keep pushing and playing your game no matter who is on the other side of the net.”
Linfield stumbled during the third game, losing 23-25, but Whitman couldn’t overcome the deficit. The ’Cats prevailed in the fourth, 25-21.
With a comfortable victory in their rearview mirror, the ’Cats shifted their focus to the Whitworth University Pirates, who were also 4-1 in conference play.
The ’Cats were strong out of the gate. They quickly grabbed the first two games 25-17 and then won a thriller of a second game, 28-26, in which the teams battled back and forth for the lead.
With a 2-0 lead going into half-time, the Wildcats only needed to win one of the next three games in order to take down the skilled Whitworth team.
But Whitworth found its stride during the third game, and Linfield made some of the mental mistakes that had haunted them in their match against University of Puget Sound on Sept. 24.
Trailing 8-9, the Whitworth offense exploded and took a 19-9 lead, which was too much for Linfield to recover from. The ’Cats lost the game 18-25.
Linfield never regained its stride, losing the fourth game 12-25 and the fifth game 6-15.
Junior Kelsey Franklin was quick to acknowledge that errors got to the young team yet again.
“Whitworth definitely cut back on there unforced errors, and we increased our unforced errors,” she said. “They just played smarter and tougher.”
After such a gut-wrenching loss, a team can begin to lose confidence. What is important, Gimson said, is that the team find positives in a match like such as that one.
“We need to take away that we can compete with a really good team, and we can’t get down on ourselves when we make some mistakes,” she said. “We have to learn how to stay constant and keep a strong mentality against teams who are as good as us.”
With the loss, the Wildcats moved into third place in conference and have a tough road ahead. Six of their next seven matches are on the road.
Franklin and Kimura explained that energy is the key to success away from home.
“You’re not playing in your gym,” he said. “The big difference is that you have to bring more energy and enthusiasm because you don’t have the crowd behind you,” Kimura said.
The ’Cats have one more match at home Oct. 9 against George Fox University before hitting the road to take on the 6-0 Pacific
Lutheran University Lutes.
Gimson said that both matches will be tough.
“George Fox has some big hitters and is really scrappy, and PLU is just a good team all around,” she said.
After facing Pacific Lutheran, Linfield will return home for a match against Willamette University on Oct. 15.

Jerry Young/Freelancer
Jerry Young can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Wildcat volleyball team entered week two of conference play with confidence and a great chance to take control of the NWC standings. The Wildcats were off to a 2-0 start with a streak of five consecutive home matches, but they lost Sept. 24 against University of Puget Sound.
The ’Cats also proved they are a tough group of players, with all of their conference wins up to this point lasting five matches. This spirit has become a theme that junior Tara Hill hopes opponents will catch on to.
“Every game matters for us,” she said. “We are willing to play five games to show the other team how determined we are and how much heart we have.”
The opponents for the ’Cats were the nationally ranked Puget Sound Loggers on Sept. 24, and Lewis & Clark College on Sept. 25.
The game against the Loggers was as close as they come. In a back-and-forth game, both teams had stretches when they appeared to gain control, only to lose the serve and their momentum.
With the score tied at 22, the Loggers took advantage of two Linfield errors to pull ahead and eventually win the game 25-23. After that, the Wildcats never seemed to find their stride, dropping the second game, 12-25, and the third, 20-25.
While the Loggers played well, coach Shane Kimura was quick to recognize that his team can’t give up easy points when playing a team like UPS.
“We just had too many physical mistakes and gave up double digit points in each game,” he said. “We have to cut down on the unforced mistakes.”
The ’Cats didn’t have much time to think about their loss, because less then 24 hours later, the team was back in the gym playing against Lewis & Clark.
Kimura and junior outside hitter and libero Samantha Lau were thankful for the chance to get back on track so quickly, they said.
“We were excited for that match, and we wanted it,” Lau said.
The key to the match, was making the Pioneers earn their points and not give up too many unforced errors, Kimura said.
“Right now, the key is we don’t want to beat ourselves,” he said. “Our goal for this week is to cut down on those physical mistakes.”
The Wildcats started off in what was becoming the norm for them, by losing the first game 17-25. This time, however, the ’Cats responded to the challenge and took the second game, 25-21.
After losing the third game 20-25 the Wildcats had their backs against the wall knowing that another loss would drop them to 2-2 in the conference.
Looking down and out, the Wildcats rallied behind the heart and hustle that Lau and the rest of the team have come to embrace and won the final two games 25-20 and 15-11,
respectively.
“We put all our heart in those two games,” she said. “We played to win and played all out because we didn’t want to lose.”
With this win, Linfield is right in the thick of NWC play, stuck in a three-way tie for second and just one game out of first place.
After two weeks of play, Kimura said he is happy with where the team stands but also knows there are things that need to be improved.
“We’re three-and-one. The matches we have won were all close. The team has a resilience out there,” he said. “We can be down but bounce back and come through. We need to try to be better starters though.”
The next two opponents for the ’Cats are Whitman College and Whitworth University on Oct. 1 and 2. Whitman is 0-4 in conference, and Whitworth is part of the three-team tie for second at 3-1.
Both games should be close, with each presenting its own challenges. Kimura said he knows there is some tough competition ahead.
“Whitman is a pretty young team, but very athletic,” he said. “Whitworth is a solid team. They have some strong returning players so it should be a pretty good match.”
Including these two matches, Linfield has three more home games before hitting the road for a week. After the women host Whitman and Whitworth, they host George Fox Univeristy on Oct. 9. All games are at 7 p.m.

Jerry Young/Freelancer
Jerry Young can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

After wins against Pacific and Willamette universities, the Linfield volleyball team is in a three-way tie for first place along with the University of Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark College.
Both matches were close, and the Wildcats were forced to play to five games in each. In the fifth games, the matches were up for grabs.
Head coach Shane Kimura said he has prepared his teams for these types of matches.
“I think it helps that we played some tough teams in preseason, so the kids know that we can compete at that level,” he said. “They worked hard in the gym, and it is nice to start 2-0 in conference.”

After their win against Pacific on Sept. 15, the Wildcats traveled to Salem for a tough road game against the Willamette Bearcats on Sept. 17.
Kimura was quick to acknowledge that the ’Cats weren’t at their best.
“We did not play very good ball the first game,” he said. “We pretty much got hammered.”
Kimura said he and the rest of the team knew that they were not out of a game yet.
Linfield regrouped and rallied. It won the following two games; the second one was close, 25-21.
In the third game, the young team found its stride, dominating 25-12.
Junior Samantha Lau, Linfield’s returning all-conference libero, said she believes that being
mentally tough is key when falling behind early.
“It takes a while to get started. In our huddles, you hear everyone saying, ‘We have to stay strong; step it up,’” she said.
Willamette fought back and won the fourth game, 25-23, setting the stage for a fifth game to decide the winner.
Kimura said that his players need to avoid simple mistakes when games come down to just a few points.
“We didn’t give up easy points in the fifth and I think that made a big difference in us coming back,” he said.
In a back-and-forth fifth game, the Wildcats came out on top with a 16-14 victory.
With this 2-0 start in conference, the next five matches are crucial in the ’Cats’ quest for a conference title. All five are played at home, where the team will have the support of the Wildcat crowd.
Lau said that having this type of home stretch gives them a large confidence boost.
“We love playing at home, we definitely feed off the crowd,” she said. “All of the games are gonna be tough this year, so it is gonna help to be at home.”
The next two matches Linfield will be played Sept. 24 and 25 against Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark. Both will present challenges for Linfield.
“UPS is a nationally ranked team that came in second in conference last season,” Lau said. “Lewis & Clark is really tall. We just have to go out there and play our game.”
With the next five games scheduled at home, there are plenty of
opportunities to come out and cheer on the team. Games will be Sept. 24 and 25, and Oct. 1, 2 and 9, all at 7 p.m. in the Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
Jerry Young/Freelancer
Jerry Young can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Linfield women’s volleyball team dove into the 2010 season with tough competition and nationally
ranked opponents, such as Nebraska-Wesleyan University, Colorado College and Eastern University, on the
schedule.
But coach Shane Kimura said he believes that playing such opponents is an important step in the
preparation for conference play.
“I think we played some good competition. So, we know what we need to work on,” he said. “I think
it kind of shows us what our weaknesses are and what we need to work on for our conference season.”
The Wildcats opened this year against the Beacons of Northwest Christian University on Sept. 1. After
the ’Cats won the first set 25-22, the Beacons took command and won the next three 25-21, 25-14 and 25-
15.
Freshman Kelsey Ludin and junior Tara Hill led the Wildcats with seven kills a piece, and junior
Samantha Lau contributed with 17 digs.
The remainder of the Wildcats preseason schedule comprised two tournaments, one in Colorado
Springs, Colo.,
nationally ranked teams. Their combined record in these two tournaments ended up being 2-5, putting there
overall record at 2-6. However, while the record may not show it, all-conference player Lau said she believes
that these are the types of games that the team must play in preparation for their North West Conference
Schedule.
“They definitely showed us where are weaknesses were. If we keep playing
easy teams we’ll never figure that out. They definitely run quicker offenses, they hit balls a lot harder,” she
said. “When we played Nebraska it was a very close game. So we know we can hang in there, so now we
just have to get to the point where we can beat them at that level.”
This attitude was echoed by coach Kimura, but he said he understands that losing close games is not
enough.
“The negative part is obviously you don’t like to lose matches,” he said.
The Wildcats opened up conference play with a win Sept. 15 at home against the Boxers of Pacific
University. After losing the first game 18-24, Linfield came back and played a solid second game, winning
25-17. The third game was up in the air with both teams looking in control at various times. In the end, the
Boxers pulled out with a 25-21 victory. With their backs against the wall however, Linfield responded and
and one in Forest Grove, Ore. Within these tournaments, the Wildcats played three
dominated the next two games, winning by scores of 25-14 and 15-12. With this victory, the Wildcats start
off on the right foot in conference.
With one conference game in the books, Linfield will look for more momentum as the Northwest
Conference season gets under way. Six of their first seven matches will be played at home and
Kimura said he understands how important it is to get take advantage of this and get a quick start.
“We’re going to have tough matches every night, so I think it is important we have a good start,” he said.
With a favorable schedule, the Wildcats hope to make some noise this year in the Northwest Conference.
The next two home games for the Wildcats will be Sept. 24 and 25 against Puget Sound University and
Lewis & Clark College, respectively.

Jerry Young/Staff reporter
Jerry Young can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The volleyball team is two for two as the team travels to Colorado for the Colorado College Invitational this weekend.

The women face off on Friday and Saturday against Wheaton College, Eastern University and nationally ranked Colorado College.

It’s the women’s last weekend to get matches in preseason before conference starts against Pacific University at home on Sept. 15.

Linfield’s last matches were at the Boxer Kickoff hosted by Pacific. The women brought their A-game as they won two of three

matches.

Juniors Samantha Lau and Tara Hill and sophomore Cora Hall all led the team to a victory.

The women had a good comeback from losing their first home match against Northwest Christian University, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14

and 25-15. Although it was a sad loss for the Wildcats, it was a night of celebration for coach Shane Kimura as he coached his 1,000th

match that night. Lau and junior Bethany Dickey tied for 17 digs that night.

~Complied by Corrina Crocker

Corrina Crocker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com