NEWBERG, Ore. – Looking to get its new season off on the right foot, Linfield swept through a pair of NAIA opponents Saturday afternoon at George Fox University’s Wheeler Sports Center. Together with a three-set Friday night win on the road at New Hope Christian, the Wildcats ran their record to 3-0.

Linfield 3, Corban 1
Kailana Ritte-Camara (Jr., Molokai, Hawaii) and Shayli Coppock (Sr., Temecula, Calif) combined for 25 kills and 10 digs to pace the Wildcats to a 25-17, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21 win over Warriors (1-7).

Linfield built a 10-point lead early in the first set, leading 14-4, before Corban put together seven straight points to close to within three. The Wildcats didn’t wilt, maintaining the lead throughout with a pair of points from Ritte-Camara, who tallied five kills on seven swings.

Seven kills from Olivia Shropshire enabled Corban to score a win in the second set, 25-17.

In the third set, a pair of kills by Coppock and freshman Molly McTaggart (Fr., Burlington, Wash.) fueled Linfield to a three-point victory and a 2-1 lead in the match. Courtney Uyeda (Soph., Honolulu, Hawaii) dug three balls to aid the ‘Cats from the back row.

Coppock piled up four kills in the clinching set while Ritte-Camara added three more. Down one point, 20-19, the Wildcats finished strong, outscoring the Warriors 6-1 to close the set.

Ritte-Camara totaled 14 digs, seven digs and three block assists. Coppock was also a force, pocketing 11 kills to go with three digs. Sam Hammons (Fr., Estacada, Ore.) chipped in with seven digs, while McTaggart and Victoria Thompson (Jr., Newberg, Ore.) added six more kills. Setter Casie Gaza (Fr., Mililani, Hawaii) notched 21 assists, three digs and two kills while fellow playmaker Audrey Frazier (Jr., Albany, Ore.) contributed 18 assists, six digs and three service aces. Libero Courtney Uyeda (Soph., Honolulu, Hawaii) was credited with 15 digs and three aces.

Shropshire finished with a match-high 15 kills for Corban, taking 38 swings at the ball.

Linfield 3, Mills 0
The Wildcats rode McTaggart’s hot hand as the freshman totaled a team-best six kills without and error. Coppock and Hammons each added five kills and Ritte-Camara had four more. Linfield hit .224 at the net to Mills’ -.013, blitzing to a three-set win, 25-14, 25-5, 25-11.

Linfield pulled away in the middle stages of the first set to score a convincing result. Ritte-Camara pounded all four of her kills in the set and Uyeda was steady in the back row with seven first-set digs.

The second set was all Linfield as the ‘Cats rolled to a 21-3 advantage on the way to a lopsided 25-5 result. McTaggart dropped three kills and assisted on a block with Ali Henn (Fr., Portland, Ore.). The Cyclones had no answer for Linfield’s serving as the ‘Cats racked up nine aces in the stanza, four by Gaza and three from Frazier.

Quinn Takashima (Soph., Honolulu, Hawaii) dropped three straight aces on the Cyclones, Frazier had three others, and Gaza planted four aces in five serves.

‘CAT SCRATCH: Linfield defeated New Hope Christian Friday night in three games, 25-7, 25-21, 25-22. Statistics were unavailable from the home team.

AHEAD: Linfield heads to Thousand Oaks, Calif., to complete in the Cal Lu Fornia Invitational. Friday, Linfield opposes Occidental at 3 p.m., following by a 7 o’clock matchup with Redlands. The following day, the Wildcats battle Chapman at 11:30 p.m. before facing host Cal Lutheran at 2 p.m.