SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth picked up its fourth straight volleyball victory by sweeping visiting Puget Sound 25-21, 25-14, 25-14 on Saturday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates improved to 14-6 overall and 8-2 in the NWC to take over first place in the league standings after Willamette lost to George Fox.  The Loggers dropped to 8-10, 5-5.

The only real drama came in the opening set.  Puget Sound took a 16-13 lead on a kill by Shawna Smith.  But the Pirates responded with a 5-0 run that included a pair of aces by Nicole Leonard. Leading 23-21, the Bucs got back-to-back kills by Cassandra Mendoza and Karina Lees to close out the set.

Heather Sangster's kill pulled UPS to within 16-13 in the second set.  But Whitworth finished on a 9-1 run to make it a rout.  Leonard had three straight kills to close out the second frame.

Whitworth led the third set from the get-go, jumping to a 9-1 lead.  The Loggers got within 19-13, but the Pirates closed it out with a 6-1 spurt to clinch the sweep.

Leonard led all players with 16 kills and added 18 digs to lead the Bucs.  Mendoza added nine kills and Maddye Dinsmore finished with 33 assists.

No Logger player had more than five kills in the match as UPS finished with a team hitting percentage of -0.018.  Kristen Lane had a match-high 23 digs.

Whitworth will complete a five-match homestand on Wednesday night against Whitman College.