SPOKANE, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran earned its way to the 2025 NCAA Division III volleyball tournament with a 3-1 win over host Whitworth in the championship match of the Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The tournament's third-seeded Lutes (16-9) earned the NWC's automatic bid to the national tournament with the 17-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 win over the top-seeded Pirates (21-7). PLU ended a five-match losing skid to the Bucs.
Whitworth used the comfort and energy of the home crowd to win the opening set going away. The Bucs turned a 13-12 lead into an 18-13 advantage with a block from Rylie Harden. They kept the momentum going and closed the set with a service ace by Bryanna Dodson. Alyssa Baird had five kills in the opening set for the Bucs.
The second set was the closest of the night and turned the tide in PLU's favor. The Lutes won a set that featured nine ties and four lead changes. PLU led 10-6 before Whitworth inched back into a 17-17 tie on a kill by Baird. The Pirates went up 21-19 on a Lutes' error, but PLU answered by outscoring the Bucs 6-2 the rest of the way. Shaela Allen-Greggs had four kills and the Lutes hit .248 in the second game.
PLU led most of the way through the third set, opening a 7-4 lead on a Pirate attack error. Whitworth got within a point three times, the final coming at 17-16 after a kill from Amblessed Okemgbo. After the Lutes went up 21-17, Whitworth got within 21-19 on Lauren Kremer's block. Alexis Eggert had the set-winning kill for PLU. Je T'aime Paio had five kills for the Lutes in the third game.
Whitworth tried to respond, jumping out to an 11-7 lead in the fourth set after consecutive PLU attack errors. PLU responded with a 7-0 run, going up 14-11 on a kill from Clare Freberg. The Pirates tied the set 16-16 on Kremer's kill, but the Lutes then closed the match with a 9-2 run. Je T'aime had three straight kills to finish it out for the Lutes.
Baird, the 2025 NWC Rookie of the Year, led all players with 15 kills. Okemgbo had 13 kills in her final match as a Pirate, while Kremer had 10 for the Bucs. Whitworth's two senior setters, Josephine Thompson and Mya Rodriguez, had 17 and 14 assists, respectively. Thompson and Baird each had 17 digs.
Je T'aime led PLU with 14 kills, while Allen-Greggs had 13 and Julissa Pernsteiner finished with 11. Ayre Takamoto dished 31 assists and finished with two aces.
PLU will find out where and when it will play in the NCAA tournament when the field is announced on Monday morning.
