LEWISTON, Idaho – Walla Walla University women's volleyball battled Lewis-Clark State College on Tuesday evening, pushing the Warriors to extra points in the second set before falling in straight sets, 25-19, 30-28, 25-23.
The Wolves showed resilience throughout the match, particularly in the second set, where they rallied late to force extra points. After trailing 21-18, Walla Walla fought back to tie the set at 22-22. The Wolves continued to trade points with the Warriors, eventually reaching a 28-28 tie before Lewis-Clark State secured the final two points to take a 2-0 match lead.
Sahara Browning led the Wolves offensively with 16 kills and added 14 digs for a double-double. Kienna Stepper contributed six kills while hitting .417, and Lauren Moody added five kills without committing an attack error, finishing with a team-best .556 hitting percentage.
Walla Walla also found its rhythm early in the third set, building a 9-3 advantage. The Warriors responded to even the score at 14-14, setting up another competitive finish. The teams remained within a few points of each other down the stretch, with Browning recording key kills to help the Wolves stay in contention. However, Lewis-Clark State closed out the set 25-23 to complete the sweep.
The Wolves finished with 40 kills and 54 digs. Kylee Stinger recorded 15 assists and two service aces, while Olivia Cheek added 16 assists and 10 digs. Stepper contributed four block assists.
Head Coach Don Hepker praised the team's effort against a nationally ranked opponent and pointed to the progress made in practice.
"The girls battled hard tonight, losing by only two points in the second and third sets against a top-20 team in the country. I would have loved the win, but we're succeeding at the things we worked on in practice, and I think we'll peak during the playoffs," Hepker said.
Lewis-Clark State improved to 17-4 overall and 11-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, while Walla Walla moved to 4-13 overall and 4-11 in conference action.
UP NEXT: Walla Walla will host Warner Pacific University on Friday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. for a Pink Out game in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
