Box Score
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Megan Bafus and Shae Kanakaole racked up five kills apiece and Hannah Linsenmayer came up with a team-high 12 digs for Whitman College but the Missionaries fell to host Linfield College, 3-0, in a Northwest Conference volleyball match Friday night at the Wildcats' Ted Wilson Gymnasium.

Whitman slips to 2-3 in the league and 6-8 overall while Linfield evens its overall record to 5-5 and improves to 3-2 within the conference.

The Wildcats rolled out to a fast lead Friday with a 25-13 victory in Game 1, but Whitman didn't allow the home team to grab the second game nearly as quickly.

Game 2 was tied several times early and into mid-game action before the Missionaries led 12-11 only to have Linfield reel off four consecutive points for a 15-12 advantage. Whitman took its turn with a short run, however, pulling back even at 15-15. A pair of four-point runs, first from Linfield, then by the Missionaries, set the score at 19-19 but the Wildcats' three-point streak created an advantage they would finally carry into a 25-22 win to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The final game was a copy of the previous one with the score eventually knotting up at 18-18 and 20-20. Whitman pulled in front 21-20 with a Natalia Zea kill but three consecutive points proved again to be the deciding points as Linfield closed out the night with another 25-22 victory.

Adding to Bafus' and Kanakaole's night on the attack, Whitman received four-kill nights from Zea, Abby Seethoff and Kaileah Akker. Anna Dawson had a game-high 16 set assists for the Missionaries' attack.

Kailana Ritte-Camara led Linfield with 10 kills, three service aces and seven digs.

Whitman heads to Salem, Oregon, Saturday for a 6 p.m. conference match at Willamette University.