PORTLAND, Ore. – Northwest University kept pace in the CCC playoff hunt with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-16) win over Warner Pacific tonight at C.C. Perry Gym in Portland.

It was an emotional night for the host Knights (2-13, 1-13 CCC), who were honoring the memory of senior Jacalyn Chew-Dorsey's father who passed away suddenly this week. Northwest (10-8, 8-5 CCC) is fighting for a playoff berth and could ill afford a stumble on the road.

The visiting eagles slowly built a lead in set one, due in part to three service aces by three different players. The third ace made the score 18-9 in favor of NU, before the Knights managed to tick off four straight points to claw back within 13-19. The Knights could draw no closer and the teams traded kills until the Eagles took the set, 25-17.

WPC started slowly in set two, as Lauryn Ernster served Northwest to a 7-0 lead out of the gate. The Knights did not recover, managing six kills in the frame compared to 13 for Northwest.

Set three was close early on, and WPC looked to make it a game after a Kelsey Kurtz kill made the score 8-12. An 8-2 run from the Eagles put the match out of reach however with two more service aces and were helped by three attacking errors by the Knights. Kristina Naff put away three kills in the frame for WP, but a pair of spikes from Anu Akamine kept the Eagles in the clear and NU took the set 25-16.

Northwest hit for a .264 percentage, while WPC managed to hit at a .124 clip. NU fired over 11 total aces, while Warner Pacific had one.

Akamine and Molly Boyle shared high kill honors with eight each for NU, while libero Heather Schulke had a match high 25 digs.

Kurtz led Warner Pacific with six kills without an error, and the setter also added 21 assists and 13 digs. Chew-Dorsey had 19 digs, each one a tribute to her father.

Warner Pacific will host Evergreen State tomorrow night, as the Knights will honor seniors Jacalyn Chew-Dorsey and Kim Mulka in their last home game as a Knight. Northwest will be at Concordia. Both matches start at 7pm.