College Place, Wash. | After coming so close on numerous opportunities this season, the Warner Pacific University Women's Volleyball team (1-11, 1-8) came out victorious tonight on a road game that went the distance versus conference opponent Walla Walla University (0-10, 0-9) with final set scores of 25-21, 23-25, 18-25, 25-17, and 15-13.

A team faced with multiple injuries and only seven active roster players coming into tonight's contest pulled off an incredible road win to keep their hopes and determination alive for conference games still to come, especially after starring an 11-13 deficit straight in the face late in the 5^th set, and still coming out on top.

The Knights used an early rally in the opening set to provide enough momentum to cruise to a 25-21 win, despite almost allowing the Wolves to sneak back in and steal it with 6 points in seven plays nearing the end of set one.

The same narrative wound up to be the outcome of the second set, but this time the hosting Wolves were able to find the early rallies necessary to come out on top and tie tonight's contest all up at one set apiece.

After a kill by Knights' sophomore opposite hitter Tevlin Britten evened the score of set three at 18-18, Walla Walla decided that enough was enough and sounded off seven straight points to take a 2-1 set lead into the fourth set.

Determined to not let another opportunity slip away, the Knights, led by senior outside hitter Grace Buchanan, started the fourth set on a 12-3 run, and never looked back to force a fifth and decisive set in College Place, Wash.

24 team points later, the Warner Pacific Knights found themselves in that 11-13 deficit they could not possibly lose another point to keep their chances alive, and proceeded to throw down four straight points to close this game out, thus ending the losing streak and bringing a win back to Portland over their shoulders.

Buchanan recorded quite possibly the best stat line of her career tonight by registering game-highs of 29 kills and 23 digs, along with the game-winning service ace that the Knights so urgently needed. Britten kept pace with Buchanan and had her own double-double of 12 kills and 22 digs, while Knights' freshman libero Sabah Mohammady tied Grace's game-high in digs with 23 as well.

Senior setter Matalasi Laban accounted for 50 of the 56 assists the Knights registered tonight, setting a season-high record and marking only the second time in her career that she has dealt out 50 assists in a single game, not to mention hauling in 17 digs to bring a third Knight to double-double territory in Warner Pacific's win.

For the Wolves, junior middle blocker Gabriella Browning had a double-double featuring 19 kills and 15 digs, while also having one solo and two assisted blocks. Junior libero Idalis Bedore recorded a team-high 21 digs defensively in the backcourt for Walla Walla.

Warner Pacific Volleyball will return to action at home this upcoming weekend to host the Southern Oregon University Raiders at 7pm PST on Friday, October 1^st, followed by the Oregon Tech Owls next Saturday at 5pm PST.