The visiting Woodcrest Royals entered Tuesday night’s game in the Lions’ Den with a bone to pick. Linfield defeated them earlier in the season for the first time in Ambassador League history, but the Lions showed up to prove it was not a fluke.
The Royals earned the first two points of set one, but the Lions responded with three consecutive kills; one from MB Alaina Tucker and two from OH Makenzie Phelps. Linfield allowed a few more errors and two lead changes until OH Kelly Rausch ripped the ball for a kill to put Linfield up 9-8. The Lions went on to earn six out of their next seven points with kills from four different players, including setter Devin Sivertson. MB Paige Williams made her presence known on the net with a big block to push the Lions to 18-14. The Royals had a moment of celebration after blocking Williams, but Devin Sivertson put the ball back over on second contact for the kill. Rausch would close the set with an ace and a kill, for the Lions’ 25-27 finish.
Linfield jumped out to a 4-1 lead in set two with another kill by Rausch. Woodcrest stole the momentum, climbing back point by point to tie 6-6. Linfield responded with a few kills, and led at 22-13 with the help of some Woodcrest errors. The final four points were all earned by the Lions; two kills by Rausch, one by Williams, and the final one by Sarah Newman in the back row for the 25-16 set win.
Set three looked no different as the Lions led from the first point to the last. Linfield would finish with 9 kills and 4 aces in the third set, carrying them to a 25-17 win and a 3-0 sweep of the Royals.
Linfield is now 8-3 in league, 21-4 overall, and will travel to Loma Linda on Thursday, October 4th as Ambassador League play starts to come to a close.
