Lacey, Wash.—The Sea Lions came out strong against the host team St. Martin's University in the D2 West Region Showcase in their opening game on Friday. Behind a strong effort from their freshmen, they pulled out a 3-0 victory over the Saints.
 
The team put together a complete game to earn their first win of the season. Madelynn Fox paced the team with 12 kills and 5 blocks. Julia Malinas had 10 kills and 7 aces with Jaime Cymbaluk adding 9 kills. The offense really came alive for PLNU anchored by sophomore Cara Keturakis who had a double-double.
 
Team Records
PLNU (1-5), SMU (4-2)
 
Scott's Thoughts
On the performance of the freshmen:
"Madelynn was a workhorse in this match, and she was a legitimate force offensively and defensively. Julia has now had two solid performances in a row and we hope to see more of that throughout the season."
 
On the leadership of Keturakis:
"She is our rock. Her leadership is amazing and a constant that we look to pace us in each contest."
 
Scoring Summary
Set 1: PLNU 25, SMU 17
Set 2: PLNU 25, SMU 22
Set 3: PLNU 25, SMU 19
 
News and Notes
> Julia Malinas had a season high 7 aces, she is now averaging .64 aces per set.  
> The Sea Lions had their best offensive match of the season hitting .210 with 42 kills.
> The three top scorers for the Sea Lions were all freshmen.
> Cara Keturakis had a double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs, she also contributed 6 kills and 4 block assists. 

Up Next
PLNU will play again tonight at 8 p.m. against Humboldt State.