PORTLAND, Ore.—With senior Raluca Dinca (Portland, Ore./David Douglas H.S.) leading the charge with 22 kills and 12 digs, Concordia University defeated Oregon Tech 3-1 (25-15, 25-17, 23-25, 25-21) in Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball action on Friday night.

 

With the win, CU improved to 3-4 overall while OIT fell to 7-5. The match represented the conference opener for both teams.

 

The Cavaliers took control of the match with a pair of convincing wins in the first two matches. After hitting .308 as a team in the first, CU returned to fire at a .233 rate while holding the Owls to a .118 hitting percentage in the second game.

 

Dinca had eight of the team’s 11 kills while freshman setter Lindsay Mangan (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina H.S.) posted eight of her 42 assists in the opener as CU jumped out to a 11-3 start before posting the 25-15 win.

 

The teams traded points to make it a 3-2 contest in the second before the Cavaliers opened a 10-5 gap en route to the eight-point win. Five different CU players were credited with at least one kill while Oregon Tech was led by Sarah Svedein (Palmer, Alaska/Palmer H.S.) and Mikayla Morgan (Klamath Falls, Ore./Henley H.S.) as the pair notched seven of the teams eight block assists in the frame.

 

The third game featured a setting duel as Mangan tallied 14 assists to Svedin’s 13. With Oregon Tech hitting a match-high .308, the Owls overcame a 10-5 early deficit to stake the 25-23 win. The Cavs found themselves within three points of ending the match with the score resting at 22-19, but a pair of attacking errors and key kills from Kristen Walters (Springfield, Ore./Thurston H.S.) lifted the visiting side in the final moments.  

 

The Cavs trailed 11-9 midway through the fourth but were able to regroup with a 7-1 streak to claim a 16-12 advantage before going on for the clinching 25-21 score.

 

For the match, CU outhit OIT .245 to .147. Oregon Tech’s Hannah Brewster (Medford, Ore./Cascade H.S.) led the floor with 22 digs while Aubrie Concannon (Portland, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.) paced CU with 16 digs. Following Dinca’s match-high 22 kills, CU freshman Mariah Raudsepp (Dundee, Ore./C.S. Lewis Academy) registered nine kills on 14 attacks for a sparkling .571 hit rate.

 

 “Lindsay had a great overall match, not only with her assists, but with six kills, eight digs and a few blocks,” CU head coach Melanie Hambelton said. “Raluca dominated offensively and Mariah stepped up in the fourth game to enable us to get that win. She came through like a veteran, but the team as a whole played really well tonight.”

 

The Cavaliers return to action on Saturday when they host No.13-ranked Southern Oregon. Oregon Tech stays in town to face Warner Pacific.