Eagles Sweep OIT, Regain Fourth
KIRKLAND, Wash. - The Northwest University Eagles earned a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 26-24, 26-24) over Oregon Tech tonight in three highly competitive sets. With the victory, NU regains fourth place in the CCC's tight race, the final playoff spot for the post season playoffs, as Concordia fell to the College of Idaho, 3-0, tonight.
With the set tied at 6-6, the Eagles took control in the first set with a 10-2 run on the Owls to build a 16-8 lead with the final points in the run coming on kills by Arika Zwack and three straight by teammate Molly Boyle. NU would maintain the lead the remainder of the way. punctuated by a Breanna Covey kill for set point.
The second and third sets would be hard fought affairs with NU gaining the upper hand early in the second, 10-8, on a kill by Lauryn Ernster and an Owl attack miscue. OIT would then battle back to tie the set at 10-10 and take the lead, 11-10, on Joey Parnell's kill. Tech would outscore the Eagles 6-3 to lead 16-13 after two straight kills by Jen Saltenberger. Back would come the Eagles to tie the set at 17-all on a kill by Sarah Stoker and another by Covey. Saltenberger would tie it again at 18 with her kill. The set would swing back and forth and with it tied at 24-24, Northwest would get kills by Sarah Stoker and Anu Akamine to squeeze out the 26-24 win.
It looked as though NU would cruise to the set win in the third as they would break out to an early 14-8 lead, but Oregon Tech refused to go down easily and slowly came back to knot the set at 15 a piece after two straight NU errors. A kill by Mindy Nalder and service ace by Joey Parnell would give the Owls the 17-15 lead. OIT would hold onto a two point lead until a Covey kill and Olivia VanDlac ace would tie the score at 22-22. After two lead changes, Parnell would tie the set at 24, but kills by Molly Boyle and Lauryn Ernster would give NU the narrow, 26-24 set and match win.
Breanna Covey led Northwest U. (11-9, 9-6 CCC) with 13 kills (.297). Lauryn Ernster would record another match high with 30 assists and add 16 digs. Heather Shulke would tie for match honors with 17 digs and Molly Boyle would add 9 kills for the Eagles.
Oregon Tech (12-10, 6-9 CCC) was led by Joey Parnell's 11 kills and 14 digs, but OIT would hit only .097 as a team. Sarah Svedin led the Owls with 29 assists along with 13 digs. Krystie Vea had 17 digs and Mindy Nalder added 8 kills.
"I liked the way we rose up at the end of every set to get the win tonight," stated Jessie Dietrich, Eagle head coach. "This was a much needed win against a good OIT team and Ihope we can carry the intensity into our match tomorrow night against Southern Oregon."
Northwest U. remains at home tomorrow night, taking on #15 Southern Oregon while Oregon Tech travels to Olympia to play Evergreen. Both matches are set for 7 p.m.