Oregon Tech celebrates their conference opening win over NCU. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Oregon Tech Opens CCC Volleyball Action with Four-Set Win over NCU
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Kelsey Sampson tallied 15 kills and Oregon Tech opened up Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball action with a four-set victory over Northwest Christian University tonight at Danny Miles Court, 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14).
Oregon Tech (6-1, 1-0 CCC) handed NCU their first loss of the season and will next host Corban University on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. NCU (7-1, 0-1 CCC) travels to Ashland to face Southern Oregon University to close out their CCC road trip.
The Owls scored the first six points to open the match with Mykala Rubey notching a pair of kills during the run.
NCU closed to within two points, on three separate occasions, the last at 13-11, before Tech took the opener 25-17. Kristin DePaoli tallied four kills in the set with Rubey and Alexa Burdett tacking on three each to get the Owls off to a solid start.
It was all NCU in set 2, as the Beacons tied the match at 1-1. Leading 9-4 to open, three-straight Kelsey Sampson kills, and a Bailey Nelson ace, got Tech to within a point, 8-9. The Beacons, however, found their way to a 24-20 advantage. Another spike from Sampson, and two NCU attack errors, pulled the Owls to 23-24, but NCU’s Chandler Gabrio scored the next point to win the set, 25-23, and tie it at 1-1.
Set 3 could have gone either way, as the Beacons held a 17-14 advantage midway through. Rubey and Whitney Webster kills, along with a Marlee Smith ace during a 5-0 run, gave the Owls a 19-17 lead. With Tech leading 22-21, the Owls would record the final three points to win the set and lead 2-1.
Set 4 ran similar to the opener, as the Owls scored the first six before NCU put up their first score.
Kills from Sampson and setter, Waverly Green, put the Owls up by double-digits, 16-6. NCU never got closer than eight, as Tech won the set and match by a 25-14 score.
Kelsey Sampson recorded a double-double with a match-high 15 kills to go with 15 digs and a couple aces. Mykala Rubey followed with nine kills with Alexa Burdett tacking on six in the win for Tech. Bella Foss anchored the defense with a team-high 24 digs. Waverly Green and Bailey Nelson added 10 digs apiece with Green finishing up with 36 assists.
Cassidy Winters led the Beacons offensive attack with nine kills, followed by eight each from Kayla Ping and Chandler Gabrio. Marsha Poischbeg tallied 32 assists and Sydney Rothenbush a match-high 25 digs. Haley Damian recorded 15 digs in the loss for NCU.