SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Oregon Tech (24-8) battled hard, but it ultimately wasn't enough as it fell in four sets to Concordia of Nebraska (18-11). The loss officially the Owls from the NAIA Championship Tournament, finishing pool play with a record of 0-2.
Needing a victory to keep their tournament hopes alive, Tech ran out of gas down the stretch, facing a Concordia side who was fresh and in their first match of the day.
In the first set, Tech led 21-15 but a late Concordia run allowed the Bulldogs to storm back and claim the 1-0 lead.
After losing traction in the first set, Tech was able to hang on late in the second to level the match at one set apiece.
Concordia would go on to win the third and fourth sets to win the match, leading most of the way in both sets.
The Owls saw double-digit kills by Nicole Reyes (17), Faith Houck-Wylie (16), and Molly Grace (13), while Courtney Isom racked up 32 assists.
Despite the loss, the Owls had a very successful year after qualfying for the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in program history.
"What a great season," head coach Ken Murczek said. "These 13 girls committed to a vision. They put their heart and soul into the program. I am elated they got rewarded for their hard work to get the opportunity to represent Oregon Tech on a national stage. We competed today with some of the top teams in the country and look forward to building on this year's success. I want to personally thank our two seniors for their contribution both on and off the court. They have raised the bar for our program. I wish them the best of luck in the future and look forward to them staying connected to the program as proud alumni."