MILLIGAN, Tenn. – Over 2,500 miles away from the Klamath Basin, Oregon Tech showed no jet lag at the Milligan Mountain Madness volleyball tournament, combining for 21 aces in 3-set sweeps of host Milligan and Faulkner (Ala.).
Tech (4-1) had 13 aces in a 25-19, 25-23, 25-11 win over the Tennessee side, while the Owls held Faulkner to a .034 hitting percentage in a 25-13, 25-23, 25-13 victory.
Savanna Sterck led the Lady Owls attack, combining for 18 kills – nine kills in each win – with Willow Jacobson recording seven kills in both victories.
In the morning match vs. the Buffs (0-1), the Owls jumped to a 10-3 lead in Set 1 behind a pair of kills from Jacobson. MU battled back within 18-17, but Emma Kness recorded a pair of aces in a 7-2 run to end the set. Tech trailed the majority of Set 2, but rallied late, scoring the final four points to erase a 23-21 deficit – with a Jacobson kill ending the set. OIT never trailed in Set 3, jumping out to a 15-3 lead and cruised to the win.
Alexa Gugliotta had five kills and five blocks, Lucy Boyd recorded 28 assists and four aces, with Brooklynn Thesenvitz finishing with four aces and Kness adding three more - part of 13 total aces by the Owls.
Later in the day, OIT cruised past the Eagles (0-2) from Montgomery, Ala. – getting three aces from Abigail Sorensen and two aces from both Alison Miller and Sumerlyn Spencer.
The Owls broke an 8-8 tie in Set 1 with an 8-1 surge – including two aces from Miller – and eased to the win. Set 2 was much closer, with the two teams tied at 23-23, before consecutive errors by the Eagles handed Tech the set win. The finale was all OIT – starting with an 8-2 lead and finishing by scoring the last six points of the match.
Lex Boccia had seven kills in the win, as Tech forced Faulkner into 22 attack errors and added eight aces.
Saturday, the Owls close tournament play with matches against Union Commonwealth from Kentucky and Blue Mountain Christian from Mississippi.