Seniors Shine but Volleyball Drops Final Match of the Season

Senior Ashley Evans finishes her career second on the seniors list for single season digs with 415, sixth overall.

Courtesy: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Senior Ashley Evans (West Linn, Ore.) had 20 digs to lead the Beaver offense, but the Oregon State volleyball team fell to No. 2 Stanford in three on Friday evening in the team’s last match of the 2008 season.

Set scores were 26-28, 18-25, 19-25.

“A great congratulations to the three seniors,” head coach Taras Liskevych said. “They’ve been great for the program – the epitome of what a student-athlete is about. We played really well throughout the match, especially in the first set. We were relaxed and had a good demeanor, and I was happy with that. Overall it was a great effort and we look forward to next year.”

Senior Lauren Rinderknecht (Santa Barbara, Calif.) had six kills, 10 digs and led the team with five blocks. Senior Natalie Hooper (Roseburg, Ore.) had a pair of digs and an assist.

Junior Rachel Rourke (Queensland, Australia) led all hitters with 18 kills, while sophomore Jill Sawatzky (St. Andrews, Manitoba) added 11. Junior Bree Knitter (Fallbrook, Calif.) added to the Beaver defense with four blocks.

Oregon State led through most of the first set getting off to a quick lead and leading by as many as seven at 16-9 behind Rourke’s eight kills. Stanford rallied back behind kills from Cynthia Barboza to tie the set at 22 all. Oregon State hung in to tie things up four more times after Stanford took the lead at 23-22, but a kill by Foluke Akinradewo gave the set to the Cardinal.

Stanford took the lead early in the second set despite Rourke’s six kills and Sawatzky’s five. Evans dug six tough balls to add to her eight from the first set, while Rinderknecht had a pair. But Stanford held on to take a 2-0 lead.

Oregon State came out of the break ready to play, taking an early 4-1 lead. But Alix Klineman’s tough jump serve tied the set up at four each. Stanford took a seven point lead before the Beavers made a small rally behind Rinderknecht’s serving, including an ace. But Stanford held on to take the set and match.

Stanford’s Cynthia Barboza led the Cardinal with 14 kills, while libero Gabi Ailes had 24 digs.

Oregon State finishes its season with a 14-17, 3-15 Pac-10 record, while Stanford now is 26-3, 17-1 Pac-10.

Oregon State Notes – Senior Ashley Evans finishes her career second on the seniors list for single season digs with 415, sixth overall; Evans finishes eighth all-time for career digs with 1,094; Evans’ 20 digs is the seventh time this season she had 20-plus digs in a single match … Senior Lauren Rinderknecht ends her career 10th on the seniors list with 92 total blocks … Junior Rachel Rourke ends the season fourth on the juniors list for single season kills with 497, fifth overall; Rourke finishes third all-time for career kills with 1,378.

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