Eagles Defeat Oregon Tech in Four

Katelyn Louden and Mikayla Morgan led OIT (9-9, 1-5 CCC) with 10 kills a piece.

KIRKLAND, Wash. - The NU Eagles defeated a feisty Oregon Tech team, 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-16, 25-22), tonight in a CCC contest in the Pavilion.

The first set saw NU jump out early, 11-2, on the Owls and the Eagles would maintain their lead the entire set, increasing their lead to 17-7 after an OIT attack error and a service ace by NU's Alexa Brown. With the score 23-12, the team would trade scores to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Owls turned the tables in the second set jumping on the Eagles and leading 15-6. But then NU would slowly chip away at the OIT lead, tie the set at 21-all and then take a 24-21 lead. With a second straight set loss looming, the Owls would out score NU 5-0 to win the set capped off by kills by Mindy Rencher and Katelyn Louden.

Oregon Tech started the third set clicking and would find themselves in the lead, 12-9. But it was now the Eagles coming back to tie the set at 12-12 as the teams would battle back and forth to tie three more times until Northwest would take the lead for good, 17-15, on three straight OIT errors. NU would out score the Owls 8-1 to win the set and finish with 2 kills and a service ace. Breanna Covey was involved in the final four scores for NU.

In the fourth and final set, OIT would once again lead 11-7 when the Eagles would mount another comeback to tie the set at 12-12 after two OIT attack errors. More OIT miscues would help NU increase their lead to 19-14. But the Owls would not away easily and they would battle back to pull to within one at 20-19, but a Covey kill and an attack error would put NU up 22-20 as they would hold off OIT to win the set, 25-22 and the match.

Anu Akamine led Northwest U. (8-4, 3-2 CCC) with 11 kills and 16 digs. Sarah Stoker had 10 kills and Lauren Holtz added 9 kills and 17 digs. Lauryn Ernster finished with a match high 32 assists. The win was the Eagles' eighth of the year which equals last season's total wins with 13 matches to play. Kacie Simpson had 10 blocks.

Katelyn Louden and Mikayla Morgan led OIT (9-9, 1-5 CCC) with 10 kills a piece. Teammate Hannah Brewster had a match high 25 digs for the Owls and Sarah Svedin led OIT with 22 assists.

"Our middles had a great weekend," commented NU Head Coach Jessie Dietrich after the match. "They hit well and had a ton of blocks. Heather (Shulke) also had a great weekend with 46 digs in two matches. It was nice to get the win."

NU will head to Portland next weekend to meet Concordia U. and Warner Pacific on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25.

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