11/8/2024 | Alisha Alexander | Assistant Athletic Director-Sports Information
LEWISTON, Idaho – Warrior Volleyball secured its hosting rights for Tuesday’s Cascade Conference tournament play-in match with a sweep (27-25, 25-16, 25-20) of the visiting Bushnell Beacons on Friday. The win avenged the loss to the Beacons earlier this season in Eugene. Taylin Rowley led the match with a career-high 13 kills and Karissa Lindner was a wall at the net with eight blocks.
The victory seals either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the CCC tournament for LC State and the Warriors will host a postseason match in the P1FCU Activity Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
With the win, LC State improves to 15-11 overall and 12-9 in Cascade Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Kills by Missy Mortensen and Juliauna Forgach Aguilar paired with four Bushnell errors to give LC State a 6-5 lead, and kills by Rowley, Mortensen and Esther Kailiponi along with a block by Anna Merrill and Lindner made it 10-9. An ace by Abbey Neff and kills by Forgach Aguilar and Rowley fueled a 5-1 run to grow the advantage to 15-11 before Bushnell rallied to tie the set 17-17.
A block by Merrill and Kate Schneider was sandwiched by swings from Rowley and Forgach Aguilar for a 20-17 advantage, and tallies by Merrill and Lindner had the margin at 23-20. The Beacons battled back to take a 24-23 lead, but a kill by Forgach Aguilar knotted the score 24-24. Bushnell again went in front 25-24, but an error and two kills by Rowley ended the frame 27-25.
Forgach Aguilar started the second set with a solo block and a kill to push the Warriors out to a 3-1 advantage earlier. Rowley notched two kills but Bushnell rallied to tie things up 7-7. Abby Beaton tallied her first kill of the night and Merrill added another before a block by Merrill and Linder gave LC State a 10-8 edge. Lindner joined Forgach Aguilar on a block before putting down back-to-back kills for a 15-10 lead, and Forgach Aguilar added a kill of her own to make it 17-12.
Leading 20-16, a kill by Forgach Aguilar started a run of five straight points that featured an ace by Ella Stosich and kill by Lindner before Lindner and Forgach Aguilar put up a block to end the frame 25-16.
The Warriors only got better in the third set. A kill by Forgach Aguilar started a set-opening 7-1 run that had contributions from Merrill and Lindner. A block by Lindner and Rowley sparked a run of four that included a pair of kills by Rowley for a 15-7 advantage, and points by Merrill, Lindner and Forgach Aguilar grew the cushion to 22-13.
Errors plagued Bushnell before Gianna Anderson ended the match with a kill.
STAT RECAP
Rowley led the match with her career-best 13 kills on a .333 attack percentage. Forgach Aguilar added 12 kills. Neff led the setters with 16 assists and Kailiponi completed a double-double with 12 assists and 10 digs. Natany Felix Guimaraes led the Warriors with 17 digs.
LC State totaled 10 blocks led by eight assists by Lindner. Merrill assisted on five and Forgach Aguilar had four total.
The Warriors held Bushnell to an attack percentage of .085 and out blocked the Beacons 10-4.
Hailey Heider led the Beacons with 12 kills and Elijah Sanders had 17 assists. Heider notched a double-double with a match-high 20 digs.
UP NEXT
The regular season concludes on Saturday when LC State hosts No. 8 Corban at 4 p.m. The Warriors will honor seven seniors just before the start of the match in the P1FCU Activity Center.
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