via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
MILLIGAN, Tenn. – Fueled by a potent offensive attack, Oregon Tech claimed the overall title of the 18th-annual Milligan Mountain Madness, topping Union Commonwealth and Blue Mountain Christian to finish the event with a 4-0 record.
The Lady Owls (6-1) were the lone unbeaten team in the tournament – rolling past UCU 25-12, 25-15, 25-16, before outlasting BMCU 25-27, 25-21, 25-16, 24-26, 15-12.
Tech’s Lucy Boyd was named Tournament MVP, while fellow Lady Owls Savanna Sterck and Alexa Gugilotta were named to the 10-person all-tournament team.
In the morning match, the Owls recorded 38 kills and hit at a .378 percentage, handing the Bulldogs (0-4) from Kentucky their fourth-straight loss.
Willow Jacobson had three kills in an opening 9-1 run in Set 1, while Sumerlyn Spencer had three aces in a 16-2 run to close Set 2 – erasing a 13-9 UCU lead. Tech used a 6-0 run in Set 3 to extend a lead to 22-13 in the match that lasted just 68 minutes.
Boyd tied a career-high with seven kills in eight swings, adding 25 assists, while both Gugliotta and Sterck had six kills. Spencer had a career-best four aces, Alison Miller added three aces, with Abigail Sorensen posting 17 digs.
In what was the championship match between two 3-0 teams, Tech stunned the Toppers (3-1) in Set 5 – as Sterck powered home a pair of kills and a Jacobson-Gugilotta block put an exclamation mark on a 6-point run to close the match.
Despite OIT fighting off three set points in the opening frame, BMCU’s Grace Turpin smashed two kills to break a 25-25 tie to claim the set, with the Mississippi side taking a 19-16 in Set 2, before Sterck caught fire, hammering home three straight kills in an OIT 9-2 run to even the match.
Tech wasn’t threatened in Set 3, using a 9-1 run, keyed by two kills each from Lex Boccia and Gugliotta build a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Toppers battled back in Set 4, scoring 7-straight points, including three Salice Speed kills, erasing a 17-13 OIT edge.
Sterck led all players with 20 kills, Boccia posted 17 and Gugliotta had 13 in the victory. Sorensen had 22 digs, Spencer logged 20 digs and Miller recorded 19, with Boyd finishing with 49 assists.
The Owls will have next week off, preparing for their league opening weekend at Walla Walla and Lewis-Clark State.