via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
LEWISTON, Idaho – In a matchup between two teams in the “Others Receiving Votes” category in the NAIA Top-25 Poll, Lewis-Clark State outlasted Oregon Tech in four tight sets, 25-20, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, inside the P1FCU Activity Center.
LC (5-0, 2-0 CCC) pins Juliauna Forgach Aguilar and Taylor Boyce combined for 45 kills – making plays late in sets to give the hosts the win.
Savanna Sterck had 14 kills and Aleksen Thayer posted 10 kills and four blocks in the loss for the Owls (6-3, 0-2).
Tech had chances in each of the first two sets, but the Warrior hitters salvaged the periods for the home side. Set 1 featured 12 ties, with the Owls pulling even at 20-20 – but two kills from Forgach Aguilar started a 5-0 run to end the set for LC. The trend continued in Set 2, as OIT built a 13-11 lead, but Boyce rattled off 3-straight kills to break a 19-19 tie, giving the home team a 2-set lead.
The Lady Owls flipped the script in Set 3, scoring the final six points to win the period – as Alexa Gugliotta had two kills, Sterck added another, with OIT benefitting from three LC hitting errors.
OIT had a chance in Set 4, playing even at 11-11 and were within 19-17 – before a pair of combo-blocks by the Warriors started a 5-point push to put the match away.
Lucy Boyd finished with 39 assists and seven digs in the loss, with Abigail Sorensen leading the Owls with 17 digs and three aces.
Following 9-straight road matches to open the season, OIT returns home Friday, hosting No. 10-ranked College of Idaho at 6 p.m.
