Oregon Institute of Technology Athletics

COMING UP: at Walla Walla, Friday, 12:30 p.m.; at Lewis-Clark State, Saturday, 5 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK

WATCH LIVE: Fans unable to make the trip to Walla Walla and Lewiston will be able to follow the matches online. Friday, both Live Video (PPV - $7.95) and Live Stats will be available through WWU's Stretch Internet Portal. On Saturday, Live Video (PPV - $10.00) will be available through the Warriors Sports Network with Randy Isabelle on the call, with Live Stats through LC's SIDEARM Sports Portal.
 
AT THE MIDWAY POINT: The Cascade Conference season is officially at the halfway point, as all 12 teams have completed the first half of the double round-robin schedule. No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon (11-0) and No. 5-ranked Corban (10-1) have been the dominant teams, while Southern Oregon, Bushnell and Evergreen all sit at 7-4. Both OIT and Lewis-Clark State are tied for the final potential playoff spot at 6-5, with Northwest a game behind at 5-6. The top-six teams in the final standings will advance to the CCC Championships to determine an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament.
 
LOOKING AT THE SECOND HALF: For the Lady Owls, six of the final 11 matches will be played on the road, with Tech 3-2 away from Danny Miles Court in CCC action. Key games include this Saturday at Lewis-Clark State and a five-game gauntlet – including home matches vs. Evergreen, Northwest and Southern Oregon, followed by road dates at Corban and Bushnell.  This week around the league, Multnomah and Warner Pacific head to Evergreen and Northwest, with Bushnell and Corban traveling for showdowns at College of Idaho and Eastern.
 
ISOM REWARDED FOR BIG WEEKEND: OIT recently transitioned from a 6-2 offensive attack to a 5-1 (one-setter system), with Courtney Isom reaping the benefits of playing six rotations. The senior had the best overall weekend of her career, earning Rize Laboratory CCC Setter of the Week honors for the third time in her career. Isom averaged 10.89 assists and 3.00 digs per set in the two victories, while combining for 14 kills on 22 attacks – without a hitting error. She logged her fourth double-double of the year with 35 assists and 10 digs vs. Warner Pacific, while recording a career-high eight kills vs. Multnomah.
 
REYES CONTINUES OUTSTANDING FINAL SEASON: Fifth-year senior Nicole Reyes continued a dominant final year in an OIT uniform, running her consecutive double-digit kills streak to eight with two quality weekend efforts. The outside hitter posted 14 kills and 10 digs vs. Warner Pacific (hitting at a .444 percentage), while adding 11 kills and two aces vs. Multnomah. Reyes pushed her career totals to 1,039 kills and 1,043 digs, picking up her 45th career double-double and the 52nd and 53rd double-digit kill match.
 
FRESHMAN KEY ON SATURDAY: Tech got key contributions from three freshman in the win over Multnomah. Opposite hitter Savanna Sterck powered five kills on just nine swings with a block; Alma Solis came off the bench to record three kills in five swings with a block; while Kaley Whalen posted six digs and an ace.
 
ANOTHER SOLID WEEKEND FOR RIPPLINGER: Middle blocker Ashley Ripplinger continued her quality play, recording back-to-back matches with a .364 hitting percentage. The senior combined for 10 kills on 22 swings in the two matches and has recorded a hitting percentage of .350 or better in five of the Owls last seven contests. For the season, Ripplinger leads the team with a .304 attack percentage, No. 4 in the CCC.
 
TALONEN INCHES CLOSER: The quest to 1,000 kills continues for Kaylin Talonen – who averaged over three kills per set in the weekend wins. The senior had 11 kills against Warner Pacific, adding nine kills (with a .412 attack percentage) against Multnomah, pushing her career kills total to 859 with 11 regular-season matches remaining.

DIFFERENT ROAD TRIP: OIT will have a different schedule to work around on the upcoming road swing – playing a lunchtime match at Walla Walla and a late afternoon date at Lewis-Clark State. The WWU contest is set for 12:30 p.m. – partly due to the Seventh-Day Adventist Sabbath restrictions, but also due to the OIT men's soccer team playing WWU in College Place at 3 p.m. The Lady Owls will have around a 27-hour rest period before their 5 p.m. match in Lewiston at LCSC.

OPPONENT PREVIEW – WALLA WALLA: The midday matchup with the winless Wolves (0-11, 0-11) pits OIT against a squad looking to snap a 38-match losing streak and a conference skid of 121-straight matches. WWU has played better of late, winning five sets, while taking Evergreen to 5-sets, but the Wolves have been hampered by a .077 hitting percentage and a defense that allows nearly three aces per set. The tandem of Sahara Browning (3.82 k/s, 3.26 d/s) and Gabrielle Browning (2.97 k/s, 2.61 d/s, 0.66 b/s) take 90-percent of WWU's swings, with setter Meherio Krainer (4.26 a/s, 1.26 d/s) the top passer. Tech has won all previous 17 meetings.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – LEWIS-CLARK STATE: The Saturday afternoon date with the Warriors (11-6, 6-5) is a must-win for OIT – as LC rallied late to defeat the Owls in five sets to open CCC play. The Idaho side had a three-match win streak snapped in a 5-set loss to Corban on Saturday – with the Warriors averaging a solid 1.9 aces per set, but rank last in the league with 214 service errors and a .839 percent serve efficiency. Outside hitters Grecia Ung Enriquez (3.23 k/s) and Cassidy Nelson (2.79 k/s, 1.32 d/s, 38 aces), along with middle Jada Wyms (1.37 k/s, 1.02 b/s) are key to the LC attack. Three setters have shared time, led by Esther Kalliponi (4.89 a/s), with libero Kenzie Dean (3.92 d/s) an All-CCC pick. OIT holds an 8-6 all-time series lead.
 
RECORD BOOK: Seven current players rank among the Top-20 in the OIT career record book. Nicole Reyes leads the way, ranking No. 4 in kills (1,039), No. 5 in sets played (404), No. 8 in matches played (113), No. 9 in digs (1,043), and No. 10 in aces (90). Aubrey Kievit is No. 2 in digs (1,553), No. 14 in aces (75), No. 17 in sets played (357) and No. 20 in matches played (97); Courtney Isom is No. 8 in assists (1,455); Kaylin Talonen is No. 8 in kills (859), No. 19 in sets played (345) and No. 22 in matches played (96); Ashley Ripplinger is No. 8 in blocks (237), No. 16 in kills (614), No. 18 in sets played (351) and No. 22 in matches played (96); Brooke Cassidy is No. 13 in assists (526); with Paige Tevelde No. 14 in assists (424).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Lady Owls return home to play three matches in the span of five days – hosting Evergreen (Oct. 14), Northwest (Oct. 15) and Southern Oregon (Oct. 18).