KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Big nights from juniors Molly Grace and Kate Hicks powered Oregon Tech to their second-straight home victory, a 25-16, 25-20, 25-20 win over Warner Pacific at Danny Miles Court.
 
With the win, OIT (9-14, 7-9 CCC) moved four games clear of ninth-place Evergreen State for the final postseason bid with six matches remaining in the season.
 
Grace finished with 18 kills and 10 digs – her fourth double-double in seven matches – with Hicks adding nine kills and five blocks.
 
The Knights (1-22, 1-15) built a 12-9 lead in Set 1 on the strength of a Rose Vazquez ace, but Tech rattled off 8-straight points – including three kills from Hicks – to flip the score and cruise to the set win.
 
Set 2 was tighter, as OIT took a 15-11 lead on a WPU hitting error, but two kills from Autumn Gaboury-Parker helped the Knights pull even at 18-18. Grace took over, hammering five kills in the Owls next six points, as the hosts closed the frame on a 7-2 run.
 
WPU controlled the start of Set 3, jumping to a 5-1 lead, but two Savanna Sterck kills and a Sterck-Hicks block got Tech square at 6-6. Five kills from Grace added to the run, extending the margin to 17-11, as the Owls completed the win.
 
Sterck had 10 kills, Brooke Cassidy posted 17 assists, seven digs and two aces, with Kaley Whalen adding 13 digs in the win.
 
Gaboury-Parker led the Knights with 10 kills, Kyla Reiling had 26 assists and Alyssa Asuncion recorded 17 digs in the loss.
 
OIT hits the road next weekend for matches at Walla Walla and Lewis-Clark State.