COMING UP: at Evergreen State, Friday, 7 p.m.; at Northwest, Saturday, 7 p.m.

COMPLETE INTERACTIVE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION: Live Video of both weekend matches will be available online – Friday via the Owls Sports Network (produced by Evergreen State) and Saturday via Northwest's YouTube Channel. Both matches will also have Live Stats via OIT's SIDEARM Stat Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2023 season will be posted online via the OIT Volleyball Flickr Page, while highlight clips and interviews will be posted online via the new OIT Volleyball You Tube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EVERGREEN STATE: The long weekend trip opens in the Capitol City of Washington, as Evergreen State looks for their third win of 2023. The Geoducks (2-11, 2-7 CCC) have wins over Warner Pacific and Walla Walla – but have just one set victory in their remaining 11 matches, as the TESC offense has struggled, recording 8.7 kills per set and a .075 attack percentage. Three players led the offense – Andee Nelson (2.16 k/s, 3.00 d/s), Marin Collins (1.60 k/s, 0.80 b/s) and Jaydn Kallenberger (1.50 k/s, 2.95 d/s), with setters Jessica Mitchell (3.79 a/s, 1.87 d/s, 13 aces) and Jenna Glenzel (3.56 a/s, 1.36 d/s) sharing duties. The lone starter from last season's playoff team is libero Rylee Grams (3.45 d/s, 12 aces).
 
HISTORY VS. THE GEODUCKS: Tech and Evergreen State have met 42 previous times, with the Owls holding a 31-11 series edge – including a 14-7 mark in Olympia. The Geoducks have had the upper hand in the series of late, winning seven of the last nine meetings – including series sweeps in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – NORTHWEST: The first half of the league season ends Saturday at Northwest, as the Eagles (9-5, 6-3) have been impressive this fall. NU has a potent attack – averaging 11.1 kills per set, while adding over two aces a frame – with the Washington club picking up the biggest win of the season in the NAIA, a 5-set home victory over then No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon. Katilyn Mickle (3.12 k/s) leads the offense, with Delaney Sparks (1.81 k/s, 0.50 b/s) and Kylie Lunday (1.54 k/s, 0.67 b/s) key options. Setters Allie Flynn (4.43 a/s, 1.80 d/s, 20 aces) and Morgan Harter (4.39 a/s, 2.18 d/s, 16 aces) run the 2-setter offense, with All-CCC libero Kelsey Moore (5.15 d/s, 17 aces) the top defender.
 
HISTORY VS. THE EAGLES: Saturday's match-up is the 54th all-time meeting between the Owls and Northwest, with NU holding a slim 27-26 series edge. Tech takes a 5-match series win streak into the game, with NU holding a 14-10 mark in games at Kristi Brodin Pavilion.
 
NORTH BY NORTHWEST: The trip up I-5 is the 21st time OIT has played Evergreen and Northwest on the road on back-to-back nights. The Owls have swept the road swing six times (2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2021), while Tech has lost both legs of the trip on four occasions (2010, 2017, 2018, 2019).
 
RETURNING HOME: Friday's match-up at Evergreen State is a homecoming for the OIT coaching staff, as Alexis Garrison and Tasha Hungate are TESC former Geoduck players and graduates – with Garrison serving as the program's head coach from 2020-22.
 
GRACE BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD: Outside hitter Molly Grace was dominant in Saturday's match-up vs. Bushnell, establishing a new OIT school record with 28 kills – breaking the previous mark of 27 (set twice). The junior, who recorded 20 kills and a career-high 15 digs in Friday's loss with Bushnell, was the go-to option for Tech – including eight kills in Set 1 alone. Grace, who leads the team with a 3.55 kills per set average, is averaging 4.32 kills over the Owls last eight matches, hitting at a .348 percentage.
 
25-KILL MATCHES: The big night from Molly Grace etched her name in OIT lore – becoming the sixth player to log 25-or-more kills in a match. Chase Bohman accomplished the feat five times between 2017 and 2018, while Krista Wooley (2006), Megan Christensen (2009), Joey Parnell (2011) and Kelsey Sampson (2015) recorded 25-or-more kills once.
 
20-PLUS KILL STREAK: Molly Grace became the second OIT player to log 3-straight matches with 20-plus kills, joining Chase Bohman in the elite category. Bohman accomplished the feat three times, recording 3-consecutive matches with 20-or-more kills in both 2017 and 2018, while in 2018, set a school mark with 4-straight 20-plus kill contests.
 
TEVELDE RUNS THE SHOW: The Lady Owls transitioned into a one-setter rotation during the weekend matches, with Paige Tevelde combining for 94 assists vs Corban and Bushnell. The junior recorded a career-high 56 assists against BU – becoming the fifth setter in program history with 56-or-more assists and recorded the 18th 56-or-more assist game. Tevelde, who added 14 digs and four blocks in the two matches, leads the league with a 6.71 assist per set average.
 
MORE AT THE NET: Transfer Kennedy Kantola was key in the Bushnell match, posting a season-high 10 kills, while opposite hitter Willow Jacobson had 13 kills and nine digs in the marathon match. Kate Hicks combined for six blocks over the weekend, adding 15 kills, while Aleksen Thayer posted six total blocks – remaining the lone OIT player with at least one block in all 16 matches in 2023.
 
BACK ROW NUMBERS: Two OIT defensive specialists take extended double-digit dig streaks into the weekend, as Kaley Whalen has a string of 9-straight matches with 10-plus digs and Abigail Sorensen has posted double-digit digs in 5-straight matches. Whalen recorded her fifth match with 20-or-more digs vs. Bushnell, recording 26 digs. In addition, freshman Sumerlyn Spencer recorded a season-high six digs in Friday's loss to Corban.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady Owls rank No. 5 in the CCC in hitting percentage (.175), No. 6 in kills per set (11.15), with the team No. 7 in blocks per set (1.74), assists per set (10.19), aces per set (1.52) and in digs per set (14.35). Individually, Paige Tevelde leads the league in assists per set (6.71), Molly Grace is No. 3 in kills per set (3.55) and No. 9 in hitting percentage (.276), Kaley Whalen is No. 5 in digs per set (4.24), Autumn Williams is No. 9 in aces per set (0.37), with Savanna Sterck No. 10 in kills per set (2.69).
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: First-place in the CCC will be on the line Friday, as undefeated Corban (9-0) plays host to Eastern Oregon (8-1) in a NAIA Top-5 match-up. In addition, third-place will be up for grabs two of the three 7-2 teams (College of Idaho and Bushnell) meet in Eugene. Along with EOU and C of I traveling to the Willamette Valley, OIT and Southern Oregon head to Washington for games at Northwest and Evergreen, with the Portland schools (Warner Pacific and Multnomah) make the trip to Lewis-Clark State and Walla Walla.
 
RECORD BOOK: Four OIT players currently rank among the Top-25 in the all-time career record book – as Paige Tevelde leads the group, ranking No. 12 in assists (943). Brooke Cassidy is No. 14 in assists (651) and No. 15 in aces (76), Kate Hicks is No. 15 in blocks (213), with Molly Grace No. 23 in kills (550).
 
NEXT WEEK: Tech opens the second half of the CCC schedule at home, hosting College of Idaho and No. 4-ranked Eastern Oregon.