COMING UP: at Northwest, Friday, 6 p.m.; at Evergreen State, Saturday, 4 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: For fans unable to travel to Washington, both weekend matches will be streamed live on You Tube – Friday through Northwest Athletics and Saturday through Evergreen Athletics. Live Stats for both matches will be available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Link.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2024 season, including Senior Weekend, have been posted online via the OIT Volleyball Flickr Page, while game highlight clips posted online via the OIT Volleyball You Tube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – NORTHWEST: The final trip of the regular-season opens at Northwest, as the Eagles (12-16, 7-13 CCC) are back to full-strength and are vying for the final spot in the CCC Championships. NU has wins in 5-of-8 matches – including taking both Corban and Eastern Oregon to 5-sets, as outside hitter Kaitlyn Mickle (2.75 k/s) has returned to the lineup after missing half the league schedule. Fellow hitters Delaney Sparks (2.26 k/s, 0.46 b/s), Aubree Dees (2.11 k/s, 1.44 d/s) and Azaria Johnson (1.85 k/s, 0.66 b/s) are key to the attack, with setter Morgan Harter (6.29 a/s, 2.81 d/s) and libero Ellie Van Berkum (4.94 d/s, 36 aces) handling the back row. Tech swept the Eagles in the first meeting, evening the all-time series at 28-28 – with the Owls winning 6-of-the-last-7 meetings.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EVERGREEN STATE: A homecoming for coaches Alexis Garrison and Sierra Wolff will end the regular-season, as the two Evergreen State grads return to Olympia to meet the Geoducks (4-20, 4-16). TESC heads into play on a 7-game losing streak, averaging just nine kills per set, with opponents averaging two aces a frame. The quartet of Sophia Scroggins (1.96 k/s, 0.64 b/s), Lucendy Perez (1.86 k/s, 2.60 d/s), Ashley Walker Campbell (1.68 k/s, 0.56 b/s) and Marin Collins (1.22 k/s, 1.00 b/s) lead the attack, with Maloree Calzadillas (3.88 a/s, 1.94 d/s) one of three setters used. Libero Molly Packer (5.15 d/s) tops the CCC in digs per set. OIT swept the first meeting between the teams in September, with the Owls holding a 34-11 series edge, though TESC has wins in 7-of-the-last-11 meetings.
 
TOUGH TRIP: The Puget Sound leg of the CCC schedule has been difficult for Tech over the years, as the Owls have swept the jaunt up I-5 just twice in the last 15 seasons (2014, 2021).
 
WINNING SEASONS: With a 17-11 overall record, the Owls have clinched their 16th winning season since volleyball returned to the school in 1998 – Tech has recorded 16 seasons with 15-or-more wins during that time frame, posting 20-plus wins seven times, including a school record 24 victories in 2021.
 
HOME COURT STREAK: With wins over Warner Pacific and Multnomah, the Lady Owls clinched their fifth-straight season with a winning home record – and the 21st time in 27 seasons with a .500-or-better at Danny Miles Court.
 
PLAYOFF HISTORY: With their win over Multnomah, the Lady Owls clinched their fourth postseason berth in five seasons and their 17th all-time trip to the CCC Championships. OIT is a combined 9-20 in the CCC event, reaching the title match in 2004, while advancing to the semifinals on nine occasions, the last in 2021.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Owls are locked into either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the CCC Championships – with the No. 6-seed earning a first-round home date on Nov. 12. OIT holds the tiebreak edge over Lewis-Clark State, who sits one-game ahead of the Owls in the league standings. A combination of two Tech wins and an LC loss, or one Tech win and two LC losses would secure the Owls the home playoff game -  with the Warriors hosting Corban and Bushnell to end the regular-season.
 
DOMINANT DEFENSE: The Owls rolled to victories over the Portland schools to close out the home schedule – holding both Warner Pacific and Multnomah to negative attack percentages (43 kills-57 errors-197 swings). It marked the first time since 2014 that Tech had forced consecutive opponents to hit at a negative clip. In addition, the Owls racked up 19 blocks (including 11 vs. Multnomah) and 20 aces (including 14 vs. Warner Pacific).
 
BOYD BRINGS ACE GAME: Setter Lucy Boyd continued to showcase her all-around talent – finishing the weekend with 30 assists, 15 digs and nine aces – as Tech switched to a 2-setter rotation. The sophomore was dominant against Warner Pacific, setting a new career-high six aces, moving to No. 2 on the squad with 34 aces on the year.
 
STERCK PACES ATTACK: Savanna Sterck had a consistent weekend at home, pacing the offense with nine kills and three blocks in each of the weekend wins. The junior, who ranks second on the team with a 2.54 kills per set average, cracked the all-time Top-25 in kills with 553.
 
THAYER IN TOP-5: A tremendous season for Aleksen Thayer continued, as the middle blocker recorded eight blocks in Saturday's win over Multnomah – pushing her season total to 122, the most by a Lady Owls player in 10 years. The sophomore ranks No. 5 on the OIT single-season blocks list, with her 1.38 blocks per set average ranking No. 4 in the NAIA. Thayer extended her string of matches with at least one block to 57 in the win over MCJU.
 
SENIORS HAVE BIG WEEKEND: Playing their final regular-season home games, the four OIT senior student-athletes were key contributors in the Lady Owls two victories. Defensive specialist Kennedy Kantola had two aces and nine digs and setter Paige Tevelde recorded 23 assists and three digs in the two weekend matches. Outside hitter Molly Grace recorded eight kills, 10 digs, three aces and three blocks in the wins – moving within five kills of the 1,000-kill mark for her OIT career. Middle blocker Kate Hicks posted 13 kills, eight blocks and three aces in the matches – sitting six blocks away from the Lady Owls all-time blocks record.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Though 7-of-8 postseason spots have been locked up – positioning between the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds in the CCC Championships are still up for grabs. Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon and Corban are all tied atop the league – with EOU holding the tiebreak if the three squads remain deadlocked. Bushnell holds a one-game lead on College of Idaho – needing one win to clinch the No. 4 seed and final bye to the quarterfinals. Walla Walla holds a one-game lead on Northwest – needing a win or an NU loss to clinch their first-ever playoff berth. This week, along with OIT and SOU headed to Washington, EOU and C of I travel to Multnomah and Warner Pacific, with Corban and Bushnell playing road dates at LC State and WWU.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: As a team, the Owls lead the CCC in digs per set (16.91), ranking No. 3 in blocks per set (2.62), No. 4 in aces per set (1.77) and opponents' hitting percentage (.141), No. 6 in attack percentage (.185) and No. 8 in kills per set (11.91) and assists per set (11.26). Individually, Lucy Boyd leads the CCC in assists per set (7.21), Aleksen Thayer is No. 2 in blocks per set (1.38), Kaley Whalen is No. 2 in digs per set (5.04), Tiana Barrett is No. 2 in attack percentage (.377) and No. 8 in blocks per set (1.11), with Molly Grace No. 3 in aces per set (0.43) and No. 7 in kills per set (3.21).
 
RECORD BOOK: Seven players are currently ranked in the Top-25 of the OIT career record book – with Kate Hicks No. 2 in blocks (322) – six blocks away from the No. 1 spot, Molly Grace is No. 5 in kills (995) and No. 19 in digs (645), Kaley Whalen is No. 5 in digs (1,246) and No. 21 in assists (189), Paige Tevelde is No. 9 in assists (1,391), Lucy Boyd is No. 15 in assists (694), Aleksen Thayer is No. 16 in blocks (210), with Savanna Sterck No. 23 in kills (553).  An eighth player, Abigail Sorensen, is just outside the Top-25 in digs (562) and aces (57), with Grace just outside the Top-25 in aces (60).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: OIT will open the Cascade Conference Championships with a first-round match-up on Tuesday at 6 p.m. – with the location to be determined following weekend matches.