FULLERTON, Calif. – Oregon Tech combined for 31 aces in two matches, holding their opponents to a negative hitting percentage, as the Lady Owls dominated Providence Christian and Westcliff at the HIU Summer Slam.
OIT (5-1) never trailed in their win over PCC, rolling to a 25-14, 25-13, 25-11 victory, while posting the highest ace total in six seasons in the nightcap, topping WU 25-13, 25-11, 25-9.
"Today was a good warm-up for tomorrow's matches against GSAC teams," said head coach
Alexis Garrison. "It was a great opportunity for everyone to get game experience."
In Match 1, Tech used three big runs to cruise to the victory. The Owls got aces from
Lucy Boyd,
Abigail Sorensen and
Kate Hicks in a 12-2 start to the match to control Set 1.
Molly Grace followed with three kills and three aces in a 17-6 start to Set 2, while both Hicks and
Savanna Sterck had three kills in a 10-0 run in the finale, helping OIT take a 20-7 lead.
Grace had 12 kills, 11 digs and four aces in the win, with the Owls holding the Sea Beggars (0-1) to a (-.023) hitting percentage. Hicks had 10 kills, four blocks and three aces, Sterck added eight kills, Boyd logged 28 assists and four aces, with Whalen recording 15 digs.
Four hours later, the Lady Owls needed just 53 minutes to defeat the Warriors (0-2) – posting 19 aces in the 3-set win – the most aces since a school-record 20 aces in 2018 against Mills College.
Grace recorded four aces, with Hicks adding two kills and two blocks, as the Owls jumped out to a 19-4 lead in Set 1. Grace strung together 3-straight aces in an 8-0 Set 2 run and joined
Courtney Green with two kills in a 9-2 start to Set 3, as Tech eased to the win.
Green finished with 10 kills without a hitting error, with Grace filling up the stat sheet, ending the match with seven kills, 14 digs, four blocks and eight aces – becoming the fourth OIT player in program history with 8-or-more aces. Hicks had four kills and five blocks, Boyd recorded 29 assists and five aces, with Whalen leading all players with 19 digs.
OIT closes out their non-league schedule tomorrow, meeting The Master's and tournament host, Hope International.
