KIRKLAND, Wash. – Oregon Tech closed out the first half of the Cascade Conference volleyball season with a 25-16, 25-18, 26-24 loss at No. 23-ranked Northwest University inside Kristi Brodin Pavilion.
 
The Lady Owls (9-8, 3-7 CCC) were limited to 27 kills in the contest, with both Aleksen Thayer and Willow Jacobson finishing with seven. Thayer also led all players with five blocks.
 
NU (12-4, 6-4) controlled the first two sets, scoring 10 of the first 11 points of the match, while getting consecutive Morgan Harter aces in a 4-0 Set 2 run that gave the Eagles a lead they would not surrender.
 
Set 3 was much tighter, featuring 12 ties and six lead changes, with Tech extending the match at 24-24 after a Steffini Goss kill – but NU capitalized on a serving error and an OIT hitting error to finish the contest.
 
Lucy Boyd had 14 assists and Emma Kness had 12 digs to lead the Owls, with Kaitlyn Mickle recording 10 kills and Harter leading all players with 28 assists for the Eagles.
 
OIT returns home next weekend, opening a string of 4-straight matches at Danny Miles Court, hosting Lewis-Clark State on Friday at 7 p.m.