KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –
Tiffini Goss had 13 kills and
Aleksen Thayer recorded a career-high 11 kills and nine blocks, as Oregon Tech ran their win streak to six, opening Cascade Conference play with a four-set win over Walla Walla at Danny Miles Court.
The Lady Owls (7-2, 1-0 CCC), who dropped a pair of 3-set matches to the Wolves last year (later turned into forfeit wins), used a 52-43 edge in kills and a 10-6 edge in blocks to claim the 25-18, 25-17, 26-28, 25-21 victory.
Shalyn Bliss had a season-high nine kills and four blocks in the victory for OIT, with setter
Taryn Ramsay finishing with 40 assists and 13 digs.
Tech never trailed in either of the first two sets. Goss and Thayer powered the team in Set 1, combining for a block and each adding a kill in a 5-1 run that extending a lead to 18-12. In Set 2, the Owls capitalized on five errors in a eight-point stretch, grabbing a 17-11 advantage and took command of the match.
The Wolves (0-4, 0-2) responded in Set 3, riding six kills from Sahara Browning, earning set point at 24-20. The Owls made it interesting, rattling off five points, including a block from Thayer and Bliss, plus kills from both players, to earn match point at 25-24. WWU answered with a Bianca Adams kill and Browning put away a pair of swings to extend the match.
OIT proved to be too much in Set 4, as Goss added two kills and
Brooklynn Thesenvitz had two aces in a 9-2 surge that gave the Owls a 13-9 lead, with Ramsay adding two aces in a key 5-1 run that gave the hosts a 20-15 lead, a margin they would not relinquish.
The Owls finished with 10 aces – including four from Thesenvitz – with
Kaley Whalen leading the club with 15 digs.
Browning had 13 kills and Alina Shawgo added 10 in the loss for the Wolves, with Olivia Cheek recording 27 assists and 14 digs.
Tomorrow, Tech hosts Lewis-Clark Stat to close out the three match homestand.
