EUGENE, Ore. — The Bushnell Beacons dominated Friday, sweeping the match 3-0 versus the rival Oregon Institute of Technology Owls. The Beacons took the first two sets with ease, 25-11 and 25-14, but they had to fight tooth and nail for the third set.
Senior Hailey Heider led Bushnell, who led the team in total attempts, as well as freshman Amyah Samau, who led the team with 12 total kills.
The 20th-ranked Bushnell Beacons (18-10) went into the game looking to clinch a playoff bye with a win over the OIT (6-12). This is the highest-ranked Bushnell has been in school history. Riding a four-game winning streak into the game, Bushnell's looked to keep the ball rolling.
“We focus on our side of the net. We focus on what we need to do to be successful and what that looks, feels, and sounds like for us, and hopefully they (OIT) will have to adjust for what we're doing and we're not adjusting to what they are doing.” Said head coach Jason Corwin.
OIT came in off a two-game winning streak to close out its home season. The Owls would need to go undefeated and have a plethora of other teams lose to have a chance at the playoffs. OIT bested Bushnell at the beginning of the year, 3-2. Bushnell looked to exact its revenge on their cross-state rivals.
The Morse center was rowdy early as Bushnell jumped out to a 10-point lead behind powerful spikes from Hailey Heider and excellent passing by Emma Fa'alogo, who had six assists halfway through the first set. Bushnell leaned on its defense for the first set, not allowing the high-flying Owl Offense to get its rhythm, highlighted by the stone wall in the middle named Solei Sands. Bushnell finished off the first set 25-11 with the entire bench going into a circle dance after a Julia Cook service ace.
The second set started off more competitive, being 4-4 after eight points, and that's when the Beacons’ offense erupted for six straight points with two Samau fireball spikes. The Owls tried to keep it close and were finding success with tips over the tall Beacon defense, but the Beacons pulled away, winning the set 25-14. A super spike by Sands let the teams switch sides.
When watching the third, one would think a different OIT team came out. It was a Rocky-style boxing match. OIT scored two quickly on excellent plays by star senior Savanna Sterck. Bushnell would quickly respond with two of its own, and from then on, it was a punch by one team and a counterpunch by the other.
Twice, OIT got a two-point lead, 10-12 and 14-16, but the Beacons rallied each time and got their own two-point lead, 18-16, and that's what seemed to be the knockout punch. Bushnell got two more on athletic plays from Heider at the net. That prompted a time-out from the Owls, and after that, it was the Solei Sands show. She made four points back-to-back at the net until the Owls got one over that dropped.
It was 24-17 with the Morse center on its feet for the last point. The Owls thought they got another point back, but a quick coaches’ challenge by Corwin showed the ball landed in bounds. The Beacons took the third set 25-17, but it was closer than the score says.
OIT showed a lot of hustle and grit diving all over the entire game. Defenders Allison Miller and Abigail Sorensen might need some ice because they each made at least 10 diving attempts each. That is a testament to the offense of Bushnell, who kept the Owls off their talons all game. The Beacons’ energy was quite apparent throughout the entire game.
“High energy, playing together for sure, we’re having fun,” said Samau after the game. That sentiment is echoed through the way they play, and also after every Beacon point, there was an elaborate team celebration that showed the chemistry throughout the team.
The Beacons will be in action again Saturday at the Morse Center at 4:30 p.m., taking on Southern Oregon. OIT will also be in action tomorrow in Salem, facing the number 5-ranked Corbin University at 4 p.m.