To say the Beacons have started the season hot is a colossal understatement. The Beacons won their seventeenth consecutive match last Saturday, the longest streak in team history. Now heading into their home opener against Corban on Tuesday, they’ll have another chance to stamp their name in the record books. The Beacons’ seven consecutive match wins are tied for the most in Bushnell history and they will have a chance to break it against their conference rival.
“In the tournament before [the winning streak], we had a lot of errors on our side of the net. And in practice, we focused on controlling what we can control and controlling our half of the net. So, [head coach Jason Corwin] always talks about standard of play and maintaining that,” said junior Matty Ladd who was named First-Team All-CCC last year.
That standard of play culminated in a 15-11 regular season record and the No. 6 seed in the CCC tournament. Bushnell picked up a 3-0 home win over Oregon Tech in the first round of the tournament but was ousted by the Southern Oregon Red Raiders in the quarterfinals.
Building off the Beacons’ results from last year may not be easy with outside-hitter Halle Neumann and setter Peyton Ritchie both graduating. Neumann accumulated accolades in her senior year earning First-Team All-CCC, AVCA All-American honorable mention and becoming Bushnell’s all-time leader in kills (930). Meanwhile, Ritchie was second on the team in assists and had 12 service aces on the year, ranking sixth on the team.
However, the Beacons did reload their roster by recruiting four freshmen along with three transfers in defensive specialist Chloe Farr from Lane Community College and two outside hitters Arianna Guerra from Texas A&M International and Hailey Heider from Sam Houston State.
“Halle was one of our right-side hitters that was obviously first-conference and first-team. And then we had two transfers come in as outside and then Leah [Agost] moved to right-side. So, yes, [Neumann and Ritchie] were a big part of our team, but we were able to move people around to be even better,” Ladd said about the changes from this year to last.
The transfers Heider and Guerra have already been instrumental as Heider leads the team in kills and Guerra is third in non-conference play. In between the two in that stat is the six-foot junior Agost. Playing her entire career with the Beacons, she is expected to take the lead in the hitting department as she was second on the team in kills behind Neumann last year. To start the season, she hit 0.157 combined in Bushnell’s first three matches but came alive during the Beacons’ five-match winning streak hitting .300 or better in every match.
Meanwhile, defensive specialist Bella Parque racked up numerous records in 2023. She earned an All-CCC honorable mention while she averaged a school record of 5.15 digs per set, broke the school record of digs in a single match (40) and a three-set match (29) topped off with leading the team in services aces (30). Coach Corwin says Parque’s effort and energy are “contagious” instilling in the team to “never give up on plays.”
Top Cascade Collegiate Conference Opponents:
No. 9 Corban Warriors
Corban crawled up the NAIA rankings after racking up three upset wins over teams ranked inside the top 11 in the country at the Viterbo Volleyball Classic. The Warriors started the season slow with a 3-1 loss to No. 14 Bellevue followed by a 3-0 sweep over Simpson University. The following weekend, Corban flipped a switch picking up three straight 3-1 wins over No. 11 Missouri Baptist University, No. 5 Viterbo University and No. 6 Midland University. Junior setter Abby Guindy and sophomore outside hitter Emma Bischoff both picked up CCC Player of the Week honors for their efforts in that tournament. Bushnell has a tough test in their home opener against No. 9 Corban on Tuesday, Sept. 10. This will gauge if the Beacons can compete with a team regarded as one of the best in the conference and top 10 in the nation.
No. 5 Southern Oregon
The team that vanquished the Beacons in the CCC playoffs last year started this year 7-0 entering conference play. Five of the seven wins have been sweeps including their toughest test this year, No. 14 Bellevue. The Red Raiders boast 2023 First-Team All-CCC players Hannah Stadstad, Sadie Byrd and Marin Mackey all returning for their senior season. Seeking to avenge its postseason loss last year, the Beacons will travel to Ashland, Oregon for their first matchup against SOU on Sept. 14.
No. 3 Eastern Oregon
Last year, the Mountaineers had an astonishing 28-1 regular season record. This earned EOU its second straight CCC regular-season title and an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship. It advanced to the Semifinals losing to No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University 3-1. Head coach Kaki Morehead won CCC Coach of the Year while setter Alex McMurtrey won Co-Setter of the Year. The Mountaineers also feature 2023 First-Team All-CCC players Mylie Mills and Madison Morgan. EOU has started this year with a dominant 8-0 start while the Beacons have a 29-game losing streak against the Mountaineers with their last win coming in 2007. Bushnell will attempt to slay the dragon and conquer the peak of the CCC conference against the Mountaineers at home on Sept. 20.
Though the departures from last season and the loaded conference schedule may seem daunting, Bushnell knows its camaraderie will help it weather the storm of the 2024 season. Senior middle blocker Brooklyn Deschent says the team often discusses the importance of being “vulnerable” and “accountable” in admitting faults and mistakes.
Agost said, “We spent a lot of time this preseason working together on team dynamic and reshaping who we are as Bushnell Volleyball. So, it’s a new team every year and [we’re] just finding who we are within that team.”
While Oregon football and volleyball typically garner the most attention in Eugene in the fall, head coach Corwin believes his team on the corner of 11th and Alder can make some noise.
“On paper, we’re as athletic as any team in the conference, and [we can say that] because our conference is so tough,” coach Corwin said. “Next Tuesday is a big barometer for us. And we think we’re right there, but we got to go prove it.”