EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell volleyball came back home from four wins on the road to face Oregon Tech at home. The Beacons swept the Owls in three sets out of five. In those three sets, Bushnell’s offense was on fire, kill after kill and ace after ace. One stood out from the bunch that created a phrase heard all throughout the Morse Center tonight, “Pow goes Semau.”
Junior Amayah Semau set the tone for the Beacons, starting the game off with the very first kill and point of the game. The outside hitter kept the momentum going, adding another kill in this set. The first set gave Semau the opportunity to showcase her emerging leadership on the floor and her offensive power, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
In the second set, Semau was able to showcase a different set of skills. In addition to the two kills she put up in this set, Semau also added two back-to-back aces, showing that she is more than just a hitter. This kept the momentum up for the team to have another strong offensive set.
In the first two sets, Bushnell held a significant lead over the Owls, giving plenty of room for potential error. However, the Owls from Oregon Tech were not going down without a fight in the third set. In the moments where it counted in the last set, Semau did not back down. Not only did the outside hitter have six kills in this set alone, but she also added a block for a point, keeping the Owls from having any chance of a comeback.
By the end of the game, Semau led the hardwood in kills on Friday with 12, and also added eight digs and an ace. However, the way Semau's dominance impacted the game's rhythm is something that the statistics don't fully convey. After Oregon Tech held it close for a few early rallies in the third set, Bushnell's lead was extended and the visitors were forced to scramble, thanks in part to Semau's kill-block combination.
The numbers were not the only thing on Semau’s mind either. She attributes this win to teamwork and the high energy on the court, getting the team to pull out this win over the Oregon Tech Owls.
“Especially after the last couple weekends, we came in just high energy and having fun and playing together, and we struggle with energy sometimes, so today was a perfect example of how energy helps us win and stay focused,” Semau said.
Head coach Jason Corwin also believes that staying focused is important to the team. Before game time, the coach spoke about how important team focus would be going into this game.
“It’s the last weekend, and it’s senior weekend, and so are we going to be distracted or are we going to be focused,” Corwin said. “In our conference, there’s no off weekends, there’s no off teams and these guys have a lot to play for and are going to be energized and we know it.”
The energy at the Morse Center was enough to show that Semau was bringing the energy to not only her team, but the fans as well, bringing the Beacons the sweep they needed to keep the momentum going for the rest of the season.
Looking ahead, Semau and the Beacons are looking to keep the energy high to bring home one last home win for the team’s seniors.
Semau closed out the night by describing the team goals going forward.
“High energy, playing together, and having fun together. We have senior night tomorrow, so we’re losing a lot of players that do play and make an impact on this team,” she said. “Energy and team momentum are huge, and these wins mean a lot to us. This weekend is a very big weekend for us and so closing out this weekend can definitely help us.”
As the seniors close out their final moments of Bushnell volleyball, Semau is there to stay for another year. The junior looks to bring more “Pows from Semau” in her last few games of the season and also going forward next year.