EUGENE, Ore. – The NCU volleyball team had three set-point opportunities on Thursday night but couldn't capitalize, falling to Walla Walla University for the first time since 2006, 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 19-17.
 
It was an intense and close battle throughout the two-hour-and-fifteen-minute clash as the Wolves stunned the Beacons to keep NCU winless in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. The first set was a precursor to what would follow as the teams battled through six lead changes and 12 ties. NCU held a 20-19 lead but the Wolves responded with a 6-2 run capped off by an NCU hitting error to end it.
 
The Beacons responded in the second set, pulling out to a 19-12 lead before cruising to the five-point win. NCU came out of the game break playing a little stiff and the Wolves would take advantage, building an early 9-4 lead. NCU rallied to tie the match at 11-11 and clawed their way into the lead at 20-19. A kill by Taylor Burnett ended the set, putting NCU just 25 points from escaping with the win.
 
WWU had other ideas however, and after 13 ties and seven lead changes the visitors pulled away with the set, sending the match to five.
 
The Wolves claimed another early lead in the fifth, going up 5-1 but the Beacons rallied with a 6-1 streak of their own. The Beacons went ahead by two, 10-8 on a Danielle Willyard kill but Walla Walla rallied to tie the game at 11 and again at 13. A WWU attack error gave NCU a 14-13 lead and their first chance to win the match but a kill from Emily Allen prevented it.
 
The Beacons again saw match-point after a Chandler Gabrio kill made it 15-14 and after another Gabrio kill made it 16-15. Walla Walla responded each time and after a big block from Perri Shanko and Morgan Doyle, the Wolves had a match-point of their own.
 
NCU took the next point, making it 17-17, but a serve into the net by the Beacons gave Walla Walla their second match-point. This time they sealed the deal as Maria Darling put down the kill.
 
It was the first win for Walla Walla over the Beacons since NCU's first year as a collegiate program in 2006. Starting in 2007, Northwest Christian won the next nine matches, giving up a set just once in that time. The win is also WWU's second ever Cascade Collegiate Conference victory in their first year as a member of the conference.
 
The Wolves (5-5, 2-3 CCC) hit .201 as a team and no athlete played a bigger role than Allen, hitting .600 with 16 kills and six blocks. Darling followed with 15 kills and 14 digs and Natalie Skeoch added ten kills. Rylee Sutton led all players with 25 digs and Alissa Casey posted a match-high 30 assists.
 
NCU (7-6, 0-6 CCC) was led on offense by Kayla Ping (pictured), collecting 12 kills on .233 hitting. Cassidy Winters posted 11 kills and Carissa Allen collected ten, along with five blocks. Chandler Gabrio also had five blocks in addition to a match-high four service aces. The Beacons had 13 aces in the game as a team including four as well from Sydney Rothenbush. Haley Damian led NCU with 21 digs and Laurie Salness finished with 19 assists and nine digs in the losing cause.  
 
The Beacons will have eight days off before heading to Washington to continue the CCC trek against Northwest next Friday night at 7:00 pm.