EUGENE, Ore. – Haley Meili (pictured) had six of NCU's 11 service aces, helping guide the NCU volleyball team to their first home victory since August with a four-set win against The Evergreen State College on Saturday evening, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17.
 
The Beacons (8-12, 3-10 CCC) totaled 24 aces on the weekend as Makenna Northern added three more. NCU hit .189 in the game. The Geoducks (10-13, 8-6 CCC) hit .177 and won the blocking battle, 11-6 including seven from Tasha Hungate.
 
The Geoducks got a healthy dose of Claire Salness in the match as the sophomore sensation rounded out an incredible weekend with 17 kills on 50 swings, hitting .260 with 11 digs. She went over the 200-kill and 200-dig plateau in the contest one night after setting career highs with 21 kills and 64 attempts against Northwest.
 
Natalie Downes held things down in the middle, hitting .333 with 14 kills, adding five blocks. On the other half of the rotation, Megan Van Marter was also consistent with a .300 attack and eight kills.
 
Northern and Meili were a dynamic duo as the setting combo combined for 41 assists with Northern adding 11 digs. The Beacons out-dug Evergreen 74-64 in the contest, led Kayla Olson who collected 26 to hit a career-high for the second night in a row. Mary Grace Blaser added 15 digs in the win. 
 
Evergreen was led by a .542 hitting night by Chloee Hunt, amassing 13 kills without an error, along with four blocks. Lehualani Keka added ten kills and three blocks. Sierra Wolff led all players with 35 assists and Natalie Taylor collected 14 digs, seven kills, and two aces.
 
The Beacons pick up their first home victory since defeating Multnomah on August 31 in the first Cascade Collegiate Conference game of the season. NCU will be back in action on Wednesday night as they play host to Corban University. The Warriors, currently receiving votes in the NAIA National Coaches Poll, knocked off Northwest on Saturday to remain in fourth place in the CCC. Evergreen returns home to take on No. 16 College of Idaho on Friday.