PORTLAND, Ore.  – Bushnell University won their third straight on Saturday night, topping Warner Pacific, 25-13, 25-9, 25-15 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action.
 
Volleyball took a bit of a back seat on Saturday night, as Warner Pacific celebrated First Responder night, honoring those brave men and women on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Both teams wore special shirts during warmups and a video was played to commemorate the night as WPU harkened back to the call to Never Forget the sacrifices that were made in 2001.
 
Head Coach Jason Corwin said, "We are grateful to Warner Pacific for inviting us to participate in such an important recognition of our first responders on this date. We all remember where we were and what we were doing on this day. Time stopped and our nation came together to mourn and show resolve in the face of evil.
 
"My family serves. They are police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, teachers, and more. We watch with pride those who run toward danger in service to their community. Those who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11 will never be forgotten. This event today carries their sacrifice and legacy forward and reminds us all that family and community are the lifeblood and fabric of what makes us citizens of the United States."
 
With the game still to be played, Bushnell (7-1, 3-1 CCC) made the most of the night, cruising to the three-set win as they hit a remarkable .312 including 15 kills in both the first and third sets. The Beacons out-blocked Warner Pacific 10-1, collected 52 digs and had six service aces in the win.
 
Offensively, it was Shay Coons, Camille Guerrero, and Cambria Lingenfelder's turn to step up. Coons and Guerrero each had seven kills with just one error while Lingenfelder registered a team-leading ten kills.
 
"We did what we were supposed to this weekend and we had a lot of fun with it too," said Lingenfelder. We really showed how much depth we have on this team and how valuable everyone is.
 
Defensively, Guerrero and Callie Wilkins posted 11 digs each while Sierra Jenkins had a hand in seven of the Beacon blocks, capping a remarkable weekend for the freshman who was an injury replacement at Middle Blocker.
 
Makenna Northern ran the offense for the first two sets and posted a match-high 21 assists while Peyton Ritchie stepped in for set three and added another ten. 
 
Ritchie said, "It was really fun to have everyone contribute to the wins against the Portland teams this weekend. Our team is a strong, cohesive unit no matter the opponent and we are excited to see what we can accomplish this Tuesday against our rivals."
 
The Beacons will be in Salem at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, taking on conference-leading Corban University (10-0, 4-0), currently ranked No. 7 in the NAIA.