EUGENE, Ore.  – The Bushnell volleyball team defeated Oregon Tech on Friday night in sweeping fashion, 27-25, 25-20, 25-15, and in so doing, clinched a home game for the opening round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament.
 
The night started out anything but easy as the Beacons squeezed out the first set and had to rally from a seven-point deficit in set two before rolling through the Owls in set three to complete the sweep.
 
"We really showed some resiliency tonight," said Head Coach Jason Corwin, who won his 101st career game at the helm of Bushnell University on Friday. "Our block and floor defense was solid. Our serving numbers weren't great but I thought we applied some good pressure in the third set. I am proud of our response to being down. We will need to carry this energy forward for a fun match on Saturday."
 
The Beacons (15-10, 13-8) out-blocked the Owls 11-4 on the night, hitting .215 while holding the visitors to 30 kills and 27 attacking errors for a .022 clip. Bushnell also out-dug Oregon Tech 66-61.
 
Bella Parque (pictured) highlighted the defensive effort for the Beacons, collecting 24 digs, the most of her career in a three-set match. Brooklyn Dechent did her part as well, posting seven blocks including block assists on the final two points of the match.
 
"I am so beyond proud of our team," said Parque. "This was such a good game and we all fought hard for it. I am so excited to keep seeing what we all can accomplish for the last push of the season."
 
Dechent added, "Seeing and feeling the fire on court tonight and coming back in the second set was the exact motivation we needed to close out the game and stay hyped for the rest of the season. I am so proud of this team and thankful for the opportunity to play this sport."
 
Matty Ladd led the team with ten kills while Halle Neumann secured nine kills and match-high .333 hitting percentage. Makenna Mosher hit .273 with four kills and four blocks while Katie Belitz posted a match-high 18 assists.
 
Oregon Tech (12-16, 10-11 CCC) was led by Molly Grace, securing a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs. Kaley Whalen added 22 digs while Brooke Cassidy posted 16 assists.
 
The Beacons secured either a fifth or sixth-place finish in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with the victory. They are set to host an opening round game on Tuesday at 7:00 pm, against either Oregon Tech or Lewis-Clark State College.
 
The Beacons will aim to ensure at least a tie for fifth-place on Saturday when they wrap up the regular season against No. 16 Southern Oregon University at 5:00 pm for senior night.