EUGENE, Ore.  – The Beacons returned to action on Friday, earning a pair of sweeping wins in the Oregon Trail Classic, defeating George Fox and Willamette University.
 
BUSHNELL 3, GEORGE FOX 0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-17)
 
The Beacons defense led the way in their opener, holding the Bruins to a .047 attack percentage behind 15 blocks behind a Bushnell career-high eight blocks from Makenna Mosher.
 
Leah Agost added five blocks while hitting .455 on the right side, collecting a match-high 12 kills and just two attack errors. Making her first start since 2022, Jesse Matthews made the most of it, going a perfect 4-for-4 on the attack while collecting a career-high six blocks.
 
Matthews said, "We have been working hard in practice to close out sets, cover our hitters, and play scrappy and we showed all of that day. We came in with high energy and played as one, and for me it felt really good coming back and contributing with my team supporting me."
 
Kate Palelek posted team-highs with 19 assists and 11 digs for her first career double-double while Amyah Semau peppered the scoresheet with five kills, five digs, four blocks and a match-high three aces.
 
"We are coming together and starting to maintain our standard of play throughout a match and I am extremely proud of this team and our hard work and focus," said Palelek.
 
BUSHNELL 3, WILLAMETTE 0 (29-27, 25-16, 25-23)
 
The offense had their way with the Bearcats in the nightcap, defeating the hosts behind a season-high .248 attack and three separate players posting double-digit kills. The Beacons hit .517 in a dominant middle set with just one attack error.
 
Ariana Guerra (pictured) led the charge, collecting 13 kills while hitting .280. She posted a double-double as she added a team-high ten digs. Hailey Heider scored 11 kills while Agost kept her impressive start to the season going with another 12 kills and hitting .346 giving her 24 kills on the day. She said, "We got into a good rhythm and we were able to play like who we are today. I am excited for the season ahead and to see what we can accomplish.
 
Palelek and Katie Belitz led the offense, combining for 38 assists, and Makenna Mosher added five kills and three blocks. Belitz said, "We battled today and put pressure on our opponents. We came out on top of some long rallies. We persevered and were able to pull out both matches in three which keeps us fresh for tomorrow."
 
UP NEXT
 
The Beacons conclude the OTC on Saturday in McMinnville as Linfield hosts the final day. Bushnell faces Pacific University at 2:30 pm and takes on the hosts at 5:30 pm.