EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell volleyball team responded after a tough loss Friday night, knocking off a quality Walla Walla University program in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22.
 
With the win, Bushnell (12-8, 6-4 CCC) closes out the first half of the Cascade Collegiate Conference slate in a fourth-place tie with Northwest. The Beacons also currently hold the tie-breaker over the Eagles with a head-to-head win last month.
 
A battle between two teams receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches Poll lived up to its billing early as the teams were tied on ten of the first 14 points with five lead changes. Trailing 14-13, the Beacons went on an 11-0 run with Katie Belitz in serve, putting away WWU and setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
 
"We had a good response tonight against a really talented team," said head coach Jason Corwin. "Calm was the word of the day and we all embraced it. We did a lot of things really well and something great happened."
 
The Beacons finished the night hitting .253, their best offensive output since August pre-season matches. The team held the Wolves to a .099 clip, outscoring the visitors 55-43 on points while owning a 7-4 margin in blocks.
 
Amyah Semau (pictured) led the offensive charge with a double-double, collecting a match-high ten kills along with 11 digs and three aces. Semau said, "I am super proud of this team and the way we played today. We kept our standard of play the entire time and we were consistent. Tonight was a great way to close out the first half of the season."
 
Hailey Heider added eight kills and 11 digs. Belitz finished the night with 19 assists and three aces while Aliyah Malone earned seven kills and a match-high six blocks. "I am so proud of our team," said Malone. "We were able to represent who Bushnell Volleyball is tonight and we didn't hold back or let up even in tight moments."
 
The Wolves (7-6, 5-5) were led by Sahara Browning with seven kills while Yaimaris Garcia proved effective in all aspects of the game with 27 assists, eight digs, six aces and three kills.
 
UP NEXT: There is no rest for the weary in the CCC as the Beacons opening up the second half of the circuit at home on Wednesday night, facing off against No. 4 Corban University (14-3, 8-2).