EUGENE, Ore. – In a season full of highlight moments, the Bushnell volleyball team pulled off another on Saturday night as the No. 20-ranked Beacons took down No. 12 Lewis-Clark State College in three hard-fought sets, 25-23, 30-28, 25-23.  
 
It was a critical win for Bushnell (18-10, 12-6 CCC) at a critical time as they lift themselves into a tie for third-place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with LC State (15-6, 12-6) with just two games remaining in the regular season.
 
Head Coach Jason Corwin said, "We carried some confidence forward from last night. We just did not get rattled tonight and we finished each set determined. All phases showed up for us. It was a solid win and a great weekend of volleyball for Bushnell!"
 
Junior Soliel Sands put the icing on her birthday-weekend cake on Saturday night with a performance to remember, collecting nine kills without an error as she hit .643. She also collected five more blocks, moving her season total to 117 as she sets a new Bushnell single-season record. The previous mark of 114 was set by Natalie Downes in 2019. "Today was such a fun and big game for us," said Sands. "We played together and it was the definition of teamwork. Everyone was involved and the cheering lifted everyone's mood."
 
Hailey Heider led the Beacons with 14 kills while Leah Agost and Aliyah Malone each contributed six kills and four blocks with the Beacons out-blocking the Warriors 10-8. Katie Belitz added 15 assists and eight digs while Emma Fa'alogo posted 17 assists and seven digs. Amyah Semau secured a team-high 12 digs and led all players with three service aces.
 
"We came in with so much energy and belief in each other tonight," said Belitz. Sweeping the No. 12 ranked team shows how much trust and fight we have. We played fearless and together from start to finish. Our unity and consistency are what made this win so special and showed what we are capable of."
 
Heider added, "I am so proud of how hard we worked tonight. Another top-15 win really proved the depth of our team and how great we play when faced with a challenge."
 
"I am so proud of what we accomplished as a team tonight," said Agost. "We have been working on emotional consistency throughout the game and we showed that tonight. We never let up, made the plays, and finished each set strong. I am so proud of our team and can't wait to close out the regular season at home next weekend."
 
UP NEXT: The Beacons, earning their fifth win of the season against an NAIA Top-25 team, need just one win to secure a top-four finish and a bye into the quarterfinals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament. They will close out the regular season at home next weekend, taking on Oregon Tech on Friday at 6:00 pm and RV Southern Oregon on Saturday at 4:00 pm.