EUGENE, Ore. – One night removed from clinching the No. 3 seed in the CCC tournament, the Beacons slipped on Saturday afternoon, falling to Southern Oregon University in five sets, 25-20, 15-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-10 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
 
An eerily even match up on the stat sheet saw both teams collected 56 kills, 53 assists and 58 digs. The Beacons (19-11, 13-7 CCC) owned an 11-8 margin in blocking while the Raiders (14-13, 11-9), currently receiving votes in the NAIA national coaches poll, earned an 8-4 advantage in service aces.
 
On a night in which the Beacons honored their seniors before their final regular-season home game, a pair of seniors shined. Leah Agost hit .216 and led the Beacons with 14 kills while Hailey Heider collected a double-double with 13 digs, 13 kills, as well as four blocks. Junior Amyah Semau added nine kills and three aces while Kailey Shirley earned a team-high 17 digs. Freshman Aliyah Malone had a strong afternoon at the net, securing a new career-high with eight blocks.
 
SOU was led by Maya Watters, hitting .423 with 17 kills. Andressa Ribeiro Soares added a double-double with 15 kills and a match-high 21 digs. Annie Hite earned 28 assists and Tais Vega posted 18 digs.
 
UP NEXT: The Beacons have earned a bye into the CCC Quarterfinals and will play on Thursday. The time and opponent will be determined after Tuesday's play-in games, but the Beacons know where the tournament will take place as Regular-Season champion Eastern Oregon University will host in La Grande.

2025 BUSHNELL VOLLEYBALL SENIORS

Leah Agost - Leah has been with the Beacons for four seasons, playing in 93 matches. She ranks seventh in school history for kills with 769 and her .226 career attack percentage is also in the top-ten. Leah had a career-high 19 kills against Oregon Tech on November 7, 2023. As a junior, she earned Second-Team All-Cascade Conference honors and has won numerous academic awards throughout her career. Coach Corwin said, "Thank you for making the courageous choice and building a legacy of excellence here!"

Katie Belitz - Katie has been with the Beacons for four seasons, playing in 79 matches. She ranks fourth in school history with 1273 assists, posting a career high 33 against Northwest University on November 1, 2024. Katie is a three-time Academic All-CCC and NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Coach Corwin said, "Thank you for your leadership and calm demeanor in the storm."


Chloe Farr - Chloe is in her second season with the Beacons after transferring from Lane Community College. She has played in 25 matches for the Beacons and posted a season-high 13 digs on October 25 against Evergreen. Last year Chloe earned the Coaches Award and was on the Athletic Directors Honor Roll. She earned Academic All-CCC honors this season. Coach Corwin said, "Thank you for your joy and laughter…always putting the team and program first, your accountability, your passion for the game and this team."

Hailey Heider - Hailey has been with the Beacons for two seasons after transferring from Sam Houston State. Last season she was a First-Team All-CCC selection, earned an NAIA National Attacker of the Week award, and was named Bushnell's Female Athlete of the Year. This season she leads the Conference in kills and needs just 26 kills to set a Bushnell single-season record. Coach Corwin said, "Thank you for your light-heartedness, leadership, and voice of reason."


Jessie Matthews - Jessie has been with the Beacons for four seasons, playing in 31 matches. The winner of Bushnell's Perseverance Award at the 2023 Iggy Awards, Jessie is a three-time Academic All-Conference and NAIA scholar-athlete award winner and has been on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester. Coach Corwin said, "Thank you for your hard work and diligence, ready smile, and taking care of everyone around you."