Oregon State
1-0,0-0WCC
Fresno State
0-1,0-0Mountain West
Beavers Finish Off Fresno in Four to Open '24
August 30, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
PHOENIX – Despite dropping the first set of the season opener, the Oregon State volleyball team used a balanced approach to dispatch Fresno State in four sets (21-25, 25-20, 28-26, 25-22) on Friday evening in the GCU Invitational.
"First matches of the season are always tough in many ways and (I) loved how this group came together to get the first win of the season," said head coach Lindsey Behonick. "Lauren (Rumel) and Zaria (Thornton) had great offensive numbers and steady passing from Yasemin (Narlioglu) helped us score a lot. It's a fun group and I'm grateful we get to do it again tomorrow against GCU."
Rumel's 21 kills – a new career-best – led the OSU (1-0) offense against the Bulldogs while Vivian Light paced the defense with 15 digs. Making a splash in her collegiate debut, Emma Lilo helped the offense with 48 assists. Lilo's mark shattered the previous single-match best in a Behonick-led team, which was Amanda Burns' 36. Annika Hester finished just four digs shy of a double-double in her Beaver debut, her six digs complemented her 14 kills while Rumel had a dozen kills to have in the opener.
Also making her collegiate debut, Narlioglu also had double-digit kills, totaling 11. Thornton, another debutant, tallied eight kills.
From the match's onset to the end, separation was vital as both sides eked runs to decide the sets. Deadlocked at 16, Fresno State held off the Beavers' attack and finished the frame with a 9-5 differential. Rumel opened her day with four first-set kills with Hester and Elly Schraeder each adding two and Lilo had three helpers. Defensively, three – Hester, Light and Rumel – dug out three.
Evening the score, Oregon State used a pair of 4-0 runs to hold off the Bulldogs in the second frame, taking it by a 25-20 margin. A Narlioglu ace sandwiched between kills from Zaria Thornton and Lauren Rumel helped turn a 7-6 deficit to a 10-7 lead for some needed momentum. After Fresno State crept back to make it 16-15, the Beavers took advantage of Bulldog miscues for a 20-15 lead. Oregon State closed the set on a quick 2-0 run after the Bulldogs closed the lead to just three.
Lilo clinched her double-digit mark in assists after tallying 11 in the frame while Rumel added five kills to her ledger and Hester and Light each putting up four. Defensively, Light led with three digs and a trio – Lilo, Narlioglu and Rumel – each added a pair.
Playing from behind to the 20-point threshold, Oregon State battled and withstood a late press from Fresno State to clinch the 2-1 lead in the match. Despite holding a lead as big as six in the middle and late stages of the set, the Beavers braved a Fresno State charge to hold them off at 25-20. Taking advantage of errors by the Beavers, the Bulldogs crept up to 23-20 before a Light kill and FS attack error sealed the set for Oregon State.
Lilo kept up the offensive attack by dishing 14 assists while Rumel put down a handful of kills in the set. Light, Lilo and Narlioglu each kept the defensive pressure on with four digs apiece.
Key challenges from the Beaver bench and another 4-0 run helped seal the Oregon State win, taking the fourth and final one at 25-22. In another tight set, both teams saw at least set point and five lead changes after the score was knotted at 20. With it deadlocked at 25, key kills by Light and Rumel helped spark the Beavers to one final run at 3-1 to put the Bulldogs away.
Rumel capped her career day with seven fourth-set kills while Lilo dished 14 more assists and Light dug out five.
Tomorrow night, Oregon State will meet the tournament's hosts, Grand Canyon, in the first away match of the season. First serve with the Antelopes is set for 7 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN+.
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