Oregon State
1-2,0-0WCC
Montana
1-2,0-0Big Sky
Beavers Drop Phoenix Finale
September 01, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
PHOENIX – The Oregon State volleyball team closed their time at the GCU Invitational, falling to Montana, 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 24-26, 21-25), on Sunday.
Lauren Rumel led the Beavers (1-2) with 16 kills – her third double-digit mark in the category this season while Vivian Light (8) and Annika Hester (7) followed. Defensively, a pair of Beavers tallied double-digits in digs, Alondra Paz with a team-high of 13 and Emma Lilo with 13. Complementing the digs for a double-double, she led the team with 24 assists.
Continuing with the theme of closely-contested sets at the GCU Invitational, no set point differential in this match was more than four.
Despite going back and forth all set, the Beavers' attack was stifled to open the match. Oregon State was limited to just seven kills – three by Rumel – and 11 combined digs – five from Hester – as the Grizzlies eked out the frame win to strike early.
Oregon State evened it at a set apiece after two thanks to an emphatic 12-1 run that saw Light make a dozen serves. Not being easy to put away, Montana battled back from seven down to bring it within just two at 24-22 but a Montana miscue sealed the set for the Beavs. The hotstreak flipped a five-point hole to a seven-point advantage that proved crucial. During the frame, Light made 14 serves and an ace. Lilo helped keep the offense humming with six assists while Rumel and Zaria Thornton each put up three kills.
One final run by Montana at the very end proved the difference in the third set, which finished at 26-24. Despite the Beavers battling back from an 8-1 charge by the Grizzlies, they forced ties at 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 before the Grizzlies outlasted them. Rumel's six kills led the offense while Paz paced the defense with five digs.
In a set where the sides nearly traded points and both had multiple scoring runs of four or more, Oregon State ran out of time, as the Grizzlies used a late 5-0 run to flip the momentum, taking the set and ultimately the match. After evening it at 21 with a kill, Montana seized it with the run.
Oregon State will stay on the road next week, venturing to Bakersfield, California for the Roadrunner Invitational on Thursday, September 5th against CSU Bakersfield. First serve against the Roadrunners is set for 10:30 a.m.
OUR MISSION
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