KLAMATH FALLS, OR – No. 14 LC State Volleyball won a thrilling four-set match to kick off the weekend on the road on Friday. The Warriors dropped the first set at Oregon Tech before storming back to earn their 11th victory of the season by scores of 23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22. LC State stuffed the stat sheet, highlighted by career nights from Ella Stosich and Makenzie Stout.
Stosich anchored the back row with a career-high 28 digs while Stout did her damage from the service line with a career-best five aces. The Warriors saw multiple career-best marks tied in a match that was a back-and-forth battle throughout.
The win improves the LC State record to 11-3 overall and 8-3 in Cascade Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set was a close battle after kills by Karissa Lindner and Juliauna Forgach Aguilar put the Warriors in front 3-1. Tallies by Forgach Aguilar, Teagan Scott and Taylor Boyce kept the lead changing hands before a block by Lindner and Scott gave LC a 13-12 lead. Lindner, Mikale Roy, Forgach Aguilar and Boyce notched kills to make it 21-20 in favor of the Warriors and an ace by Esther Kailiponi had the difference at 23-22. The Owls struck for three straight points to take the set 25-23.
The trend continued in the second set with a constant back-and-forth. OIT jumped out to a 4-0 lead before three kills by Forgach Aguilar had the Warriors within one, 5-4, and a run of three with kills by Forgach Aguilar and Scott tied the set 7-7.
A block by Boyce and Lindner, two kills by Boyce and an ace by Stout pushed the Warrior advantage to two, 13-11, and kills by Forgach Aguilar and Scott forced an Oregon Tech timeout at 17-14. Scott and Abby Beaton teamed up for a block to cap a four-point LC State run at 18-14, but the Owls responded with a 4-1 rally to cut the margin to 19-18 and force a Warrior pause. Boyce answered with three kills to make it 23-22 LC State. OIT tied the frame 23-23, but a kill by Forgach Aguilar and an OIT error evened the match 1-1 with a 25-23 set win.
Scott set up Lindner for the first kill of the third set and Beaton made it a 2-1 lead with one of her own. OIT rallied to pull ahead 7-3. Kills by Boyce and Scott narrowed the gap and back-to-back aces by Stout made it a one-point difference at 10-9. Swings by Forgach Aguilar and Roy kept the margin at one, 12-11, before a kill by Forgach Aguilar on an overpass evened the set at 12 each.
Forgach Aguilar and Boyce combined for three straight kills to cap a five-point run and give LC State a 15-13 lead in the frame. Oregon Tech scored twice out of a timeout to tie the frame 15-15 but Scott put the Warriors right back in front with two kills. Lindner made it 18-16 with a swing on an assist from Kailiponi and Boyce notched a kill before a block with Lindner. Lindner continued the scoring run with a kill before another block with Boyce to end the seven-point stretch at 23-16. A kill by Lindner and OIT error ended the third set 25-19 to give LC State a 2-1 lead in the match.
An ace by Stout and kills by Lindner and Forgach Aguilar had LC State out to a 6-3 advantage in the fourth frame. Oregon Tech surged to take an 8-6 lead, but kills by Beaton, Lindner and Boyce put the Warriors back in front 11-9. Lindner continued her strong offensive night with two more kills and another ace by Stout had the difference at 14-11. The Owls erased a 16-12 LC State advantage to tie things up 17-17.
Beaton and Scott teamed up at the net to deny OIT twice to break an 18-18 tie and Beaton made it 21-18 with a kill. Another block by the duo of Beaton and Scott had the late lead at 22-19, then Lindner added a kill before a block with Boyce had the score at match point, 24-21. Forgach Aguilar ended the match with a kill at 25-22.
STAT RECAP
Stosich led the contest with a career-high 28 digs and Scott tied her career-best with 47 assists to go with six kills. Stout dealt a career-high five service aces.
Forgach Aguilar led the offense with 18 kills and Boyce added 17. Lindner tied her career best with 11 kills on a .364 attack percentage. Lindner and Scott each assisted on five blocks, a career-high for Scott, while Beaton and Boyce each contributed on four.
The Warriors outhit the Owls .229-.184 with the help of nine total blocks.
UP NEXT
LC State wraps up the road trip on Saturday in Ashland, Ore., against (RV) Southern Oregon at 6 p.m.
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