Oregon State
6-13,4-5WCC
LMU
16-4,8-1WCC
Upset Bid of LMU Falls Short in Five
October 26, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State volleyball team could not hold on to a late in the fifth set as they fell to league-leading LMU on Saturday afternoon by a 3-2 margin.
A combined 40 kills from Annika Hester (17), Amanda Burns (14) and Vivan Light (9) were not enough as the Beavers (6-13, 4-5 WCC) couldn't answer back from a 3-0 run from the Lions in the fifth set. Defensively, Light and Yasemin Narlioglu each tallied 11 digs to lead the defense and Emma Lilo added 26 assists to lead the category.
Despite late leads of 19-17 and 18-16, LMU took a late charge to tie it at 20 before taking the first set at 25-20. Oregon State was held to a .171 clip and committed five service errors, including three in the early stages of the frame with a Lilo miscue on the match's opening serve. Hester led everyone on the floor with four kills while Alara Doganyuz used five assists to keep the offense going. Lauren Rumel's four digs paced the defense.
A set later, the narrative changed for Oregon State. Numerous scoring runs and a .306 hitting rate led to a seven-point win at 25-18. After LMU tied the affair early at 4, the Beavers took it over and led by as many as six late – when Oregon State hit set point at 24-18. Coupled with the efficient offense, Oregon State's defense tallied 18 digs, including Light's four, which led the category. Lilo's seven assists helped a potent attack that saw Hester put up four more kills.
Extending their lead to two-sets-to-one, Oregon State used another stifling defensive frame as they kept the Lions to an .032 clip. The Beavers used a 5-0 run to push LMU to the brink with a 10-point set win. Doganyuz led the offense with six kills and Light dug out four for a second consecutive frame. OSU led by as many as nine in the set before closing the margin at 10.
LMU extended the match to a fifth set with a late charge to take set four. Battling back from deficits at 10-7, 19-17 and 20-18, LMU secured their second of the day at 25-22. Oregon State held multiple three-point leads before a late comeback attempt fell short.
The Lions used one more comeback when it mattered the most, as they spoiled the upset bid and won 15-12 in the decisive fifth set. Despite running out to a 10-6 advantage, LMU responded with a 9-2 run to take the match. Trying to mount one late comeback, Hester's attempt for a kill went awry as LMU's Kalani Hayes used a kill on the ensuing set to seal it.
Oregon State will wrap up the season's penultimate homestand by hosting Gonzaga this coming Thursday. First serve against the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
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