Red Devils Outlast Clippers in Five-Set Thriller to Clinch West Region Championship
OLYMPIA, Wash. — In a gritty, momentum-swinging road battle on Friday night, the Lower Columbia College volleyball team went the distance against South Puget Sound Community College, pulling out a dramatic 3-2 victory (25-14, 24-26, 22-25, 25-8, 15-9) at the SPSCC Gymnasium. With the win, the Red Devils (16-5, 10-1 NWAC) officially clinched the NWAC West Region Championship crown.
The victory not only capped a regular-season season sweep over the Clippers (9-16, 3-8 NWAC), but also solidified Lower Columbia's status as the West Region's No. 1 seed heading into postseason play.
Setting the Stage: LCC Strikes First
Lower Columbia opened the match firing on all cylinders, hitting an explosive .458 in the opening frame. Setting the tone early from the service line,
Karissa Otterstetter engineered a quick 4-0 run.
Ashlin Lockman and
Kendall Humphrey repeatedly found seams in the SPSCC defense, while setter
Kendal Dean mixed the offense effectively to help LCC sprint ahead and cruise to a 25-14 opening set win.
Clippers Fight Back in Extended Sets
South Puget Sound refused to go quietly on their home court. The Clippers leveled the match in a back-and-forth second set that featured seven ties and two lead changes. With LCC holding set point at 24-22 after an SPSCC attack error, the Clippers mounted a four-point comeback behind the arms of Victoria Valenti and Mary Bobryk, edging out the Red Devils 26-24.
Carrying that momentum into set three, SPSCC surged ahead early. Despite late runs from LCC paced by kills from
Chesney Schultz and Humphrey, as well as crucial blocks from
Lauretta Vasi-Tauki'uvea, the Clippers closed out the frame 26-22 to put the Red Devils on the ropes with a 2-1 match lead.
Dominant Response and Decisive Fifth
Facing adversity, the Red Devils delivered an emphatic response in set four. LCC's block and defense clamped down, suffocating the Clippers' attack and holding SPSCC to a -.167 hitting percentage. Sparked by
Anika Plowman off the bench and aggressive serving runs by Humphrey and
Kamryn Sande—who tallied back-to-back service aces late—Lower Columbia stormed to an overwhelming 25-8 win to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
In the deciding fifth frame, the Red Devils maintained control from the start. Tied 2-2, Schultz notched a kill and a tandem block with Plowman, while Humphrey delivered timely kills to extend the lead. With LCC up 10-8, Schultz hammered down a kill to regain serve, and Otterstetter stepped to the line to deliver a service ace before back-to-back SPSCC hitting miscues sealed the 15-9 win, igniting the championship celebration.
By the Numbers
Lower Columbia out-hit South Puget Sound .255 to .060 on the night, compiling 53 kills, 11 service aces, and eight total blocks:
- Kendall Humphrey: Team-high 12 kills (.333 hitting pct.), 14 digs, and 3 aces (15.0 total points).
- Chesney Schultz: 10 kills (.333 hitting pct.), 3 block assists, and 4 digs.
- Karissa Otterstetter: Triple-double threat with 8 kills (.217 hitting pct.), 26 assists, 14 digs, 3 blocks, and 2 aces.
- Ashlin Lockman: 7 kills on 17 swings (.353 hitting pct.).
- Anika Plowman: 5 kills and 2 blocks in three sets of action.
- Ella Eib: 5 kills, 7 digs, and 2 aces.
- Kamryn Sande: Anchored the back row with a match-high 24 digs and 2 service aces.
- Kendal Dean: Directed the offense alongside Otterstetter, dishing out 14 assists with 5 digs and an ace.
For SPSCC, Victoria Valenti led the offense with 13 kills and 16 digs, while Mary Bobryk added 11 kills hitting .429. Jessie McCoy tallied 36 assists and 13 digs.
The final regular season match for the Red Devils will be Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30 pm at Myklebust gym. This will also be sophomore night and we will celebrate our 4 sophomores before the start of the match.Â
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NWAC Postseason Outlook
By locking up the West Region Championship, Lower Columbia has earned the right to host the
NWAC Volleyball Regionals on November 14–15.
The regional round features a four-team, double-elimination bracket hosted by each region's No. 1 seed, with the top two teams from each region advancing to the
NWAC Elite 8 Championship Tournament, scheduled for
November 20–22 on Holden Court at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington.
Game one of the West regional will be at Myklebust Gym in Longview, WA at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 14 between the Lower Columbia Red Devils and either the Lane titans or the Mt Hood Saints.
Tickets for the Regional round can be purchased ahead of time at https://nwacsports.com/Championship_Central_Volleyball#tickets or at the gate (debit/credit only, no cash).Â
Complete statistics, updated region standings, and tournament brackets are available at
nwacsports.com.
