PASCO, Wash. — At Columbia Basin College, LCC won 27-25, 31-29, 23-25, 25-19 against Columbia Basin. The match was defined by two extended opening sets, both won by the Red Devils before Columbia Basin took the third. LCC finished with 59 kills, seven aces and a .175 attack percentage, while Columbia Basin hit .132.
LCC scored the first two points and led 3-1, but Columbia Basin ran off six straight points to move ahead 7-3 before
Karissa Otterstetter served consecutive aces and set
Kendall Humphrey for a kill that tied the set at 7-7. The Red Devils later moved in front 10-9 on
Lauretta Vasi-Tauki'uvea's kill and pulled even again at 13-13, but Columbia Basin pushed back to leads of 18-14 and 22-18. After Addisen Ford's kill had Columbia Basin ahead 23-20, LCC answered with a Vasi-Tauki'uvea kill, two Columbia Basin attack errors — one blocked by Vasi-Tauki'uvea — and an Otterstetter kill to take a 24-23 lead. Columbia Basin reached 25-24 on Jacque Williams' kill, but Humphrey tied it and then put LCC ahead before
Kamryn Sande's ace finished the set 27-25.
Columbia Basin created the first separation in the second set, moving from a 7-7 tie to an 11-7 lead with two LCC attack errors around kills by Lexi Rupel and Eva Biladeau. The Red Devils worked back with kills from Otterstetter and Vasi-Tauki'uvea to get within 11-10, then later pulled even at 17-17 on consecutive Columbia Basin attack errors before Columbia Basin went back ahead 19-17. After
Anika Plowman's kill cut the margin to 19-18, LCC surged in front with
Chesney Schultz serving, using a Vasi-Tauki'uvea block, kills by Plowman and Vasi-Tauki'uvea and a Columbia Basin bad set to reach 23-19, and a Rupel attack error blocked by Vasi-Tauki'uvea made it 24-20. Columbia Basin answered with five straight points to lead 25-24, but LCC traded points through extra play and closed the set 31-29 on an
Ashlin Lockman kill and a final Columbia Basin attack error.
Kills by Lockman and Humphrey kept the Red Devils within 6-4 early, but Columbia Basin took the next five points on a service error and four LCC attack errors to move ahead 11-4. LCC chipped away through kills by Vasi-Tauki'uvea, Otterstetter and Plowman, while Columbia Basin remained in front and later led 19-13. Trailing 21-15, the Red Devils made a late push with kills by Vasi-Tauki'uvea, Plowman and Otterstetter, and Sande's service ace cut Columbia Basin's lead to 22-20. Columbia Basin later reached set point at 24-21, and after Plowman kill and a Columbia Basin setting error cut the margin to 24-23, Kennedy Rose ended the set with a kill for a 25-23 Columbia Basin win.
Trailing 6-5 early in the fourth set, LCC moved in front with an Eva Biladeau attack error, a Plowman kill and a Humphrey service ace during a stretch that put it ahead 9-6. Columbia Basin answered after the Red Devils reached 11-7, using two Kennedy Rose kills and an Adalei Lefebvre ace to tie the set at 11-11. After the teams traded points to 14-14, LCC got a
Kendal Dean kill, an Otterstetter kill and a Sande ace to move back ahead 17-14. Columbia Basin pulled within 17-16, but LCC stayed in front and closed the set with Vasi-Tauki'uvea's kill, her block on Kennedy Rose and Plowman's block on Lexi Rupel for a 25-19 win.
Humphrey finished with 14 kills, 24 digs, two service aces and 16 points. Humphrey's 14 kills surpassed her season average of 8.25, and her 24 digs exceeded her season average of 12.5. Vasi-Tauki'uvea recorded 13 kills, five solo blocks and a team-high 18 points. Vasi-Tauki'uvea's five solo blocks and 18 points were both season highs. Sande collected 23 digs, five assists and three service aces. Sande's 23 digs marked a season high. Otterstetter added 10 kills, 23 assists, 13 digs and two aces. Otterstetter's 10 kills were a season high. Plowman also recorded a season-high 10 kills.
Up next, the Red Devils start league play with a trip to Des Moines, Washington, to face Highline Community College on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m.
