EUGENE, Ore. – The Warriors gave (RV) Bushnell a challenge on Saturday night in Eugene, Ore., but ultimately fell in four sets (25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20) to the Beacons in a Cascade Conference matchup. LC State, now 11-8 overall and 6-5 in CCC play, were led by 12 kills each by Cassidy Nelson and Carli Berntson, but could not overcome costly errors throughout the match.
 
"We had some great opportunities tonight but just didn't finish," Head Coach Shaun Pohlman said. "We will get a chance this next week to avenge our early season losses so this week is going to be important for us to have our head right."
 
Channa Hart started the match with a loud kill on the first rally of the set, and Kenzie Dean served back-to-back aces to give LC an early 3-0 advantage. A kill by Nelson, after an error by the Beacons, made it a five-point run to open the contest.
 
Hart added a kill at 7-4, and Grecia Ung Enriquez joined in with a kill at 8-5, but Bushnell battled back to tie the set 9-9 before taking the lead. A massive kill by Jada Wyms evened the score 10-10 before the Beacons responded to jump in front 14-11 as part of a 14-6 run. Bushell carried its momentum throughout the remainder of the set and closed it out at 25-20.
 
After Bushnell scored twice to open the second frame, Nelson put LC on the board before an error by the Beacons evened things up. A combination of Warrior errors and Beacon kills put Bushnell ahead 8-4, but a kill by Tori Edwards kept LC within striking distance. A kill by Ung Enriquez and an error by the home team evened the set 9-9.
 
Hannah Martinez gave LC State the lead on a service ace, and the back-and-forth continued until a kill by Nelson sparked a run of five to give the Warriors a 17-12 advantage. Four of the points came on Bushnell errors, but a timeout allowed the Beacons to regroup and tie the set 18-18. A solo block by Hart and back-to-back aces by Nelson swung the momentum back to LC State as the Warriors took a 21-18 lead. Bushnell rallied again to even the set at 21 each before taking it 25-22.
 
The Beacons came out firing with the first three points of the third set. Hart got the offense going for the Warriors, followed by a kill by Ung Enriquez to cut the deficit to one. Hart added to her day with a kill to keep LC within one at 4-3 before an error by the home team evened things up at four. A kill by Berntson and four errors by the Beacons fueled a five-point rally to give the Warriors a 9-5 advantage.
 
Nelson kept the Warriors ahead by four with a kill off an assist by Martinez, and Berntson made it a 15-10 lead with a kill off the Bushnell block. Berntson tallied another kill before an ace by Lexi Trowbridge grew the lead to 17-12 to force a timeout by the Beacons. A run of errors by both teams moved the score to 22-19 in favor of the Warriors as Bushnell crept closer, but a kill by Berntson gave the ball back to LC State at 23-20. Berntson and Wyms went back-to-back to give the Warriors a 25-20 set victory and force a fourth.
 
Bushnell took an early 2-0 lead in the fourth set before a hard swing by Nelson down the sideline cut the deficit in half. A 3-0 run with a kill by Ung Enriquez, ace by Dean and block by Wyms brought LC within one at 11-10, and a kill by Berntson kept the difference at one with the Warriors trailing 12-11. Jennah Carpenter dealt a service ace and a kill by Nelson knotted the set 15-15.
 
The Warriors took a 17-16 lead on a block by Hart and a Bushnell attack error, but the Beacons regained the lead at 19-18 as the two traded leads. Bushnell built its lead in the final stretch and closed out the match with a 25-20 set win.
 
Nelson and Berntson led the LC State offense with 12 kills each, and Ung Enriquez added nine. Martinez handled the bulk of the setter duties on the night and dished out 33 assists to go with 13 digs for a double-double. Dean was solid on defense with 17 digs, and Kendzee Cloward chipped in 14.
 
"I loved the way Kendzee Cloward played tonight," Pohlman explained. "The best game of her career after struggling last night. She kept the play alive a lot, and I felt that Hannah Martinez really stepped up big as well both offensively and defensively."
 
The Warriors continue their road trip next weekend in Oregon with stops at Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon. LC State takes on the Owls of OIT on Friday at 7 p.m., and the Raiders of SOU on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
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