KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – After dropping the first two sets, the Lewis-Clark State Volleyball team fought its way to a deciding fifth-set before falling to Oregon Tech on the road. The Warriors took the third and fourth sets against the Hustlin' Owls, but came up just short by a final of 3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 27-29, 15-7).
 
Freshman Grecia Ung Enriquez led the offense with a career-high 17 kills at a .419 attack percentage. She completed her second-career double-double with a team-leading 14 digs.
 
Carli Berntson put the first points on the board with a kill before Ung Enriquez added one to even the set 2-2. Kills by Ung Enriquez, Cassidy Nelson, Channa Hart and Jada Wyms kept the score even until a four-point run by the Owls put OIT ahead 12-9.
 
The Warriors called a timeout, and the pause proved beneficial as Ung Enriquez and Berntson tallied back-to-back kills to pull LC within one at 12-11. OIT regained the momentum and surged ahead 18-13. The Warriors tallied two points out of another timeout, aided by a kill from Tori Edwards, to keep the set within reach, and back-to-back LC State blocks cut the deficit to one at 19-18. A solo block by Wyms, who had assisted on the two previous blocks, evened things at 19 each before a kill by the middle blocker made it a 20-20 score. OIT bounced back to rattle off five straight points to take the opening set.
 
Kendzee Cloward opened the second frame with a service ace, and kills by Wyms and Berntson kept the score even at 3-3. A kill by Wyms and an ace by Jennah Carpenter gave LC a 9-6 advantage, and kills by Edwards and Ung Enriquez kept the Warriors in front. Hart answered a go-ahead rally by OIT with a kill to tie things up 16-16, but a 9-0 run by the Owls proved too much for LC to overcome as the Warriors dropped the set 25-19.
 
Kills by Wyms and Ung Enriquez gave the Warriors an early 3-0 lead before a four-point rally with kills by Hallie Seaman and Nelson grew the advantage to 10-3. Back-to-back errors by the Owls added to the LC lead, and a big swing by Berntson made it a 13-7 advantage. Ung Enriquez and Hart kept the offense rolling for LC State as the Warriors grew the margin to 17-11 to force an OIT timeout.
 
OIT rallied to tie the set 20-20, but two straight errors by the Owls put the Warriors back in front before a kill by Wyms made it 23-20 on the 3-0 run. A block by Wyms and Berntson helped end the set 25-21 in favor of LC to force a fourth set.
 
The Owls took a 3-1 lead to begin the fourth, but kills by Ung Enriquez kept the Warriors within one at 4-3. OIT went on a 4-1 run to grow its lead before another short burst made it a 10-6 Owl advantage. A run of five moved the score to 19-12 in favor of OIT, but Ung Enriquez sparked a run of five that also featured an ace by the freshman, block by Hart and Nelson and kills from the pair to tie the set late at 22-22. A kill by Hart kept it knotted at 23-23, and Nelson did the same at 24 and 25 each. The two teams traded points until Ung Enriquez sealed the fourth-set victory with a kill at 29-27.
 
OIT struck for a pair to open the deciding set before an error put LC State on the board. The Owls charged on to a 15-7 victory to take the set and match.
 
Ung Enriquez had a stellar night with 17 kills, 14 digs and a .419 attack percentage. Nelson added 14 kills and two block assists, and Wyms added 11 kills, three block assists, three solo blocks and an attack percentage of .381.
 
Jess Ruffing dished out 27 assists and Lexi Trowbridge added nine.
 
As a team, the Warriors tallied more kills (61), blocks (8), assists (50) and digs (69) than OIT. The Owls served 12 aces in the match.
 
"It wasn't the outcome we wanted but the team fought hard tonight against a really good team," Head Coach Shaun Pohlman said. "We won every stat category but one and that is how they ran away with the win. Kind of a heartbreaking loss after fighting in the third and coming back five points in the fourth."
 
The Warriors face Southern Oregon on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Ashland, Ore. Links to live coverage can be found at lcwarriors.com.
 
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