By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Willamette University swept past West Coast Baptist College (Calif.), 3-0, to open the Oregon Trail Classic at Lewis & Clark College on Friday, Sept. 8. In Willamette's second match of the day, Schreiner University (Texas) defeated the Bearcats 3-1. WU downed the Eagles of WCBC, 25-11, 25-18, 25-12. Schreiner won against Willamette, 25-16, 25-20, 27-29, 25-22.

The Bearcats ended the matches with a 3-2 record for the season. WCBC moved 0-1 while Schreiner improved to 4-4. The Oregon Trail Classic will continue on Saturday, Sept. 9, with the action moving to George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. Willamette will take on Loras College (Iowa) at 12:30 p.m. PDT and will battle Wells College (N.Y.) at 5:30 p.m.

Emma Porter (Grad., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) earned a total of 47 assists on the first day of the tournament, while Olivia Cadien (Jr., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) provided 21 kills overall. Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) accumulated 33 digs in the two matches.

Willamette 3, West Coast Baptist 0

Against WCBC, Cadien led a balanced attack for the Bearcats with eight kills. Katey Cramer (So., OH, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo Grande HS/Cuesta College) pounded seven kills. Syd Bowen (So., OH/OPP, Tigard, OR/Wilsonville HS) and Sydney Locke  (So., MB, Federal Way, WA/Decatur HS) each added six kills. Bowen achieved a .308 hitting percentage during the match, while Cadien hit .278. Porter was credited with 14 assists against the Eagles. Sato led the team with 11 digs.

Jessica Cotant topped West Coast Baptist with six kills. Kaysie Vanderford registered 11 assists and Rachel Powell supplied nine digs. Allison Williams made eight digs.

WU led 14-7 and 20-10 in the first set. After the Eagles scored on a kill by Cotant, the Bearcats added five consecutive points, starting with a kill by Bowen, to win 25-11. The second set was tied at 16-16 following a kill by Cotant. WU responded by winning seven consecutive rallies to start a 9-2 run and claim a 25-18 victory. 

In the third set, Willamette pulled away from a 6-6 tie by going on another 9-2 surge for a 15-8 margin. Cramer and Lock each registered two kills during the run. A bit later, WU led 19-9 on its way to a 25-12 win.

Schreiner 3, Willamette 1

The Mountaineers were in front throughout the first set. Schreiner zoomed out to an 11-2 lead and Willamette battled back within 13-9. The run by the Bearcats ended with a 5-0 stretch that started with two kills from Bowen and a service ace by Riley Cedergreen (So., DS, Nampa, ID/Liberty Charter School). After a ball-handling error by Schreiner, the Bearcats completed the run with another kill by Bowen. SU countered with a 12-7 stretch to take the set 25-16.

The second set with the Mountaineers was tied at 14-14 following a kill by Cadien. Schreineer tallied the next six points and went on to win the set 25-20.

Willamette won a very competitive third set that featured 16 ties and seven lead changes. The Bearcats led 24-23, but SU held a match point at 25-24. An attacking error by the Mountaineers and a kill by Caiden gave WU a 26-25 edge. The Bearcats also led 27-26, but Schreiner held off both set points with kills by Brooke Byer. A bad set gave WU a 28-27 advantage and Cadien provided a service ace to end the set.

In the fourth set, WU held a 7-3 lead on a kill from Tasha Tokairin (So., MB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute). Schreiner took a 13-12 lead a bit later, but WU eventually tied the set at 21-21 with a kill by Bowen. A kill from Giana Hilliard gave SU a 22-21 edge and the Mountaineers went on to clinch the match with a 25-22 victory.

For Willamette against Schreiner, Caiden registered 13 kills. Locke chipped in with 10 kills and Cramer ended the match with nine kills. Porter produced 33 assists. Sato contributed 22 digs, while Porter added 10 digs.

Schreiner received 10 kills each from Hilliard and Byer. Harlie Gallaspy and Mia Moreno each achieved 16 assists, while Jenna Palomarz topped the Mountaineers with 19 digs.