Bedell Shines As Volleyball Drops Pair To Open Season

Bedell Shines As Volleyball Drops Pair To Open Season

Bookmark and Share

By Blake Timm '98, Sports Information Director

Pacific/Oregon Tech Box Score | Pacific/Evergreen State Box Score

FOREST GROVE – After a year away from volleyball, Haley Bedell (Jr., Bothell, Wash.) showed that she has lost little off her game as she led Pacific in a pair of matches against Oregon Tech and Evergreen State in the start to the 2014 season at the Stoller Center.
 
Bedell combined for 23 kills in the two matches and amassed a .242 hitting percentage in the opener.  The effort, however, was not enough to lead Pacific to victory as the Boxers fell to the Hustlin' Owls 19-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-12.  The Geoducks proved stronger hitters than the Boxers in taking a 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 win in the night's final match.
 
The two Pacific matches were part of a festival of four held at the Stoller Center to open the season.  George Fox played matches against both Oregon Tech and Evergreen State earlier in the day.
 
OREGON TECH DEF. PACIFIC 19-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-12
Pacific showed well in its first match of the season against an already season Oregon Tech squad.  The Boxers stunned the Hustlin' Owls in the first set, hitting .229 in the frame, before Oregon Tech came back to dominate the hitting in the final three sets to earn their seventh victory in as many matches.
 
Bedell led the Boxers in her first match after a year away from the program, registering 13 kills and a .242 hitting percentage.  She had eight kills and no errors in the first set alone.  Hannah Herbert (Jr., Hillsboro, Ore.) and Una Areta (So., Kent, Wash.) each had 12 kills while Emily Farnham (Jr., University Place, Wash.) had a double-double of 30 assist and 12 digs.
 
Kelsey Sampson led Oregon Tech with a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs.  Megan Holland added a double-double of 25 assists and 10 digs while Madison Garlie added 10 kills.  The Hustlin' Owls finished the afternoon hitting .318 for the match.
 
Pacific played very strong in the opening set, using a dump by Farnham and a string of three service aces to build a 12-7 lead early.  The Boxers built the advantage to 20-11 on three straight Bedell kills before the Owls made a late comeback.  Sampson forced the Boxers into three errors to come within 23-19 before Bedell's eighth kill of the frame and a ball handling error gave Pacific the win.
 
Oregon Tech turned the tables in the second set, pulling ahead 7-2 as the Boxers committed four straight errors.  Pacific pulled to within 11-8 on a Herbert kill, but the Owls came back to score the next five points, two on Renee Baumann kills, to go up 16-8.  The score was 18-12 before the Owls closed the set by scoring eight of the final nine points.
 
The two teams engaged in a hard fought third set.  Oregon Tech led most of the way, but could never pull ahead by more than three points until late.  Hannah Smargiassi (Jr., Tualatin, Ore.) brought the Boxers within 21-20, but the Owls kept composure to win four of the final six points in the eventual 25-22 win.
 
Oregon Tech took control early in the fourth set and never looked back, opening up the 9-3 lead on Linsey Jones' kill.  The lead was 17-10 when Oregon Tech put it away with a six-point run, two on Tori Porter service aces.
 
EVERGREEN STATE DEF. PACIFIC 25-16, 25-13, 25-19
The Geoducks hit on all cylinders in the nightcap, connecting for a .405 hitting percentage for the match, including an impressive .625 performance in a second set where they limited Pacific to just one point scored on their own serve.
 
Bedell led the Boxers in the hitting department for the second straight match, finishing with 10 kills.  Areta added eight kills while Farnham added 15 assists.
 
Brandee Victorino led Evergreen State with 14 kills and a .481 individual hitting percentage.  Molly King added seven kills while Ive Eakes and Brandy Iverson each had six kills.
 
Pacific held their own against Evergreen State in the opening set, opening up the early 4-2 lead on a Bedell kill and an Evergreen attack error.  The Geoducks dug back into the lead and eventually built the 13-8 advantage on a ball handling error.  Pacific battled back to within one when Bedell's kill made it 15-14, but the Geoducks surged to closed the set by winning 10 of the final 12 rallies, with one of Victorino's two service aces winning it.
 
Evergreen State could not miss in the second set, compiling 17 kills and just two errors on 24 total attempts.  The Boxers were within 7-5 before the Geoducks won four straight to go ahead 11-5 and extended their last to 16-8 on a Victorino kill.  Jaclyn Trinque made it 20-12 on her kill before Iverson all but serve the Geoducks out for the win.
 
While Pacific's hitting improved in the third set, it was not enough to overcome the Geoducks.  Pacific trailed just 6-4 on a Farnham dump, but the Geoducks won the next three points to extend the lead to 9-4.  A big block by King and Avery Shaw extended the lead to 16-7, which was enough to hold the cushion as the teams traded points the rest of the way.
 
Pacific hosts a pair of matches tomorrow, hosting New Hope Christian at 2 p.m. and Walla Walla at 8:30 p.m.  Evergreen State breaks up the matches, taking on New Hope Christian at the Stoller Center at 5 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version