SCC VOLLEYBALL TEAM ELIMINATED

The SCC Volleyball team (14-18, 9-3 NWAC North) was eliminated from contention late Thursday evening by Clark College.

The Phins lost their opening match of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) championship, falling 3-1 to Lower Columbia Community College on Thursday morning.

In a grinding, defensive match where neither team’s offense ever really got going, Lower Columbia (28-8, 10-4 West) found a major advantage in the serving game, racking up a whopping 14 aces while committing just three service errors. SCC finished with six aces and seven errors.

Lower Columbia was able to put multiple lengthy runs together with Paige Moorcroft serving. Those runs came while SCC was in their dreaded “Rotation Six,” an alignment which includes primary setter Alyssa Korth off the court and top hitter Kammi Perkins in the back row.

“(Rotation Six) has been an issue all year,” said Mark West, co-head coach. “Our passing’s not as good, and the decision-making from our setters hasn’t been as good (either).”

Sophomore libero (a defensive specialist only allowed to play in the back row) Sabrina DeJesus-Bair set a career high with 34 digs. Freshman middle blocker Alivia Meucci led all players with five blocks, while adding six kills on a .385 hitting percentage.

Lower Columbia’s Megan Miller was the offensive star of the match, recording 17 kills on .268 hitting.

All matches throughout the tournament can be viewed for free online through links on http://www.nwacsports.org/volleyball/championship/index.php.