OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Evergreen State Geoducks were fired up for their match against Oregon Tech and had the Owls on the ropes early with a 2-0 lead before OIT won the final three sets to win the match 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-23, 15-9).
 
It was former volleyball head coach Alexis Garrison's first match against TESC since her departure, and the Geoducks were riled up and ready to spoil her return.
 
The match displayed the high level of competition throughout the conference as the two teams had an astounding 28 ties throughout the contest.
 
The opening set of the match had ESC and OIT fans on the edges of their seats as neither team could pull away and the set remained close all the way throughout. The Geoducks used a late 4-1 run to close out the first set 25-23.
 
The second set followed the same template as the first, as both teams struggled to pull away and the score was tied 23-23 at the end of the set. Andee Nelson and Alice Bennett recorded the final two points of the set to win the set 25-23 and put Evergreen up 2-0.
 
The Owls showed their resilience and the tide shifted in the third set. Oregon Tech opened the set with a massive 14-2 run and never looked back as they cruised to win set three 25-12.
 
TESC shook off the third set and returned to form in the fourth, and it was once again a dog fight for control. Late in the set, Evergreen rattled off four straight points to take the lead 23-21 but the Owls responded with a 4-0 run of their own to close out the set 25-23 and force a fifth.
 
Savanna Sterck (5) and Kennedy Kantola (4) seized the momentum for OIT combining for 9 kills in the final set to cap off the comeback win for Oregon Tech 15-9.
 
Andee Nelson led the team in kills with 16. Jenna Glenzel recorded her season-high in assists with 34. Rylee Grams recorded an impressive 34 digs in the contest.
 
The Geoducks will shake off the loss and prepare for their next match against Southern Oregon tomorrow at 5:00 PM. More information available at gogeoducks.com.