The Linn-Benton volleyball team, with Sweet Home alumna Savannah Hutchins, Shelbey Nichol and Graci Zanona, claimed its second-straight NWAC Volleyball Championship after a five-set victory over Columbia Basin Nov. 20 at Pierce College in Puyallup, Wash.
After winning their first-ever NWAC title in 2021, led by head coach Jayme Frazier, the Roadrunners have now won back-to-back titles in dominant fashion. LBCC finished 2021 with a 32-2 record but managed to improve upon that with a 34-1 record in 2022.
A rarity on the season, the Roadrunners went down 2-1 in the match due to tough play from the Hawks.
In set four, however,the Roadrunners collected themselves to tie the score with 25-20 set win. In the fifth and final set, it was all Roadrunners as they went up 9-1, eventually finishing the match with a 15-5 set score.
LBCC took set one by a 25-15 score as their front row caught fire, recording five blocks with a number of unstoppable hits.
The Hawks, who had their backs against the wall the entire tournament, did not back down from a first set loss, taking the next two sets to go up 2-1. Even after going down 23-22 in the third set, the Hawks scored the final three points to grab the third set and a 2-1 lead.
Nichol and Grace Boeder (West Albany) each had a great match for the Roadrunners as they relied on their middle blockers for scoring. Nichol had 21 kills and seven total blocks to lead LBCC, while Boeder had 16 kills on 22 attacks for a .682 hitting percentage to go along with her four blocks.
Tournament MVP Taya Manibusan, who earned the award for the second year in a row, had 12 kills and 26 digs. Hutchins had 43 assists and Zanona had 22 digs.
Both Nichol and Zanona were named to the All-Tournament First Team.