OREGON CITY, Ore. — Clark College pushed one of the NWAC's top teams to the limit Wednesday night, taking Clackamas to five sets before falling 3–2 (27-25, 25-19,20-25, 21-25, 12–15) in a back-and-forth battle on the road.
The Penguins (8–19, 4–10 NWAC South) came out strong, seizing early momentum by winning the opening two sets behind a balanced offensive effort and a rock-solid defensive performance. Clark hit .268 in the first set and .162 in the second, facilitated by sophomore setter
Taylee Wilson, who dished out
38 assists and added
12 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker
Kylie Miller anchored the front line with a standout match, totaling
16 kills on a .325 attack percentage while adding
seven solo blocks. Her presence at the net fueled Clark's early surge, helping the Penguins hold off Clackamas rallies late in the first and second sets.
Defensively,
Emelynn Cecil was exceptional, leading all players with
33 digs, while
Mia Hicks-Oliver chipped in
10 kills and
11 digs to keep rallies alive.
Abigail Heberle contributed
eight kills, and
Araia Lim added two service aces.
After Clark's commanding two-set lead, Clackamas (17–7, 10–4 NWAC South) responded by tightening its attack and taking the next three sets to complete the comeback. Despite the loss, the Penguins' defensive tenacity kept them in every frame, recording
89 team digs and
eight total blocks.
The Penguins return to the road on Friday for a match at Chemeketa. This will be their final away contest before they finish the season with two matches at home next week. After playing one of the best teams in the NWAC down to the wire, it should be a great last three matches to end the season.
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