VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Clark College Penguins pushed Umpqua to the limit Wednesday night at home, but despite a spirited comeback effort, fell 3–2 in a Northwest Athletic Conference clash (19–25, 25–20, 25–18, 22–25, 9–15).

After dropping the opening set, Clark stormed back with a dominant second and third frame behind the attacking duo of Abigail Heberle and Kylie Miller. Heberle powered the Penguins with a team-high 16 kills while hitting .224, and Miller added 11 kills along with a match-best 4 blocks, swinging momentum Clark's way. Setter Taylee Wilson was the engine of the offense, dishing out 34 assists and chipping in 6 kills of her own.

Defensively, Emelynn Cecil was a standout, digging up 45 balls to keep rallies alive, while Gabriela Sideris added 19 digs and 6 kills in a gritty two-way performance. Veteran libero Kim Saechao steadied the back row with 9 digs and sparked Clark's serve game with 4 aces.

Clark appeared poised to close out the match after leading stretches of the fourth set, but Umpqua rallied late to even the score. In the decisive fifth, the Riverhawks jumped ahead early and held off Clark's final push to seal the road victory.

Despite the setback, the Penguins showed resilience, tallying 46 kills, 12 service aces, and 7 team blocks. The narrow loss drops Clark to 4-12 overall, 0-3 in NWAC play, but the energy and balanced contributions on display give the Penguins momentum as they continue their league schedule.

Clark returns to action this weekend at Lane Community College, looking to turn their competitive edge into wins.

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