Volleyball and Baseball Teams Celebrate Conference Titles
It was an electric crowd at the Benton Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11 when the Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Baseball teams celebrated their conference championships.
The banners were revealed to the victorious athletes of Linn-Benton Community College during the half-time ceremony of the men’s basketball game, crowning the efforts of Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Baseball at the college during their respective seasons. Athletes from both teams gathered beneath the banners to celebrate their seasons while the coaches huddled in as well.
The Men’s Baseball team, who finished 38-12-1, defeated the Mt. Hood Bulldogs 4-1 in the NWAC Championship Game on May 31, 2022. The Women’s Volleyball team defeated the Columbia Basin Hawks 3-2 to finish with an incredible 32-1 record, including 16-0 in conference play. The volleyball team also won the title in the previous season, meaning a celebration of back-to-back championships for the Roadrunners.
While it was a rainy night, the weather did not match the celebratory mood as the students and faculty of LB accompanied the athletes on a night when the Women’s Basketball team improved to 13-1 (3-0 conference) and the Men’s basketball team fell to 7-9 (2-1 conference).
When interviewed during the championship ceremony, Volleyball Coach Jayme Frazier said that the team’s keys to victory were “resilience and competitiveness, as well as team spirit.” Frazier also said she hopes to bring home a third consecutive conference title next year with six returning starters for the Beaks.
Zaley Bennet, meanwhile, said that she believed that “having fun” was a major part of the team’s ability to succeed and take home the title.
On a night when the campus community came together to celebrate the hard work and victories of their classmates, it was easy for the crowd to cheer. With the triumphs of the season in hand and a banner to beam at, the players, coaches, and students only have more success to look forward to in the future.
