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  • Twice Around Downtown Photo Gallery

    Twice Around Downtown Photo Gallery

    Some scenes from Sunday night’s Twice Around Downtown Parade which takes place annually on the first Sunday in December in downtown Albany. The rain didn’t stop the crowds from coming out to enjoy this beloved tradition. After the parade, the onlookers gathered in the parking lot of Two Rivers Market to watch the tree lighting.

    If you’re looking for more holiday fun in and around Albany, be sure to visit Christmas Storybook Land at the Linn County fairgrounds (https://christmasstorybookland.org/) through December 16.  And head over to the Benton County fairgrounds in Corvallis for the final run of the Pastega Christmas Lights display (https://www.pastegachristmasdisplay.com/) through December 31.

  • Wellness Wednesday: Welcoming Back The Light

    Wellness Wednesday: Welcoming Back The Light

    We’re almost halfway through the dark days. 
    Let us rejoice, as we stumble through the grey and rainy times.

    Humans have been marking solstices for untold eons, noting the rhythms of the days, years and the skies.  Human 8.1 version is less in tune, distracted as we are by 24/7 light and food and other disruptors to these physical cycles.

    There is much we can learn by observing the natural world as it shifts and returns, again and again, from rest to awakening, dark to light.  Today the daffodil fronds are three inches high; the trees are greening not with leaves but with their fuzzy grey-green to lime blankets of lichens and moss.  It takes more determination for us 9-5 working people to see the changes outside, with the dull sun falling to a dim slant around four.

    Although it heralds coming light, Solstice is about the dark, about being in its embrace for a while to see what is growing there.  It’s time to investigate Shadow, the resisted or unclaimed aspects of self that can cause us and others trouble when we deny them or refuse to manage them.  It’s time to prepare for new beginnings, for the shedding of skins we’ve outgrown so we can move with grace and expansiveness when the time is right.

    To do this:  we become more still for a while, contemplating our history and our present before wriggling out of the old fit. An eye toward our history helps ensure we aren’t leaving anything too useful behind.  That’s often what’s parading around as Shadow material. Which aspect is outdated, ready to shelve? The too-sweet persona with occasional rages? Maybe we want to learn to say no, clearly and firmly, when we need to such that our trampled toes way down there under our saintly faces can get a break and not have to wait for us to lose it.  The perfectionist who constantly feels Not Enough?  Maybe we  need to learn to accept being human, imperfect, and needing rest. Likely, it’s not amputation, but integration that’s needed.

     https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gz1gGX4h5E/VJfd664_nkI/AAAAAAAADeM/hzY5xJMDLg4/s1600/DSCN3676.JPG

    Our Shadows get short shrift.  We use its “dirty little projector”, as Jung said, to get in a huff about others’ behaviors.  Often those huffs are a sign we wish we had more of those very ones, or are afraid we’re really like that ourselves.   Shadow says:  there is something in me, in you, that you are neglecting.  It may be that anger you are so reluctant to release that you wait till it boils out without your permission. It may be that muse you keep locked in the attic, starving, because somebody told you “that’s silly, art and poetry, a waste of time, and get a real job, why doncha?”
    Homework:  Take some time before Year’s Day to inventory what you want to leave behind in 2023 and what you want to nurture in 2024.  Plant some seeds.  No, really. Get some Dixie cups and a few bulbs or beans or whatever and label them with your intention. See if you can manifest some growth.  And if not in the cups, maybe in your own tick tick ticking away life.

    January’s just around the corner and we have work to do.   This is the training camp.  Get in the game. “People get ready, there’s a train a’comin.  Don’t need no ticket, you just get on board.”

    See you on the brighter side,
    Jana

    Image by storyset on Freepik

  • This Week in LBCC Athletics: Beaks Basketball Goes a Combined 5-1; Volleyball Team Honored

    This Week in LBCC Athletics: Beaks Basketball Goes a Combined 5-1; Volleyball Team Honored

    Linn-Benton’s basketball teams hit the ground running after Thanksgiving break, playing in six games total last week between their women’s and men’s teams. 

    The women won all three of their games last week, extending their season-opening winning streak to five. The results included victories over the University of Oregon club team, Yakima Valley, and Blue Mountain. 

    On November 28, the Beaks defeated the Ducks’ club team 60-50 in front of a home crowd. They were led by sophomore Cienna Hartle’s 12 points, five assists, and one rebound.    

    On December 1, the women’s team took on Yakima Valley on the first day of the Roadrunner Classic. LBCC won 66-64, with sophomore Hallie Romig securing the win with two late free throws. Freshman Katelynn Weaver led the team in points, scoring 14 along with her eight rebounds. 

    On the second day of the classic, LBCC secured their fifth win of the season, defeating Blue Mountain 58-43. Sophomore Muriel Jones-Hoisington led the team in points this time around, scoring 17. 

    After the game, the all-tournament team for the Roadrunner Classic was announced, with Weaver earning one of the spots. Against Blue Mountain, she recorded 13 points and five rebounds, scoring a total of 27 points and 13 rebounds over the weekend. 

    The women’s basketball team will next take the court against Green River on December 8. The game will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Community College Pre-Season event. The Beaks will also face Tacoma at the same location the next day at 4 p.m. 

    The men’s team went 2-1 over the past week, securing wins over Corban Gold and Blue Mountain, but falling to Treasure Valley. 

    On November 28, the Beaks took on the Corban Gold team, winning big with a final score of 106-67. Sophomore TJ Zimmermann led the Beaks with 17 points before leaving the game midway though the second half so reserve players could get playing time. 

    Zimmermann again led his team in points with 23 as LBCC defeated Blue Mountain on December 1. However, LBCC dropped their last game of the weekend to Treasure Valley, 75-60. In the game, sophomore Davion Burdette led the Beaks with 19 points. 

    With their two wins and a loss last week, the LBCC men’s basketball team now sits at 3-2 on the season. They’ll travel to the Columbia Basin Invitational this weekend to play two games. The first will be against Columbia Basin at 7 p.m. on December 8, while the second will be the next day at 4 p.m. against Spokane. 

    Both Linn-Benton basketball teams enter this weekend’s slate of games with winning records. 

    LBCC volleyball’s Boeder, Frazier honored 

    Volleyball season might’ve ended in mid-November, but the awards are still rolling in following the Roadrunners’ undefeated championship season. 

    On November 29, the college hosted a reception to celebrate the team’s season. At the event, LBCC’s Grace Boeder was commended for winning NWAC Athlete of the Year honors. The sophomore middle blocker had already earned the title of NWAC South Volleyball MVP and NWAC Volleyball Tournament MVP this season.

    Roadrunners Head Coach Jayme Frazier was also awarded NWAC Volleyball Coach of the Year honors after leading her team to a perfect season. Frazier had already earned the NWAC South Coach of the Year title. 

    But the awards didn’t stop there, as both Boeder and Frazier were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) at the end of the season. Boeder was named a first-team AVCA All-American for two-year colleges, one of 15 players selected, while Frazier was named one of two AVCA West Region Coaches of the Year for two-year colleges. Both AVCA awards considered two-year schools nationwide. 

    The LBCC volleyball program has won a number of awards ever since their championship victory on November 19.

  • Civil Discourse – Should Personal Electronic Devices Be Banned in High School Classrooms?

    Civil Discourse – Should Personal Electronic Devices Be Banned in High School Classrooms?

    Personal Electronic Devices Should Not be Banned in High School Classrooms

    Authors: Zion Okano, Clayton Lynch, and The Civil Discourse Program

    Personal electronic devices are an integral part of our daily lives. They are also valuable tools. High school students, often on the cutting edge of technology adoption, want to bring their smartphones, tablets, and laptops into the classroom. Concerns about distractions and learning have led some to advocate for banning these devices. We think this is the wrong action to take. 

    Most arguments for banning personal electronic devices in school are usually justified by saying they are distracting. But is it really a distraction if the student wouldn’t be listening anyway? If someone is so uninterested in a class that they are on their phone, removing the device isn’t going to improve the situation, they’ll find some other distraction or maybe just not show up. The problem in this case isn’t the phone but the education. Students won’t be distracted by their phones or electronic devices if the classroom experience is engaging and something they view as valuable. So if the problem is distracted students, the more useful solution would be for schools and teachers to properly educate rather than take away something that is common and essential in the modern world.

    Additionally, emergency contacts are extremely important for children to have. This is something they cannot have without a personal electronic device. What if there is a school shooting or other emergency that traps students in their classroom? Is it really in the best interest of the students to create a situation where they are unable to communicate with the outside world if they’re in trouble? Obviously not. When there was a stabbing at Zion’s high school, he felt much safer and more calm with the ability to contact his parents and friends and receive the information that everyone he knew was okay. Everyone should always have some form of communication on them for emergencies, especially minors.

    Finally, electronic devices can often be useful learning tools. With the ever-expanding umbrella of technology, digital literacy has become a crucial skill for students to develop. The implementation of personal electronic devices in the classroom allows teachers to guide and teach their students how to become digitally literate. In our Argument & Critical Discourse class, our teacher regularly had us use our phones and laptops to research arguments and create our debate briefs. This prepared us for the real world because they are the devices we are going to use for consuming and critically analyzing the information we find online. By allowing us to use our personal electronic devices, our instructor created an experience that we can refer to when working on future projects in our professional careers and civic lives.

    While concerns about distractions in the classroom are valid, banning personal electronic devices is not a practical solution. Instead, educators can work towards creating more engaging classroom experiences and developing a culture of responsibility. Teaching students to use their devices effectively can empower them to manage their distractions without depriving them of valuable tools.

    Personal Electronic Devices Should be Banned in High School Classrooms

    Authors: Abby Sutton, Eagle Hunt, and The Civil Discourse Program

    Personal electronic devices are part of everyday life, but their place in the classroom remains controversial. While devices can offer numerous educational benefits, they also present significant drawbacks. The presence of personal electronics in the classroom can lead to increased distractions, less self-discipline, and screen addiction. This is why they should not be allowed in high school classrooms.

    It’s obvious that electronics, like smartphones, cause people to be distracted. For some students, phones make it nearly impossible to pay attention in class. It is even worse for students who already have problems with concentration. For example, while Abby was in high school, she was regularly on her phone using social media or texting people.  Looking back, she didn’t get much out of class. Although she’s gotten better, this behavior has followed her into college. Abby is improving but is still trying to break the bad habit she developed in high school. If personal electronic devices had been forbidden in her high school classrooms, then this would likely not be a major challenge during her college years.

    While there are merits to integrating technology in the classroom to enhance learning, allowing students to have access to personal electronic devices while in school has a high chance of disrupting other’s learning. A study at Carnegie Mellon University found that classrooms that allowed students to have smartphones in class hurt performance by 27% compared to classrooms where smartphones were banned. In Eagle’s experience, this is because the negative behaviors of one’s classmates can make it substantially harder to focus on schoolwork. Eagle vividly recalls class periods when students on Snapchat and TikTok caused distractions and shifted his attention away from the academic task at hand. This happened far too often.

    Allowing personal electronics in classrooms also undermines students’ self-discipline and fuels screen addiction. Instant gratification from quick access to entertainment and information weakens patience and attention span. Students become conditioned to constantly check their phones for a reassuring dopamine rush, even in a classroom where they are supposed to dedicate their attention to learning. Allowing personal electronics in the classroom not only disrupts learning but also impedes the crucial development of self-discipline, nurturing a cycle of addictive screen dependency among students.  The US Surgeon General has commented on the negative mental health effects that social media can have on young people.  Banning personal electronic devices in the classroom would provide healthy boundaries that contribute to high schoolers’ well-being and help them develop healthy lifestyle habits.

    In conclusion, personal electronics often interfere with learning and disrupt the learning environment for others. The unrestricted use of personal electronics can weaken students’ self-discipline as they submit to the temptation of using their devices. This causes distraction, screen addiction, and harm to mental health. For these reasons, high schools should ban personal electronics in the classroom.

    Image by macrovector on Freepik

  • “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” a Great Predecessor to a Great Series

    “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” a Great Predecessor to a Great Series

    “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a worthwhile prequel to the “Hunger Games” series of movies. It stays on par with the other four movies and adds depth to the main villain of the series.

    Based on the book of the same name by Susanne Collins, the movie follows an 18 year old Coriolanus Snow many decades before the original series as he mentors Lucy Gray Baird through the tenth annual Hunger Games. He must contend with the other mentors, tributes, and even himself to come out on top.

    As it is a prequel none of the characters except for a select few from the original series show up in the movie, but even without them it creates a great cast of interesting characters. The games are also, somehow, even more depraved than in the original movies, this is because they aren’t spectacles to be seen by the public yet. This means that many of the hallmarks of the Hunger Games like the Victory Tour aren’t present, but just like the characters there are interesting alternatives.

    All the performances are very good. Tom Blyth plays Snow exceptionally well because he is great at hiding his intentions, it also helps that we don’t hear his inner monologue unlike in the book. Rachel Zegler is also very good as Lucy Gray Baird. She portrays the emotions that Lucy is going through as a tribute just as well Jennifer Lawrence did for Katniss. Jason Schwartzman is also quite funny as Lucky Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games.

    The movie definitely lives up to the word “ballad” throughout its 158 minute run time with the many original songs present in the movie. Rachel Zegler gives amazing performances sung live on set for each and every one of them.

    “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a worthy predecessor to the story of the original series and adds amazing depth to an already fleshed out character in Coriolanus Snow. Definitely an easy recommendation, especially for fans of the series who haven’t already read the book. 


    Directed by Francis Lawrence

    Starring: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage

    Rated PG-13
    My Rating: ★★★★

  • LBCC Volleyball – Grace Boeder, Coach Jayme Frazier Receive AVCA Honors

    LBCC Volleyball – Grace Boeder, Coach Jayme Frazier Receive AVCA Honors

    The season may be over, but the awards keep coming for the LBCC volleyball program. 

    This week, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their awards for the 2023 season. Among the names honored were LBCC’s Grace Boeder and Head Coach Jayme Frazier. 

    Boeder was named a first-team AVCA All-American for two-year colleges, one of 15 nationwide. This is far from Boeder’s first award this season, as the sophomore middle blocker was also named NWAC Volleyball Player of the Year, NWAC South Volleyball MVP, and NWAC Volleyball Tournament MVP this season. Boeder finished the season with 101 total blocks and 282 kills as she led her team to an undefeated season and an NWAC Championship this year. 

    LBCC volleyball Head Coach Jayme Frazier was also honored by the AVCA. The association named her as one of the two West Region Coaches of the Year

    “Frazier’s name has been synonymous with success since she took over the Linn-Benton volleyball program in 1993,” the AVCA wrote regarding Frazier. “The Roadrunners closed a particularly impressive year, in which they were unbeaten in 36 matches. Over the past three seasons, her teams have gone 100-3 and won three NWAC titles.”

    Frazier is one of eight two-year college volleyball coaches nationwide honored by the AVCA this season. Like Boeder, Frazier’s AVCA honor is not the only award she’s earned this year, as she was named the NWAC Volleyball Coach of the Year and the NWAC South Volleyball Coach of the Year for the season as well. Frazier’s Roadrunners won a championship and went 36-0 in 2023, with Frazier eclipsing 700 career wins as a head coach in the process.

  • LBCC Men’s Basketball — Smith, Zimmermann Lead Beaks Past Corban

    LBCC Men’s Basketball — Smith, Zimmermann Lead Beaks Past Corban

    Albany, OR – The Linn-Benton men’s basketball team defeated the Corban University Gold team on Tuesday, November 28 by a score of 106-67 at the Linn-Benton Activities Center.

    With the Roadrunners improving their record to 2-1, the Warriors fell to 0-1 with a loss in their opening game of the season.

    The Beaks had the lead from start to finish, scoring on their opening possession – just 15 seconds into the game. This, when LB’s Cade Smith knocked down a three-point shot. The Warriors would not score until almost four minutes had elapsed as Brodin Tuning scored with a two-point jump shot.

    At that point, the Warriors already trailed 9-2; the Beaks would further expand their lead to 16-2 thanks to two more layups from Smith. Smith, a freshman, is quickly turning into one of the Roadrunners’ most reliable scorers, and the 6-foot-4 Tigard product is averaging 14.0 points per game in the young season. 

    The Warriors were unable to stop Linn-Benton from seemingly scoring at-will in the first half, as the Roadrunners were able to rack up 55 points on 18-32 shooting, which was bolstered by 14-17 free throw shooting. This compares favorably to the Warriors’ 8-31 performance from the field in the first half.

    Smith scored 11 of LB’s first 20 points, and finished adding to his tally when the Roadrunners found themselves with a 73-30 advantage with 15:11 to play in the game. His performance was augmented by the scoring of TJ Zimmermann, who logged 17 points in first half play on 5-8 shooting from the field with six rebounds and 6-7 shooting from the three-point line. 

    Shortly after Smith’s buckets, with 14:45 remaining in the second half, Zimmermann, Smith and Tre Cannon would leave the game for good with the final outcome already decided.

    It was after this that the Warriors were able to slow down the Beaks’ scoring, as the final margin of 39 points was little different from the 43-point advantage enjoyed by the Roadrunners when the trio left the game.

    The Warriors would go on to score 45 points in the second half of the contest, more than double their 22 points in the first, thanks to Brady Rassmussen’s nine points and Adrien Barba’s identical nine-point contribution. 

    For the game, the Beaks’ leading scorer was Zimmermann with 24 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, while Smith threw in 19 points and 12 rebounds. Reserve player Davion Burdette logged a season-high 14 points to go along with three rebounds. 

    Overall, the Roadrunners shot 39-70, a scorching 55.7%, while the Warriors finished 24-63, or 38.1%. Perhaps most striking of all was the rebound differential, which saw LB collect 48 rebounds to the Warriors’ 27. Turnovers were similar for the two teams, as the Roadrunners had 11 and Corban had 14. 

    LB will look to build upon this performance as they gear up for conference play, which begins at Blue Mountain Community College on Friday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m.

  • LBCC Volleyball – Beaks Honored for Championship Season at Volleyball Celebration

    LBCC Volleyball – Beaks Honored for Championship Season at Volleyball Celebration

    On Wednesday, Nov. 29, LBCC hosted a reception to commemorate the Roadrunner volleyball team’s NWAC Championship season.

    The event was held in the Activities Center at Linn-Benton Community College. Coaches and LBCC staff came together and celebrated the accomplishments of the team’s season along with the athletes and their families. 

    Athletic Director Mark Majeski welcomed the crowd and congratulated the team on their undefeated season before introducing LBCC President Lisa Avery. 

    Dr. Avery expressed her pride in the program and its student athletes, emphasizing their commitment to their sport and their schooling. She shared that the team has maintained an average GPA of 3.32 over the past two seasons, and gave praise to head coach Jayme Frazier for her commitment to the athletes.

    Boeder vs. Rogue earlier this season. Photo credit: Sarah Rose Larson.

    Majeski then detailed the team’s dominant run over the past three years and the statistics that have come with it. The Beaks have been undefeated since Sept. 18, 2022, making this year’s five sophomore players 70-1 in their time with the team. 

    Coach Frazier then spoke about her experience this season and what made her team special. She gave thanks and praise to assistant coaches Ally Schmidt and Miah Smith for their help and commitment to the team’s success. 

    Frazier also commended each athlete for their hard work in school along with volleyball. A special ovation was given to sophomore Grace Boeder, who earned NWAC Athlete of the Year honors for her outstanding performance and leadership throughout the season. 

    “When you think about a three-peat you think about all the student athletes that were involved in that… It makes me reflect on each of their contributions to it,” said Coach Frazier about her third straight NWAC title.  

    Finally, Frazier also spoke on what is next for her and the team. “For me, it’s why I stay here: every year is a challenge,” she said. “Now, it’s the challenge of ‘can we do something different?’ We’re going to be playing outside of the NWAC this next year… We’re going to take on some good competition and see how we do.”

    The 2023 NWAC Volleyball Championship banner will be hung up in the LBCC gym on Jan. 24, 2024.   

  • LBCC Basketball – Roadrunner Women Defeat Lady Ducks Basketball Club

    LBCC Basketball – Roadrunner Women Defeat Lady Ducks Basketball Club

    Albany, OR – The Linn-Benton women’s basketball team defeated the University of Oregon Club 60-50 in Albany on Tuesday, November 28 at Linn-Benton’s Activities Center.

    In a game that was tightly contested in the first quarter and then saw the Roadrunners hold the Ducks to only one point in the second, it was the third consecutive win for the Beaks. They have started the season 3-0 and are set to begin conference play on December 1 against Yakima Valley.

    While the Ducks managed to get on the board first with a free throw from C. Marquez, it was the Roadrunners who had the lead at the end of the first quarter, 23-22. 

    The Beaks first made their way onto the scoreboard with a three-point shot from Brooklynn Walters to take the lead 3-1, but Oregon responded with a three of their own. The Roadrunners’ Muriel Jones-Hoisington shot right back with another three, and after this the teams began to trade shots. 

    Trailing 11-6, LB took a timeout and capitalized immediately with consecutive free throws through the net from Katelynn Weaver to bring the score to 11-8. Their run did not stop there, and was only the beginning of a 9-2 run that saw LB take a 15-13 lead. The Ducks put forward a 9-2 run of their own with another two makes from Marquez.

    Trailing 22-17 with 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter, LB’s Hallie Romig made a two-point jump shot while Molly Goeckner and Cienna Hartle each added two points as well, with Hartle’s beating the buzzer.

    Holding a slim lead entering the second quarter, the Beaks conducted a defensive clinic, holding the Ducks to 0-7 shooting from the field and 1-2 shooting from the free throw line. The Ducks only managed to score 1 point in the second quarter, while the Roadrunners scored 11 on 5-11 shooting from the field. 

    At the half, Linn-Benton led 33-23, with Molly Goeckner as the Roadrunners’ leading scorer with eight points and five rebounds. 

    The Beaks would then suffer a mild case of shooting woes in the third quarter, going 4-15 and scoring nine points, while the Ducks went 6-16 for 14 points in the quarter. 

    The fourth was a test for the Roadrunners, who seemed to pass solidly. With the Beaks holding a 42-37 lead, the Ducks immediately cut into it with a jump shot from Marquez and another from Perring. LB did not back down from the challenge, however, and with their lead chopped down to one point to bring the score to 42-41 with 9:16 left in the contest, both teams were drawn into a defensive battle.

    It was not until almost two full minutes later that either team would score again, featuring four combined turnovers. Finally, Hartle broke the stalemate with a three-pointer, expanding the Roadrunner advantage to 45-41. Hartle would put another ball through the net from the three-point line about a minute later, and from this deficit, the Ducks could not escape.

    Goeckner added another two points, and with the Beaks leading 50-41, the Ducks never managed to cut the lead to below seven for the rest of the game.

    Weaver’s jump shot and free throw, with 1:33 and 1:30 remaining respectively, were LB’s last points of the game, though a three-point shot from the Ducks finalized the margin of victory at 10 points in favor of the Roadrunners.

    For the game, Hartle was the team’s leading scorer with 12 points, one rebound, five assists and one block. Her timely three-point shots may have been the difference in the game, and ensured that the Ducks were never able to take the lead away from the Beaks. Goeckner had 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one steal while Weaver put 10 points on the board to go along with six rebounds, two assists and one steal. 

    It was a strong performance from the freshman, and the Roadrunners will certainly hope that they can emulate their second quarter defensive performance in future games. 

    The Roadrunners will next play on Friday, December 1 against Yakima Valley at the Activities Center on the Linn-Benton Community College campus at 7:00 p.m.

  • ‘It Feels so Surreal’: Wrapping Up LBCC Volleyball’s Perfect Season

    ‘It Feels so Surreal’: Wrapping Up LBCC Volleyball’s Perfect Season

    “Amazing, unbelievable. I’m speechless.” 

    That’s how LBCC’s Volleyball Head Coach Jayme Frazier described her team’s perfect season after the Roadrunners became champions of the Northwest Athletic Conference for the third consecutive year. 

    A brilliant performance capped off the team’s season in the Elite Eight tournament in Lakewood, Washington Nov. 17-19. The Roadrunners’ championship season was fantastic in many ways, the most impressive being their 36-0 record. In 36 games, the team lost only 15 sets, winning the other 108. 25 of their 36 wins were 3-0 sweeps. 

    Four LBCC freshmen were selected for the NWAC’s all-region awards ahead of the Elite Eight. Outside hitters Brooklyn Willard and Maddy Hellem earned first team honors. Libero Kinsey Brelage earned second team honors along with setter Meah Carley earning third team honors. Sophomore middle blocker Grace Boeder was named the NWAC South’s MVP. 

    The Roadrunners entered the tournament as the favorites, sitting atop the South Region with a perfect 33-0 record. On Friday, Nov. 17, the team came in hot and ran through Skagit Valley 3-0. In the Final Four on day two, LBCC played Highline College, who proved to be a tough opponent. Linn-Benton eventually prevailed, winning 3-2 in what was only the fourth time the Roadrunners went five sets all year. 

    “We practice those types of things so that we get to this very moment and it’s nothing new. We talk about poise under pressure and keeping our composure,” Frazier said after the close victory against Highline. “Point by point, set by set, match by match, making sure our attitude and our effort are at one hundred percent, that’s what got us this far.” 

    On Sunday, Nov. 19, the team arrived for their matchup against North Idaho College for the championship. Before the match, freshman setter Meah Carley said, “It’s going to be a battle, they’re a great team. I’m excited.”  

    The first set proved an immediate challenge, with North Idaho taking the back-and-forth matchup to go up 1-0. After the brief reset, the Roadrunners came out in the second set in their usual dominant form, winning it 25-16. The momentum stayed in favor of LB as they took set three 25-19 before capping it off with a 25-12 victory in the fourth set to win the title.

    Boeder was awarded the Elite Eight tournament MVP after the win. After the trophy ceremony, Boeder said, “It feels so surreal. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities and just getting to play with this amazing team.”

    Frazier earned the South Region’s Coach of the Year award. This marks Coach Frazier’s third straight NWAC title and first undefeated season, now with a 102-3 overall record in the past three years.  

    Frazier explained what set this group apart from the competition this season: “They just bought into what we were selling. … They really stuck to the one point, one set, one match, one mission. I know other teams were solid but they were just consistent the entire year.” 

    Roadrunners fans can celebrate the volleyball season with the LBCC team and coaches at the upcoming Volleyball Celebration. The event will be held on Nov. 29 at noon in the lobby of the Activities Center on LBCC’s Albany campus.