With a new school year underway, a new challenge approaches one of Linn-Benton’s premier athletic programs. In the 2024 season, LBCC volleyball will begin its quest to win a fourth consecutive NWAC Championship.
Last season couldn’t have gone much better for the Roadrunners. The team achieved a remarkable three-peat of NWAC Championships and capped off an undefeated 36-0 season with a four-set win over North Idaho College for the conference title.
Linn-Benton’s third successive volleyball championship made them just the fifth school in NWAC history to win three in a row. The Roadrunners also became only the third squad in the past 20 years to win the NWAC title without a single loss.
The team now sets their sights on the new season, looking to make even more history. If Linn-Benton wins their fourth straight championship, they will become just the second school in NWAC history to do so, following in the footsteps of Blue Mountain Community College (2012-15).
The statistics are in favor of the Roadrunners repeating once more. Linn-Benton entered the season on a conference-best 55-match unbeaten run and has not lost a league match since the 2020 season. A preseason poll among NWAC coaches ranked the Roadrunners as the best team heading into the season, with 17 out of 18 coaches having Linn-Benton listed first in their rankings.
Despite the hype entering the season, the team will still have to work around many departures from last season’s roster. Linn-Benton lost five sophomores who had been on the roster for the team’s 2022 and 2023 championship runs, including Grace Boeder, the reigning NWAC Athlete of the Year. With two members of last year’s freshmen class also not returning, the Roadrunners will only retain seven members of last year’s team.
The players returning to the team for a second season are setters Avery Hughes and Meah Carley, outside hitters Brooklyn Willard and Maddy Hellem, opposite hitter Rowan Reilly, middle blocker Grace Luttrell, and libero Kinsey Brelage.
The number of players rejoining the team may seem small, but their impact will be quite the opposite. Hellem and Luttrell were recently named to the 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Two-Year College Players to Watch List. The pair of players will look to lead the way for the Roadrunners as the squad welcomes in nine incoming freshmen.
However, leadership hasn’t been a problem for the Linn-Benton volleyball program in a long time. This season marks head coach Jayme Frazier’s 31st in charge of the Roadrunners.
Frazier is the three-time reigning NWAC Coach of the Year and has led the program to the postseason in 19 consecutive seasons.
“We just focus on effort, work ethic, and supporting one another. No matter if you’re on the bench or on the court as a starter. I believe that the players understand that when they come in, there’s a culture of support and trust,” said Frazier. “Everybody contributes. I’m hopeful that even players off the court on game day know we’re only as strong as all 15 of us.”
Frazier, who is already a Linn-Benton icon, is establishing herself as a coaching icon for volleyball. Last season, Frazier earned her 700th career coaching win for the Roadrunners. Upon achievement of the impressive feat, LBCC Athletic Director Mark Majeski praised Frazier as “among the coaching elite in any sport at any level.” Despite the milestone, Frazier remains focused on ensuring the 2024 season can be as good as the last.
“Offensively and defensively, we’re kind of pulling it together quickly. We use all six of our players who are out there; we’re not relying on just one player,” she said. “If someone’s not quite ready, we’re working on it, we’re going right back to practice, and we’re making sure that they’re ready.”
The Roadrunners’ next two home matchups will be against Mt. Hood Community College on Sept. 25 and Southwestern Oregon Community College on Oct. 4. Both will begin at 6 p.m.
