The 2024 NWAC Volleyball Championship came down to the wire in a five-set thriller.
The Skagit Valley Cardinals defeated the Linn-Benton Roadrunners, 19-25, 26-24, 28-26, 20-25, and 15-11, to clinch the school’s first NWAC Volleyball Championship at Pierce College in Lakewood, WA, on Sunday, Nov. 24.
In doing so, the Cardinals ended Linn-Benton’s historic run of 89 straight wins and three consecutive NWAC titles. Skagit also avenged the team’s 2021 championship loss they had suffered at the hands of the Roadrunners just three years prior.
“We played really well, but we just didn’t adjust tonight,” said Linn-Benton head coach Jayme Frazier. “You can’t get to the championship and not adjust and expect to win.”
At the beginning of the match, everything appeared to be business as usual for the Roadrunners. After Skagit jumped out to an early 5-2 advantage, Linn-Benton replied with a 15-5 run to take a 17-10 lead midway through the set. However, the Cardinals showed early signs of resiliency, battling back to within four points at 18-14 and fending off two set points late. Despite the effort, the Roadrunners would claim the first set after a kill from Annabelle Peterson with the score at 24-19.
For much of the second set, there was no telling who would come out on top. The lead changed hands six times, with both squads going on short bursts of points to sway the advantage. When Skagit held a 21-18 lead late, Linn-Benton responded with kills from Grace Luttrell and Maddy Hellem to take a crucial 23-21 lead. Now only two points away from a two-set deficit, Skagit head coach Joe Amaral called timeout to convene with his team.
The break seemed to be just what the Cardinals needed. After the timeout, Skagit took five of the set’s remaining six points to win the second set and shock the Roadrunners.
“[Skagit] just didn’t make a lot of mistakes, they put it where we weren’t and we didn’t respond.” said Frazier
There was almost nothing to separate the teams again in the third set. Through 19 points, the Cardinals held a narrow 10-9 advantage before winning four straight points to lead 14-9. The Roadrunners fought back with five consecutive points to tie the match at 14-14. Eighteen points later, the two sides found themselves tied up again at 23-23 despite the lead changing hands three times. After thwarting two Skagit set points, Linn-Benton gained a set point of their own at 26-25 following a kill by Luttrell.
However, the Cardinals were not to be denied. To the surprise of the Roadrunners, Skagit won three points in a row to take the set with two kills from Tanna Kollen and an ace from Bailey Roggen. The Cardinals now stood just one set away from clinching the championship.
To make matters worse for Linn-Benton, the team was forced to go to the bench after Hellem picked up an injury while trying to save a point. Throughout the year, Hellem had been a key part of the team’s offense, averaging 2.54 kills per set and earning NWAC South All-Region Second Team honors. Now requiring a set to save their season, Coach Frazier turned to freshmen Mia Monaghan and Molly Schotthoefer to fill the gap.
“It was a bit daunting, but this is what we prepared for,” said Schotthoefer. “We prepare as much as we can for any outcome and this was just something that happened.”
With their backs against the wall, Linn-Benton rallied hard to keep themselves in the match. Through 30 points in the fourth set, the Cardinals and the Roadrunners were tied at 15-15, with neither side accumulating more than a four-point lead. Linn-Benton finally pulled ahead at 21-17, following a 6-2 run that included a pair of kills from Brooklyn Willard and Rowan Reilly, plus a kill and an ace by Peterson. After Skagit battled back to be down 20-22, Luttrell put down three consecutive kills to win the set for Linn-Benton.
With the match even through four sets, the Cardinals and the Roadrunners would move on to the decisive fifth set for the championship. This marked the first time all weekend that a match in the championship tournament had gone to a fifth set, making for a suitable ending to an outstanding contest.
“We put in a lot of effort this game, and I think we did everything we could to have that outcome,” said Schotthoefer
The deciding 15-point fifth set was as closely contested as the previous ones. Skagit jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but following a Linn-Benton timeout, the Roadrunners clawed back to down just one point at 7-8. Facing tremendous pressure from Linn-Benton, the Cardinals did not falter, winning four straight points to lead 12-7. A kill by Skagit’s Sarah Cook at 13-10 set up four championship points for the Cardinals. After successfully defending one championship point, a service error from the Roadrunners sealed the championship for the Cardinals.
The championship match had been one of the greatest the NWAC had ever seen. Throughout the season, Linn-Benton and Skagit had been two of the best sides in the entire NWAC. The Roadrunners and the Cardinals finished No. 1 and No. 3 in the final NWAC Coaches’ Poll and were the only teams in the conference to win over 30 matches.
Willard finished with 22 kills for Linn-Benton, while Meah Carley led the team with 32 assists. Kinsey Brelage and Willard recorded 30 digs each, and Luttrell finished with two solo blocks and five block assists. For Skagit, Sarah Cook led the team with 20 kills. Tournament MVP Hayden Claeys contributed a team-high 56 assists, while Emily Miller scored four block assists.
After the match, Luttrell and Willard were named to the NWAC’s All-Tournament First Team, while Brelage was named to the Second Team.
“We have a lot to be proud of,” said Reilly. “We’re a resilient team and going 34-1 is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Despite the result not being what the team had wanted, the Roadrunners still had plenty to celebrate for the 2024 season. The team set an NWAC record for their winning streak and won a fourth consecutive NWAC South Region title. Brelage, Hellem, Luttrell, Reilly, and Willard each earned a spot on one of the NWAC South’s All-Region teams, and Frazier won NWAC South Coach of the Year. Linn-Benton also set a school record for the least amount of sets lost in a season.
With their incredible season, the Roadrunners can be expected to contend for the NWAC title again next year. While the team loses seven sophomores in the offseason, the Roadrunners still house a dedicated coaching staff and a determined group of first-year players who will be motivated to avenge the loss.
“My teammates are my best friends, and we put our whole hearts into the game,” said Reilly. “I’m just so proud of them and our culture that we’ve built here.”
For the next season, Linn-Benton will look to make more history as they try to become the first school since Mt.Hood in 2011 to win the NWAC Championship after losing in the final the year before. The challenge will be difficult, but anything is possible for such a prolific program.
