LONGVIEW, Wash. — Lower Columbia (12-5, 6-1) defeated Highline (18-3, 5-2) 3-0 Wednesday, taking the sets 25-23, 25-19, 26-24. LCC finished with 40 kills and a .232 hitting percentage while adding 16 service aces, surpassing its season average of 7.92, compared with 30 kills, a .137 percentage and eight aces for Highline.
The Red Devils rallied late in the first set, turning a 21-18 deficit into a 25-23 win behind kills from Karissa Otterstetter, Anika Plowman and Chesney Schultz before a Highline attack error ended the set. Earlier, LCC recovered from a 2-1 hole to move ahead 6-3, with Otterstetter contributing a block and a service ace during the opening stretch. Highline later pushed in front 18-14, but the Red Devils answered after a timeout with a three-point response that included a Schultz kill from Otterstetter. After Highline led 21-18, Otterstetter delivered back-to-back kills, Plowman put LCC ahead 22-21, and Schultz added another kill as the Red Devils reached set point at 24-22. Highline got one point back, but LCC closed the set 25-23.
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The Red Devils flipped the second set from a 15-13 deficit into a 19-15 lead, starting with a Kendall Humphrey kill from Otterstetter and continuing through five straight Humphrey service aces. Earlier, Highline used three consecutive service aces to build a 5-2 edge, but LCC answered with two Highline attack errors and a Schultz ace to tie the set at 5-5. Otterstetter continued to connect the offense through the set, assisting kills by Humphrey, Plowman, Ashlin Lockman, Schultz and Lauretta Vasi-Tauki'uvea. After Highline moved back within 21-19, the Red Devils won the final four points, with Lockman putting down a kill, Vasi-Tauki'uvea contributing a block and then finishing the set with a kill for a 25-19 win.
LCC erased a 20-15 deficit and fought off set point at 24-23 before coming through late in the third set. Earlier, the Red Devils leaned on their serve to build an 8-4 lead, with Humphrey, Schultz and Otterstetter combining for five aces, but Highline came back to move in front and later reached 20-15. A Highline service error opened the comeback, Humphrey followed with consecutive kills, Paityn Shove added an ace and a Highline attack error tied the set at 20-20. After Highline moved ahead at 21-20, 22-21, 23-22 and 24-23, the Red Devils answered with kills by Lockman, Humphrey, Otterstetter and Schultz, respectively, before Anika Plowman's kill from Otterstetter and Schultz's ace closed the 26-24 set win.
Humphrey led LCC with 12 kills, six service aces and 18 points while hitting .333. Humphrey has recorded at least 12 kills in two consecutive matches, and her six service aces were a career high. Otterstetter finished with 28 assists and five aces, adding six digs and two blocks. Otterstetter's five service aces were a season high, and she has surpassed 250 points for the season, totaling 255, including 10 in the match. Schultz added seven kills, four aces and five digs. Kamryn Sande collected a team-high 11 digs and added four assists. Sande reached 200 digs for the season and finished with 201. Vasi-Tauki'uvea reached a career milestone of 25 total blocks, including three in the match.
The Red Devils are 12-5 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Highline is 18-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
Up next, the Red Devils travel to Tacoma, Washington, to face Tacoma CC on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m.
