Linn-Benton Faces Tough Competition in Quest for 4th Straight NWAC Volleyball Title

LAKEWOOD, Wash. - The 2024 NWAC Volleyball Championship Elite Eight begins on Friday at Pierce College with four quarterfinal matches. Of the the eight teams who qualifed for the Elite Eight, six were here last year including three-time defending champions Linn-Benton.

The Roadrunners are currently riding an NWAC record 87-match winning streak that dates back to early in the 2022 season. Since then, they have dominated NWAC competition by adding to their trophy case with titles in 2022 and 2023 and look poised for their fourth NWAC title in a row in 2024. If the Roadrunners do hoist the trophy once again on Sunday, they will tie Blue Mountain's record of four straight from 2012-15.

"I was coaching in the NWAC when Dave (Baty) and his teams won all of those championships," said head coach Jayme Frazier. "It certainly was an incredible run! While I had hoped to have some of that success, not sure I envisioned being so fortunate as to win three in a row. Coaching brings with it a fair amount of uncontrollable events throughout the year so to get all the way to the championship tournament is pretty special for everyone."

The Roadrunners have been more than fortunate on their current winning streak. They have been outright dominant. They have won their last 27 matches by 3-0 sweeps, winning 81-straight sets to nearly match their overall winning streak. Linn-Benton hasn't dropped a set since Aug. 29 against Columbia Basin when the Hawks took two off LBCC in a preseason tournament. However, while records and winning streaks sound nice, the Roadrunners have stayed focused on the end goal.

"At the beginning of this season, we took a moment to acknowledge the current record and what previous LB players had contributed in order to get to this place," said Frazier. "They discussed wanting to continue a culture of excellence and all that it entails and understood it was about them executing the details rather than focusing on any particular outcome. I know they are proud to be a part of this LB history but honestly - we don't talk about (the records) as a group."

In the community college world where players are coming in and out each year, it takes a special committment to continue a run like the Roadrunners are on now.

"The student-athletes are committed to the culture, tend to be gritty, willing to do the boring consistently, intentional, and they play for one another. A good sense of humor as a group seems to go a long way," said Frazier.

With an NWAC record and counting, the Roadrunners' winning streak is also among one of the best in all of collegiate volleyball all-time. The longest NCAA winning streak is 109 wins in a row by Penn State, who won four-straight D1 titles from 2007-10 and is one of most famous collegiate winning streaks. The NAIA record is 102 by Columbia (1998-2002) and the second longest NCAA winning streak for many years was Concordia St. Paul who won 75 in a row. That was overtaken this year, however, as NCAA Division III's Juniata Eagles have a current active winning streak of 91-straight matches. That would put LBCC's winning streak fourth all-time in collegiate volleyball history. Winning streaks in the NJCAA and CCAAA could not be found.

"I am grateful to be able to share this with these teams as I know these collegiate volleyball experiences last a lifetime," said Frazier. "With that said, I remember watching Penn State win several of those final matches in their long streak and how every team wanted to take them down. So at this moment, I am singularly focused on the next step, keeping my team moving forward in the same direction and hopeful we stay healthy in the process."

This year's Elite Eight poses a strong challenge to LBCC's quest for four in a row. The Roadrunners will be tested right out of the gate as they face Bellevue, a perennial contender who finished third as recently as 2022. The Bulldogs, who are led by head coach Jocelyn Lawrence, finished second in the North region and enter the tournament with an impressive 26-8 overall record. The Bulldogs finished second in 2017, but are still looking for their first NWAC title.

Highline poses one of the toughest threats to Linn-Benton's title defense as the Thunderbirds have the second best record at 30-2, winning the West Region with a 12-0 record. Led by Chris Littleman, the Thunderbirds nearly upset LBCC in the semifinals in 2023, taking them to five sets where they were narrowly defeated in one of best matches of the season. The Thunderbirds will lean on a strong sophomore class that will be hungry for the title.

Highline takes on Yakima Valley in the quarterfinals. The Yaks finished third in the East region but are a dangerous team. Last year, the Yaks surprised a few teams and finished third overall. This year, they come into the tournament hot again as they won the North Regional, upsetting region champions Skagit Valley. Led by head coach Darci Dekker, the Yaks look to make even more noise in 2024.

On the other side of the bracket, North Region Champions Skagit Valley have a dynamic squad that went undefeated in an always tough North Region. Impressively, the North Region had three teams qualify for the Elite 8. The Cardinals, with head coach Joe Amaral at the helm, are making their fourth-straight trip to the Elite 8 since the NWAC changed formats. With a 30-4 overall record and one of just two teams to beat Highline, the Cardinals will be a tough matchup for anyone.

Skagit Valley takes on up and coming Treasure Valley, who are making just their sixth NWAC Championships appearance and first time in the Elite Eight bracket. The Chukars did finish in the top-8 once in 2019 prior to implementation of the regional round. The Chukars are one of three East Region teams to win the regional round, joining Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin. Treasure Valley took down Highline to win the regional, giving the Thunderbirds just their second loss of the season. Led by head coach Rylie Engelson, the Chukars will be looking for their first NWAC title. 

In the final Elite Eight matchup, Edmonds takes on Columbia Basin. A battle between the North and East, with both regions entering three teams in the quarterfinals, the finale of the round should be a good one. Edmonds enters with a 20-18 record, but are battled tested after getting through the regional round with wins over Centralia and Wenatchee Valley.

They will take on the East Region Champions in Columbia Basin, who finished as runner-ups in 2022. The Hawks are the only team to take two sets off of Linn-Benton this year and are in fact, the last team to defeat LBCC back on Sep. 18, 2022 with a sweep. The Hawks, led by head coach Taylor Stewart, may pose one of the toughest challenges for any opponent with a 26-4 record.

Of the eight teams left, the Hawks are the last team to win an NWAC volleyball title apart from Linn-Benton. CBC last won in 1999. Highline has won the most titles with five, but not since 1990 when they won their fifth in eight years. Edmonds won one title in 1978. Bellevue, Skagit Valley, Treasure Valley and Yakima Valley are all looking for their first titles. 

All the action for the Elite Eight will be streamed live on the NWAC Sports Network and broadcasted by Bates Technical College.

Tickets for the tournament can be found here: https://vivenu.com/seller/northwest-athletic-conference-m1cb

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