Volleyball wins first NWAACC title since 2007

It was feast or famine for the Saints volleyball team, as they battled through two grind-out matches with the Walla Walla Warriors Sunday, Nov. 20 to take home the NWAACC Championship title on home court.

The Saints, who dropped a game to the Warriors (25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 24-26, 15-13) the previous day and defeated the Spokane Sasquatch (26-24, 22-25, 15-10) to stay in Championship contention, were out to prove a point going into the final day of competition.

“We wanted them to know they had gotten lucky with that win,” said first team All-Tournament Saints middle blocker Demi Belshe.

“We told ourselves that we would go all out and hit and hit until they stopped us, and they couldn’t stop us.” Match one, which would determine if the Saints would play the Warriors again, saw an aggressive Saints squad who dominated the first set 25-15, forcing Walla Walla to commit 25 attack errors to the Saint’s 12 errors. Still, the Warriors played to their namesake in set two, out to prove a point.

The back and forth test of wills, which displayed the Warriors’ athletic ability, resulted in a close 25-20 Saints victory. But, it was set three that stood apart as one of the most tension-filled sets of the entire tournament. With a motivated offense the Saints and the Warriors took turns killing and diving for the ball, going tit-for-tat, point by point.

Nearing the end of the set the Saints, who had pulled away from the Warriors with a four point 24-20 lead, let down – allowing for the Warriors to battle back to a 25-25 deadlock. A serve error gave the Saints set-point advantage, which led to an all-out rally, but the Saints squeaked out a kill en route of a 27-25 set and match victory.

The Saints, who have battled the ghosts of runner-up championship finishes, unforeseen set-backs, and injuries through the season, went into match two with tunnel vision.

All-Tournament MVP and Saints setter Rylie Engleson who battled an ankle injury early in the season, and fought through a match one injury aggravation and swelling, held nothing back in match one, putting up 32 assists, 14 digs and three blocks. “After last season, we’ve talked about how hard we would have to work to get here,” said Engleson post-game. “I wasn’t going to go out in my last game.”

Set one, which showed anxious Walla Walla supporters and coaches on the edge of their seats clapping encouragement, wasn’t enough to fight the Saints’ home court. In particular, fellow Saints men’s basketball team members who painted their chests to spell out H-O-O-D and marked every set and kill with a, “SET…BOOM!!!” roar.

The set would go to the Saints 25-19. In set two, what may be argued as one of the biggest mental breakdowns in the tournament, the Warriors had nothing left for the Saints.

The Saints’ early 15-6 lead exposed the Warriors, sucker-punching each point attempt with more aggression than the last.

With Warriors players dropping their heads, looking around for help, and holding back tears of frustration, the Saints dominated from beginning to end.

With a jump to the net and one last kill to end the set 25-11, Saints staff and fans rushed the court in celebration, everyone knowing, it was finally their time….