Nov. 7, 2009

Box Score in PDF Format

Corvallis, Ore. - Oregon State senior Rachel Rourke hit .373 with 31 kills to lead the Beavers volleyball team to a four-set upset over No. 18 Arizona (30-28, 23-25, 25-16, 25-22) on Saturday evening in Gill Coliseum.

Oregon State (12-12, 3-9) hit .299, nearly a season-best, while holding the Wildcats (17-7, 6-7) to .156. And the Beavers outblocked Arizona 14.0 to 4.0.

Rourke recorded her fifth double-double of the season, adding a career-high tying 12 digs and three blocks. Freshman Megan McBride (Auburn, Wash.) posted a number of career bests, playing in all four sets, with seven kills, 38 assists, six digs and four blocks.

Leading 24-21, the Beavers looked to have locked down the first set, holding the lead from the first rally. But Arizona came back to tie things at 24, pushing the set into extra points, reminiscent of the first meeting in Tucson. Tied at 28-28, Rourke recorded her 10th kill of the match, followed by McBride's first to close out the set with the Beavers holding a 1-0 edge.

Arizona held on for the second set win to tie the match at one set each, but coming out of the break the Beavers regained the lead in set three. The two teams exchanged sideout points before Oregon State took the definitive lead at 6-5, led by Rourke's nine kills.

In the deciding set, the two teams tied things six times before Oregon State took the one lead change at 6-5, again, behind a Rathgeber and McBride block. The Beavers led by as many as four at 20-16, but Arizona continued to battle, tying things at 21 all. But A pair of unforced Wildcat errors, coupled with kills by Rourke and Sawatzky put the match away.

Arizona's Tiffany Owens paced the Wildcat offense with 17 kills, while libero Alanna Resch had a team-high 18 digs.