The Lane Titans (19-16, 9-4) finish off the regular season on the road against first place Linn-Benton (28-10, 12-1). The Roadrunners have already clinched first place and the Titans have clinched a playoff berth.
The Titans are 7-2 away from home and the Roadrunners are 10-2 at home. Both teams have won their last four matches and the Roadrunners took the other two matches of the season, 2-0 at a neutral site and 3-0 at Titan Coliseum.
Live stats: http://nwacstats.org/sports/wvball/2018-19/boxscores/20181107_pl91.xml
Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCellgCw3M6PXrbXKV_k6OdA
About Linn-Benton: The Roadrunners may be only on a four game winning streak, but they have won 12 of 13. They rank 4th in the NWAC in kills/set averaging 10.96, seventh in hitting percentage at .219, 3rd in assists/set at 10.32, 2nd in serve aces/set at 2.12. The one area that the Titans have the advantage is in blocks/set, holding a 1.74-1.56 advantage. The Roadrunners offense is lead by Ally Tow who is 4th in total kills, but is only hitting .194 and averages 2.83 kills/set. While Tow gets the bulk of the work, it's Grace Phillips who's the most efficient. She is 7th in hitting percentage at .333.
What's at stake: With the Roadrunners having clinched the region title, they will be playing to prepare themselves for the NWAC Championships in Tacoma. For the Titans they are locked into a playoff spot, but depending on their result and the Chemeketa at Clackamas, as to their finishing position. The Titans could finish 2nd or 3rd. If the Titans win and Chemeketa wins, then they finish 2nd because they have the number one lottery selection, meaning any ties that don't result in an elimination, the higher lottery number team get the higher place. If the Titans loose and Chemketa wins, they finish 3rd.
See the Southern Region's Standard Operating Procedures pages 6 for the lottery system and page 10 section seven for playoff tiebreakers: http://www.nwacsports.org/nwaacc_documents/Southern_Region_%20SOP_2017-18-June6-2018.pdf
Notes: After two games last week, including a career high 36 digs against SWOCC, Stacia Panther is the NWAC leader in digs with 554, 2nd place Rachel McCoy of Clackamas has 546, and is 3rd in digs/set 5.28. This a notable accomplisment for her because she spent her freshman season last year as a outside hitter and had 409 in 39 matches, 3.20 (23rd). Credit to the coaching staff and Panther on a move that has improved their defense. Improving their dig/set as a team from 14.7 to 15.13.
Barring a crazy individual result, Hannah Hayes should finish in the top-10 in hitting percentage, 8th at .332. Meagan Briggs is only two points away from taking 10th place in hitting percentage as well. Kelsey Lane led the Titans in this category with a .229 mark and a 24th place finish.
Hayes and Briggs can also finish in the top-10 in total blocks/set. And both of them and Saige Brashears have a chance at top-10 positions in solo blocks. Briggs 1st, Hayes 3rd and Brashears T-10th.