Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The John Carroll volleyball team went the distance in more ways than one this weekend.

First things first, the team flew over 2,000 miles to Portland, Oregon, to compete in the Oregon Trail Classic.

Competitively, the Blue Streaks played a five-set match to complete its two-day stay in the tournament, outlasting Pacific University 19-25, 25-18, 28-26, 20-25, 15-13.

Earlier in the day, JCU needed four sets to down Willamette, 25-20, 18-25, 27-25, 25-20.

In the Willamette match, the third set was key. A late rally enabled JCU to win the set and carry the momentum into the fourth and final frame. Kills by Carleen Ellerbruch and Brooke Hjerpe broke the 25-25 tie.

Sarah Calabrese (15), Hjerpe (12) and Cassi Calamunci (11) all finished in double figures for kills, with Hjerpe finishing with a .310 attack percentage. She was just getting started on this day.

Ally Bartolone and Shannon Atwell combined for 45 assists, while Hjerpe (18) Calabrese (17) and Anna Coughlin led the way on defense with double-digit digs.

The Pacific match was a back-and-forth affair. After dropping the opening frame, the Blue Streaks were down 10-8 in the second when they burst for a 9-2 run keyed by two Calabrese aces. They would take the second set convincingly. 

The Blue Streaks were close to taking the third set and had a 23-18 advantage, but six consecutive points by Pacific but the brakes on that. John Carroll would shake off the blown lead, and Kailee Herbst put the final point away for a 28-26 win.

Pacific would take the fourth, setting up a winner-take-all fifth. Neither team could build a lead any greater than one point until JCU won two points in a row at 9-9 to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Blue Streaks led 14-11 but Pacific would not make it easy. Two consecutive kills tightened the score to 14-13, but Calabrese ended the drama with a match-winning kill.

Hjerpe had one of her best matches as a Blue Streaks, collecting a team-high 20 kills against just one error for a .528 hitting percentage for the contest. Calamunci added 15 kills, Calabrese 13 and Herbst 10.

Bartolone posted 34 assists while Atwell added 22. Coughlin paced the defense with 16 digs.

John Carroll finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, and Calabrese was named to the Oregon Trail Classic all-tournament team.