LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University volleyball team dropped their first home game of the season as the College of Idaho Yotes defeated EOU in a five set thrill in the CCC Semifinals at Quinn Coliseum. EOU was defeated 3-2 (19-25, 25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 3-15), by College of Idaho.
Emily Ottinger led the way for the Yotes with a game-high 19 kills. Sierra Porter dished out a game-high 56 assists. Casey Loper and Katina Ferguson led the way for EOU with 14 kills, apiece. Rachelle Chamberlain dished out 47 assists on the night and Jessalyn Smith recorded 24 digs.
The Mountaineers and Yotes were locked in a highly contested first set as neither team wanted to take control. With the score tied at 12-12, College of Idaho scored the next three points to take a 15-12 lead over EOU.
The Mountaineers continued to battle and after an Emily Nay kill, Eastern Oregon had tied the set at 18-18. College of Idaho, however, scored the next five points and took a 23-18 lead. The Mountaineers could not claw their way back into the set and dropped the first set, 25-19. This was the second time all season EOU dropped a set at Quinn Coliseum.
College of Idaho raced out to a quick, 4-1, lead in the second set before EOU responded. EOU went on a 6-0 run, capped by a kill by Chamberlain, to take a 7-4 lead. College of Idaho continued to battle and after a Kylie Porter kill, the Mountaineers lead was trimmed to three, 12-9.
After the Yotes trimmed the lead to three, 12-9, EOU’s offense picked up the pace and grew their lead to 10 points, 21-11, after an attack error by Emily Ottinger. College of Idaho could not mount any momentum and EOU took set two, 25-14.
College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon continued to play a highly contested match, as neither team wanted to take control of the third set, capped by a kill by Ottinger to tie the set, 6-6. After the set was tied at 6-6, neither team took a lead larger than two until the Yotes held a 17-14 lead.
After the Yotes took the lead, the Mountaineers battled right back and tied the set, at 22-22, after an Ottinger blocking error. EOU did not give up another point for the set and took set three, 25-22.
The Yotes and Mountaineers remained locked in a highly contested fourth set as the game was tied at 5-5. After a kill by Janessa Koelliker, the Yotes took a 6-5 lead. After, College of Idaho took the lead they grew the lead to as many as eight points, 19-11.
EOU slowly mounted a comeback and scored five straight points to tie the set at 22-22. The Yotes were too strong down the stretch and took set four, 25-23.
College of Idaho jumped all over Eastern Oregon in the fifth set as they raced out to a 5-1 lead. The Yotes did not let the Mountaineers get anything going in the set and College of Idaho took the fifth set 15-3.
With the win, College of Idaho advances to the CCC Championship match tomorrow at 5 p.m. and take on Concordia University at Quinn Coliseum in La Grande, Ore. The Mountaineers will find out on Sunday, Nov. 16 if they qualify for the NAIA National Championship.