Eastern Wins Five Set Marathon Over Lady Yotes
CALDWELL, Idaho – All-American Casey Loper had a match-high 18 kills, as Eastern Oregon won for the first time inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center since 1996, defeating the College of Idaho, 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 15-11 in Cascade Conference play.
The Mountaineers (11-1, 1-0 CCC) got 56 assists and 14 digs from setter Rachelle Chamberlain, becoming just the second CCC school in league play to defeat the Lady Yotes in Caldwell in their last 81 matches.
Emily Ottinger had 17 kills, Kylie Porter added 16 kills, and Sierra Porter had 58 assists and 21 digs for the Lady Yotes (3-7, 0-1), who fought back from a two-set deficit to force the winner-take-all fifth frame. EOU got a kill from Amanda Miller on a long rally to take a 10-8 lead, then got a key combo block and a C of I hitting error to pull away for the win.
Set 1 featured nine ties, including at 23-23, before EOU took advantage of a C of I hitting error, with a Kendra De Hoog kill clinching the set for the Mounties. Eastern never trailed in Set 2, getting two kills each by Loper and De Hoog in a 9-4 surge to open the period to grab the two-set advantage.
C of I responded in the third, using three-straight Ottinger kills in a 5-0 run that broke an 18-18 tie, claiming the set on an EOU service error. In the fourth set, back-to-back Jenessa Koelliker kills fueled a six-point push that broke a 18-18 stalemate to force Set 5.
De Hoog had 16 kiils for the Mounties, with Miller and Emily Nay each with 11. Libero Jessalyn Smith had a huge night in the back row, recording 40 digs on the evening.
Bailee Kendall had 13 kills with Katy Robinson adding 12 for the Yotes. Five different players recorded double-digit digs, as Kilee Lopez led C of I with 23, with Kathyn Nasburg adding 18, and Cheyan Coburn recording 17. Koelliker had six kills, but led the team with five blocks.
The Lady Yotes return to action this weekend with road matches at Northwest and Evergreen.