Oregon Tech celebrates after knocking off No. 10 Eastern Oregon tonight at Danny Miles Court.
Oregon Tech Stuns No. 10 Eastern Oregon University
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech dropped the opening set, forced a fifth, and stunned No. 10 Eastern Oregon University in Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball action 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 25-12, 20-25, 15-13) tonight at Danny Miles Court.
The win will not only be memorable for Tech’s three seniors Alexa Burdett, Brooke Molloy and Kelsey Rank, but for the whole team after playing their final regular season home match of the season.
The upset win moved Oregon Tech to 14-10, evening their CCC mark to 9-9 and helping their cause for a postseason berth. EOU fell to 17-2 in CCC action and 22-3 on the season.
The momentum swung for both teams in set 1 with the Owls jumping out 11-5. Kelsey Sampson recorded three kills and Bailey Nelson two in the stretch.
EOU made their run scoring 10 of the next 11 to go up 15-12, eventually leading 20-15.
Tech was next tying the set at 21-all and after a Nelson score and EOU miscue the Owls led 23-22.
EOU’s Amanda Miller recorded back-to-back kills and would win the set 25-23 on an Owl miscue.
The Owls led from start to finish in set 2, tying the match at 1-1 after a 25-16 win. Tech doubled up EOU 6-3 and after taking advantage of three-straight EOU errors led 13-7. Clinging to a 17-14 lead, three Sampson kills pushed the lead to 21-15 Tech. The Owls would notch four of the next five points, including a kill by Kelsey Rank to end it by the nine point margin.
After allowing the Mountaineers an early 2-0 lead, Oregon Tech dominated set 3 scoring 11 of the next 12 to take control. Sampson added four kills and Mikayla Rubey one during the spurt to go up 11-3.
EOU cut their deficit to 17-11, but seven in a row for the Owls, including two more spikes from Rubey, made it 24-11. A Rubey kill ended the set, as the Owls won 25-12 and took a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The teams battled to an 8-all tie in set 4 before EOU pulled ahead for good. Tech, trailing by six, pulled to within three after Whitney Webster and Marlee Smith scores made it 19-16. EOU and OIT would trade points for the remainder with EOU tying the match after Amanda Miller and Kasaundra Tuma kills gave EOU the set, 25-20.
Tied 5-5 in the final set, a Mountaineer error and Sampson ace gave Tech a lead they would not relinquish. Another kill by Nelson pushed the lead to 9-6 with Tech hanging on to the three point lead, 13-10.
EOU cut their deficit to one, 13-12, with a kill by Kristin DePaoli giving the Owls a 14-12 edge. EOU’s Emily Nay scored to make it 14-13, but Nelson notched the final point to give the Owls the 15-13 win.
Kelsey Sampson tallied a match-high 21 kills to go with 10 digs for a double-double effort. Bailey Nelson added a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs in the win for Tech. Brooke Molloy tied her career-best with 31 digs. Waverly Green finished with 27 assists and 13 digs, with Tori Porter adding 22 assists and Bella Foss 10 digs for the Owls. Alexa Burdett notched three kills and four block assists with Kelsey Rank and Mykala Rubey adding nine block assists each.
Isabelle Statkus led EOU with 13 kills, followed by Kasaundra Tuma with 12 and Amanda Miller 10 in the loss. Rachelle, Chamberlain recorded a match-high 52 assists and 10 digs with Piper Cantrell a team-high 24 digs for the Mountaineers. Sara Pulaski finished with 21 digs and Emily Nay 5 block assists.