EOU Advances Past Pool Play with 4-Set Win Over OCU
SIOUX CITY, Iowa. – The No. 11 Eastern Oregon volleyball team defeated Oklahoma City in four sets on Wednesday afternoon, earning its fourth-straight trip to the single-elimination bracket portion of the NAIA Volleyball Championships at the Tyson Event Center.
By virtue of their 2-0 start in Pool F, along with Lindsey Wilson, both teams will automatically advance past pool play despite one more match to be played on Thursday. This is the fourth year in a row that Eastern has reached the top-16 bracket.
After a close five-set victory against No. 21 Central Methodist on Tuesday, the Mounties (25-7) needed just four sets to best Oklahoma City. The Stars (31-5) jumped ahead early, taking set one by a 25-19 score, but the EOU was quick to respond and took the final three games to advance (19-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20).
The No. 11 Mounties looked out of sorts to begin the match, hitting .000 percent with 11 kills and 11 errors. They were able to clean up the mistakes the rest of the match, hitting over .150 in each. The defense played a key role as well, as the team recorded 10 blocks and limited the Stars to a .090 hitting percentage for the match.
A key momentum swing in the third set helped lead the Mounties to the victory. Trailing 19-16, Eastern rattled off the next five points to take a 21-19 lead, finishing on 9-2 run to earn the set victory.
Junior Megan Bunn had another strong performance, leading the EOU cause with 17 kills and a .313 hitting percentage. Bunn was also effective at the net, posting five total blocks (one solo, four assists) and eight digs from the back row.
Junior Hailee Ackerman added 12 kills on the attack, followed by freshman Kaci Cox with eight. Junior Allyson Crisp was dominant at the net with six block assists, while junior Taylor Tibbetts added four.
Sophomore Kiley McMurtrey and her 26 digs were also instrumental in holding the Stars to a low hitting percentage. Fellow sophomore Aspen Christiansen added 12 digs.
Senior Sarah Carpenter and sophomore Madison Pilon each posted double-doubles. Carpenter led the way with 28 assists and 11 digs, while Pilon tallied 18 assists and 13 digs.
The Mountaineers finish up pool play on Thursday against No. 6 Lindsey Wilson at 12 p.m. Central time, 10 a.m. Pacific. Despite both teams already clinching their spots in the elimination rounds, Thursday’s matchup will be important for seeding purposes and momentum moving forward. The Blue Raiders swept Oklahoma City and defeated Central Methodist in four sets.
For more information on Eastern Oregon volleyball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
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Contact:
Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946;
idexter@eou.edu