Mountaineers Fall Twice in Butte 8/24/2018 10:47:14 PM BUTTE, Mont. – The Eastern Oregon volleyball team lost its first two matches of the season, dropping a close five set contest to receiving votes Vanguard before falling in four sets to Providence on Friday night at the Big Sky Invitational. GAME 1: (RV) Vanguard 3, No. 15 Eastern Oregon 2 In a battle of two top teams, Vanguard came away with a close victory in a thrilling match. With the score tied 14-14 in the fifth set, the Lions took the final two points to earn the win. The Mountaineers (4-2) struggled in the opening set, hitting -.062 from the floor as they fell 25-14. The team rebounded well in the second and third sets, taking each by scores of 25-22 to go ahead 2-1. It was then Vanguard’s turn to comeback, winning set four 25-20 before taking the final set. The Mountaineers hit .095 from the floor while Vanguard hit at a .173 clip. EOU led the block totals with an 11-9 advantage, but 30 hitting errors proved costly. Junior outside hitters Megan Bunn and Haille Ackerman led the way with 16 kills apiece, each taking over 50 swings. Junior Nina Bailey and Ackerman totaled five block assists while freshman Cambree Scott added four. Five players totaled double-digit digs, led by 19 from sophomore Kiley McMurtrey. Bunn added 17, while seniors Holli Mullins and Sarah Carpenter each had 15. Sophomore Aspen Christiansen totaled 11. Carpenter finished with 26 assists to pace the team while sophomore Abby Smith had 12. The pair finished with two service aces apiece. GAME 2: Providence 3, No. 15 Eastern Oregon 1 The Argos came away with a big upset over EOU after hitting over .200 in the final three sets. The Mounties looked in control early with a 25-15 first set win, but dropped the final three sets. Once again, it was Bunn and Ackerman who led the way on the attack as Ackerman had 17 kills and a .349 hitting percentage while Bunn posted 15 kills. Defensively, McMurtrey posted 23 digs; Bunn had 18 and Mullins 12. Sophomore Madison Pilon led the way with 22 assists, while Carpenter and Smith had 12 and 10, respectively. The Mountaineers finish the Big Sky Invitational on Saturday, facing (RV) Rocky Mountain at 11 a.m. Mountain time, followed by Montana Western at 3 p.m. MT. For more information on Eastern Oregon volleyball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com. FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu