CORVALLIS, Ore. – After winning the regular-season Cascade Collegiate Conference championship with its first-ever undefeated season, eighth-ranked Eastern Oregon University hosts the 2020 CCC Volleyball Championship Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank.
The Mounties picked up the top seed and hosting duties after going 14-0 during the CCC season. EOU faces fourth-seeded Bushnell University Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday’s championship match. Second-seeded and No. 13-ranked Corban University and third-seeded Oregon Tech.
During the regular season, EOU swept Bushnell in three sets both times they met this year. Corban and Oregon Tech split their two-match series with the Owls winning the first matchup 3-2 and the Warriors bouncing back with a three-set victory.
EOU enters the tournament with a 15-match win streak in tow and highlighted the CCC postseason awards with head coach Kaki McLean Morehead being named Coach of the Year, Kiley McMurtrey winning Libero of the Year for the third year in a row, Madison Pilon grabbing Setter of the Year, and Cambree Scott being named Player of the Year.
As a team, EOU leads the conference with 13.3 kills per set (18
th in the NAIA), a .262 hitting clip (fourth in the NAIA) and 12.5 assists per set (11
th in the NAIA). The Mounties also average 2.5 blocks per set (ninth in the NAIA) and hold opponents to a .097 hitting clip. McMurtrey is a three-time CCC Libero of the Year and ranks first in the CCC with 5.15 digs per set and boasts a 92.2 service reception percentage. Pilon averages 8.1 assists per set – second in the CCC – while Scott is a threat at the net, leading the CCC with 64 total blocks and a 1.21 blocks per set average (12
th in the NAIA).
Corban looks to shake off a defeat in its regular-season finale and make its fifth-straight NAIA postseason appearance. The Warriors boast a 10-4 record, averaging 13.2 kills per set and a .222 hitting clip, which ranks 23
rd in the NAIA.
At the forefront of the Warriors' dangerous attack is 2020 All-CCC first team honoree Avari Ridgway, who ranks third in the CCC in kills with 160, along with 2020 CCC Freshman of the Year Rylee Troutman, who boasts a .231 attack clip (11
th in the CCC). Look for the Warriors' typical tandem of setters to be used during the postseason run, as both Jadyn Mullen (5.82 assists per set, All-CCC honorable mention) and Ciarra Judson (5.10 assists per set) have proven themselves more than capable of facilitating the offense.
Oregon Tech – which is receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll – grabbed its highest seed in school history and comes into the tournament with a four-match winning streak in tow. As a team, the Owls boast a .220 attack percentage with 11.7 kills per set. Defensively, Oregon Tech holds opponents to a .149 clip on the attack.
The Owls are led offensively by the CCC's leader in kills, 2020 first team All-CCC honoree Nicole Reyes. She has notched 198 kills in the spring campaign and ranks second in the conference in kills per set with 3.3. Kaylin Talonen (158 kills, 2.6 kills per set) is another offensive weapon employed by OIT, while Aubrey Kievit (4.20 digs per set) leads the defensive effort for the Owls.
Bushnell grabbed its highest finish in school history, tying for third place with a 13-5 overall, 9-5 CCC record. The Beacons come into the tournament coasting a five-match win streak, hoping to upset the top-seeded Mounties. As a team, Bushnell averages 12.29 kills per set and boasts a .191 hitting percentage.
Makenna Northern is a huge driving force in Bushnell’s success, fueling the offense with 10.3 assists per set, which ranks 15
th in the NAIA. She is a five-time CCC Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Volleyball Setter of the Week honoree and picked up All-CCC first team honors earlier today. Natalie Martin is one of the Beacons’ go-to attackers, leading the conference with a .346 attack percentage. She is a two-time Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Volleyball Attacker of the Week and earned 2020 All-CCC first team honors.
The tournament champion will receive an automatic berth to the NAIA Championship, April 27 through May 1, 2021, in Sioux City, Iowa. If EOU – who already grabbed the CCC’s first automatic qualifier (AQ) – wins the tournament, the runner-up will receive the CCC’s second AQ.