CORVALLIS, Ore. – After an undefeated season opener, Eastern Oregon University Volleyball was named the first 2023-24 Under Armour Team of the Week for Aug. 14 – 20, the Cascade Collegiate Conference announced Sunday.
Reigning CCC Volleyball Regular season and Tournament Champions, Eastern Oregon, came into the new season ranked 2nd and 3rd in the Conference and NAIA preseason polls respectively. They began their journey on Thursday and Friday at the Big Sky Challenge, where they ended the weekend 4-0.
The first match-up was against No. 18 ranked College of Saint Mary. The Mountaineers clinched a 3-1 win after an intense four-set match. Alexis McMurtrey had 28 Assists, Sade Williams had 15 Digs, and Madison Morgan had 13 Kills for the Mountaineers.
The next victory was over Arizona Christian University. Eastern emerged as the dominant force, securing the victory over the Fire with a 3-1 set score. Hannah Ledgerwood reached 26 Assists, Sade Williams reached 13 Digs, and Kiauna Mack reached nine kills.
On Friday, the Mountaineers secured another win over No. 10 ranked Southwestern Assemblies of God University. They took the match in a clean sweep of 3 sets to 0 over the Lions. Alexis McMurtrey collected 17 Assists and 10 Digs while Sade Williams grabbed eight Kills with an Ace.
The final defeat for EOU was over Montana State-Northern University with the final score of 3-0. They showcased an exceptional attacking game, registering a hitting efficiency of .294 across the three sets. Their consistency was evident, particularly in the first and third sets, where they recorded hitting percentages of .375 and .350, respectively.
After an undefeated 4-0 start to the season, next up Eastern Oregon Volleyball is packing its bags and heading over the water to compete in the Magic Island Hawaii Classic next weekend.