LA GRANDE, Ore. – The top-ranked Eastern Oregon University volleyball team left no doubt on Saturday afternoon, storming past No. 5 Corban in straight sets to claim the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Title, presented by U.S. Bank. The Mountaineers dominated from first serve to final point in a 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 sweep, improving to 28-2 on the season while dropping the second-seeded Warriors to 24-5.
EOU controlled the net and the service line, flipping the script on one of the only teams to beat them this year with a suffocating defensive effort. The Mounties hit .241 as a team while holding Corban to just .021, piling up a 13-5 edge in blocks and an 8-3 advantage in aces.
The afternoon also featured a historic milestone as CCC Player of the Year Kiauna Mack recorded her 500th career block, anchoring Eastern's dominance at the net. Mack finished with nine kills and an incredible 11 total blocks, once again setting the tone for the Mountaineers' front line.
Offensively, EOU spread the wealth as Mack and Keira Vaughn shared a team-high nine kills apiece, with Vaughn hitting a blistering .381 and adding three blocks. Brooke Womack turned in another all-around performance, tallying seven kills, four blocks, nine digs, and an ace as the Mounties' emotional spark.
Eastern's setters kept Corban off-balance all match, with Ava Semprimoznik dishing out 12 assists with two aces and four digs, and Kate Stidham adding 10 assists and a service ace of her own. Libero Jaycee Villastrigo steadied the back row with seven digs and a match-best three aces.
Corban was led by Emma Bischoff, who finished with 13 kills and 10 digs, but the Warriors were unable to find a sustained rhythm against the Mountaineers' block and relentless pressure. EOU held Corban under .100 hitting in every set, including a -.120 mark in the third frame as the Mounties slammed the door on the championship. By reaching the Championship with regular season winner EOU, the Warriors secured the CCC’s second automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament.
All Cascade Conference teams will turn its focus to prepare for the upcoming NAIA National Championship. The teams will find out their fate during the NAIA selection show on Monday, November 17 at 2 p.m. PT.