LA GRANDE, Ore. – In a packed Quinn Coliseum, the No. 9 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team collected their sixth straight sweep, as the Mountaineers defeated College of Idaho, 34-32, 25-21, 25-12, on Friday evening.
Casey Loper led the Mountaineers (21-2, 11-1 CCC) with 16 kills on the evening.
Katina Ferguson and
Amanda Miller followed with 15 and 12 kills, respectively.
Rachelle Chamberlain dished out 45 assists for the Mountaineers.
Jessalyn Smith collected a game-high 17 digs, with her 17th dig being her 1,000th in her EOU career. Emily Ottinger led the Yotes (12-9, 9-3 CCC) with 13 kills, while Sierra Porter dished out a game-high 46 assists.
The Mountaineers and Yotes were locked in a highly contested first set. Neither team took control of the set and after the first 16 points; the set was tied at 8-8. Each team looked to be making a run to pull away from one another, however, each time one team looked to take the lead the other team battled back.
Twenty-five points was not enough to settle the first set. The Yotes and Mountaineers saw six ties after the 25thpoint. Eastern Oregon found themselves down, 32-31. However, the Mountaineers scored the next three points, capped by a Loper kill giving EOU set one, 34-32.
Eastern Oregon jumped out to a fast start in set two as they led, 10-4, after an attack error by Abbey Fenton. EOU held a lead of five or more points for most of the second set. After a Loper kill extended the Mountaineers lead to 18-12, the Yotes started to mount a comeback.
College of Idaho battled back to trim the Mountaineers lead down to two points, 23-21, after a service ace by S. Porter. This would be as close as College of Idaho would get to the win, as EOU took set two, 25-21.
Much like the second set, the Mountaineers raced out to a fast start in set three, they led 7-2, after a Ferguson kill. EOU continued to battle and grew their lead to 18-11. This is when College of Idaho went on a run and trimmed the Mountaineers lead to five points, 23-18. However, the Yotes did not get any closer and Miller clinched the sweep for the Mountaineers, giving set three to EOU, 25-21.
The Mountaineers return to the court next Friday, Oct. 24 when they play at Warner Pacific College. College of Idaho is back in action next Friday at Concordia (Ore.) University. Both matches start at 7 p.m.