LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eight different Mountaineers recorded kills, and the seventh-ranked EOU volleyball team closed out the regular season with a sweep (25-15, 25-8, 25-16) over Walla Walla on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers improved to 26-2 on the year and 19-1 in league action, as the squad inched closer to the semifinals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, set to take place at Quinn Coliseum on Nov. 11.
Senior hitter Makayla Lindburg posted 10 kills, while junior hitters Madisen Garlie and Amanda Miller added nine kills apiece. Garlie mustered eight blocks, and senior setter Rachelle Chamberlain directed EOU’s offense with 36 assists. In the back row, sophomore libero Holli Mullins collected a match-high 18 digs.
Up 10-7 in the first set, EOU launched a 14-7 run to reach set point (24-14) after a block assist by senior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma and Lindburg. Following a Mountie service error, junior right-side hitter Isabelle Statkus took a feed from Chamberlain and put one down to seal the frame.
The second set was all EOU, as the Blue and Gold tallied 14 of the first 15 after kills by Lindburg and Garlie. The Mountaineers notched a 16-point lead three times before the Wolves (1-22, 0-19 CCC) coughed up an attack error to yield the stanza, 25-8.
After falling down by one (3-2) early, EOU saw Lindburg tally a kill and Garlie and freshman hitter Hailee Ackerman team up for two straight blocks to spark a 10-0 run. With EOU up by 12 (17-5), Walla Walla notched six in a row before the Blue and Gold finished the match with an 8-5 run to cash in the victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
26 – EOU surpassed its win total from last season by collecting a win over the Wolves.
10-0 – The Mountaineers remained perfect at home.
63-4 – EOU’s record at home since the 2011 campaign.
UP NEXT
EOU hosts the semifinals and championship of the 2016 CCC Tournament on Nov. 11-12. The Mountaineers will hit the hardwood on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.