BUTTE, Mont. – The No. 8 EOU volleyball team continued to roll on Friday evening, hitting .369 en route to ousting MSU-Northern in straight sets (25-16, 25-14, 25-20) at The Big Sky Challenge.
With the win, EOU improved to 5-0 vs. MSU-Northern under head coach Kaki McLean Morehead.
The Blue and Gold shared the wealth offensively, as five players posted five kills or more. Once again, junior outside hitter Amanda Miller earned match-high honors for kills with 14, while junior newcomer Madisen Garlie continued to make an impact in her first season at EOU, tallying seven kills and two block assists. The Mountaineers reaped five kills apiece from senior Makayla Lindburg, junior Emily Nay, and freshman Hailee Ackerman.
Senior setter Rachelle Chamberlain was credited with 31 assists and three blocks on the night, and sophomore libero Holli Mullins collected 12 digs in the back row.
With a one-point (10-9) advantage in the opening frame, EOU (5-1) exploded for nine of the next 10 points, as Garlie delivered an ace to force a Skylight timeout. Lindburg put one down to lift EOU to set point (24-13), and following three-straight points by MSU-Northern, Mullins setup freshman Megan Bunn for the kill on the left side to seal the set, 25-16.
EOU raced to a 10-4 lead in the second set after Nay hammered one down off the pass from Chamberlain. The Skylights got as close as three (15-12) before Nay rose for another kill to spark a 9-0 Mountie run, which was capped by an ace from Miller. After MSU-Northern (0-2) held off two set points (24-14), Ackerman logged one of her five kills to give EOU a 2-0 advantage.
No doubt the most competitive frame of the match, set three saw the Skylights attain an early five-point advantage (11-6). Garlie fired right back, attacking for two-straight kills to keep the Blue and Gold in it. Still down by three (18-15), EOU saw junior Isabelle Statkus notch a kill to launch a 10-2 run to close the affair. At match point (24-20), Garlie rose above the net for the right-handed slam to cash in the victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
14 – Kills for Miller, a match-high effort.
.369 – Hitting percentage by EOU.
28-5 – EOU’s record in the month of August since the 2013 season.
5-0 – Record vs. MSU-Northern all-time under McLean Morehead.
6-0 – Run by the Blue and Gold to get back into the third set.
UP NEXT
EOU concludes its road swing tomorrow with matches against No. 20 Concordia (Neb.) and No. 9 Vanguard at 9 a.m. MT and 5 p.m. MT, respectively.