LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University volleyball kicked off its national tournament run with authority on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Simpson University 25-14, 25-17, 25-16 inside Quinn Coliseum to advance to the NAIA Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Mountaineers improved to 29-2 overall with the win and continued their dominant postseason form, hitting .351 as a team while holding the Red Hawks to just .066.
EOU's block once again set the tone, racking up 10 total rejections and disrupting Simpson's rhythm from the opening serve. Mylie Mills led the effort with six blocks, while Kiauna Mack and Keira Vaughn added four apiece.
Offensively, the Mounties spread the production across their lineup as Brooke Womack and Vaughn shared a match-high eight kills each. Womack hit .471 and collected eight digs, while Vaughn was equally efficient with a .500 attack percentage. Mack powered down six kills on .313 hitting, and Emma Burlingame added six more at an impressive .500 clip.
Setter Ava Semprimoznik orchestrated the attack with 17 assists while also leading all players with three service aces, and Kate Stidham supplied an additional 13 assists with an ace of her own. Libero Jaycee Villastrigo anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 10 digs, helping Eastern match Simpson 30–30 in the back row.
The Red Hawks were led by Tiara Manns' eight kills, while Elizabeth Heath and Kare Ann Oshiro added seven apiece. Simpson was able to find moments of traction, but struggled to sustain scoring runs against the Mountaineers' size and efficiency.
EOU hit at least .318 in every set and trailed only four times in the match, never by more than two points. Timely scoring bursts in each frame kept the Red Hawks out of reach, allowing the Mounties to comfortably close the sweep and secure their tickets to the big stage.
With the victory, Eastern Oregon advances to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Final Site at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. Pool assignments will be revealed tomorrow, November 23, at 11 a.m. PT as the Mountaineers prepare for their pursuit of a national title.