CORVALLIS, Ore. – No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon University Volleyball team was named the Under Armour Team of the Week for December 1 – 7, the Cascade Collegiate Conference announced Sunday.
Eastern Oregon delivered a dominant opening week at the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship final site, posting three wins to advance to the national semifinals for the third time in program history. The Mountaineers improved to 32-2 on the year behind elite defensive performances, timely scoring, and multiple comeback efforts that kept their national title pursuit on track. They are the lone CCC team still competing after five programs advanced to the final site.
Eastern Oregon opened pool play with a sweep of No. 24 Huntington (Ind.), 25-16, 25-14, 32-30. After controlling the first two sets with strong blocking and defensive pressure, the Mountaineers erased a 9-4 deficit in the third before closing out the match in extra points. Brooke Womack finished with 15 kills on .308 hitting and earned NAIA Volley Report Player of the Game honors, while Keira Vaughn added 12 kills on .423 hitting. EOU held Huntington to negative hitting in each of the first two sets and out-blocked the Foresters 12–4.
The Mountaineers secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over No. 16 St. Thomas (Fla.), winning 25-22, 25-15, 23-25, 25-13 to close pool play at 2-0. Vaughn led the way with 18 kills, and Womack added an 11-kill, 11-dig double-double for her second straight Player of the Game nod. Eastern dominated defensively once again, holding STU to .000 hitting in the second set and erupting for a decisive 13-1 run in the fourth to put the match away. The Mounties controlled the net with a 10-6 blocking edge and added five service aces.
Eastern capped its week with a 3-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 McPherson (Kan.), 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, punching its ticket to the national semifinals. The Mountaineers produced one of their best defensive outings of the season, overwhelming the Bulldogs with a 16–5 blocking advantage and holding them to .132 hitting. Womack powered the offense with 16 kills, and Vaughn followed with 15. Kiauna Mack, named Player of the Game, added nine kills and seven blocks, while Mylie Mills tallied a match-high nine blocks to anchor a suffocating defensive effort. EOU closed both the third and fourth sets with extended scoring bursts, including a 10-1 run that put the final set out of reach.
Through three matches at the final site, Eastern Oregon has held opponents to a combined .040 hitting percentage, averaged more than 13 blocks per match, and received Player of the Game recognition in all three contests. The Mountaineers advance to Monday’s national semifinal, where they will face defending national champion Indiana Wesleyan at 5 p.m. CT at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa.