NAMPA, Idaho – Eastern Oregon No. 2 Volleyball closed out the I-84 Classic in dominant fashion, sweeping both Dickinson State (25-17, 25-18, 25-23) and Montana Western (25-14, 25-8, 26-24) to finish the preseason a perfect 11-0.
Game 1 - Dickinson State University (N.D.)
Eastern opened Day Two of the I-84 Classic with another sweep, overcoming an early Dickinson State push to take control of the match.
The Blue Hawks opened with the first three points, but the Mounties quickly answered with kills from Mylie Mills, Keira Vaughn and Jule Whitley. A Whitley kill, Ava Semprimoznik ace and Ava Swan-Whitley block put Eastern in front 8-5. The Mounties continued to build their advantage behind Dickinson State errors and back-to-back kills from Brooke Womack, maintaining a steady five-point cushion through the middle of the set. A four-point Eastern run helped extend the lead, and the Mounties closed out the opening frame 25-17.
The Blue Hawks came out strong again in the second, using a five-point run to take an 8-3 lead. Eastern quickly flipped the momentum, answering with six straight points sparked by a Kaino-Whitley block. Whitley added two kills, while Womack and Akylah Kaino each contributed a kill to push the Mounties back in front. Whitley, Mills and Kaino continued to make an impact on both sides of the net as Eastern stretched its lead to 15-11. The Mounties then finished the set with a block-and-kill surge, taking five of the final six points to win 25-18.
Set three proved to be the tightest of the match, with the teams trading runs and exchanging the lead throughout. A 5-1 Eastern run, highlighted by a pair of Vaughn-Whitley blocks, gave the Mounties a two-point advantage, but Dickinson State quickly answered with a 5-1 run of its own to reclaim the lead. Eastern turned to Womack down the stretch, as she recorded six kills in the final points of the set. A final Vaughn kill sealed the 25-23 victory and Eastern's first sweep of the day.
Eastern held Dickinson State to a .096 hitting percentage while dominating the net with an 11-3 advantage in blocks. Womack led all players with 15 kills on 28 attempts, hitting .500 while adding six digs and two block assists. Whitley and Kaino provided well-rounded performances with eight and seven kills, respectively. Whitley and Mills anchored the defense with five block assists apiece, while Kaino added three. Jaycee Villastrigo controlled the back row with a match-high 15 digs.
Game 2 - Montana Western
In their final match of the preseason, the Mounties continued their dominant play against Montana Western.
Womack opened the match with a kill before Vaughn added multiple kills to give Eastern an early spark. A six-point run later in the set featured kills from Vaughn, Ava Swan and Whitley, along with two Sidney Friesen aces, pushing the Mounties ahead 12-3. Montana Western answered with a run of its own to cut the deficit to 13-8, but Eastern quickly regained control with kills from Womack, Kaino, Mills and Vaughn to restore a double-digit lead. Despite a late push from the Bulldogs behind several kills and aces, the Mounties' advantage proved too much to overcome. Two Whitley kills closed the set at 25-14.
Eastern showed no signs of slowing in the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead behind Bulldog attack errors and kills from Kaino and Vaughn. Montana Western continued to struggle offensively as the Mounties erupted for a 10-0 run, sparked by multiple Kaino kills and a solo block, to take a commanding 16-2 advantage. The Bulldogs managed to capitalize on a few Eastern errors to add points, but the Mounties' offense and defense remained firmly in control, as Eastern cruised to a 25-8 second-set victory.
The third set once again provided the most resistance, with Montana Western taking an early 5-1 lead. Strong rallies and several Vaughn kills brought Eastern within one, but the Bulldogs maintained their advantage through much of the set, at one point stretching the lead to five. A string of Mountie kills ignited the comeback and brought Eastern within one before back-to-back Womack kills and a service ace tied the set at 21-21. The teams traded points from there, but Eastern finished the job at the end. Vaughn and Womack delivered the final two kills to secure the 26-24 set victory, complete the sweep and finish the Mounties' preseason with a perfect 11-0 record.
Vaughn once again led the Mounties offensively, finishing with 16 kills on 31 attempts while hitting an impressive .484 and committing just one error. She also added two block assists. Womack, Whitley and Kaino contributed eight, six and five kills, respectively. Whitley continued her strong defensive performance with a solo block and two block assists, while Friesen anchored the back row with 12 digs and added two service aces.
Up Next
With the preseason now behind them, the Mountaineers turn their attention to Cascade Conference play, opening conference action on the road at Evergreen on Friday, September 4, at 6:00 p.m.