LA GRANDE, Ore. – No. 16 Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers continued its home winning streak on Friday evening by defeating Northwest University Eagles, 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-19). EOU has won 12 straight matches at home. Casey Loper led the way for the Mountaineers with a game-high 13 kills.

EOU (12-2, 2-0 CCC) got off to a fast start in the first set as Katie Keeney started the match with an ace to give EOU the lead. That lead was all Eastern Oregon needed as the Mountaineers never trailed in the first set to the visiting Eagles (5-7, 1-2 CCC).

Eastern Oregon ran its lead to, 8-2, before Northwest called a timeout to regroup. EOU continued to extend its lead and after a Stefani Sorensen kill the Mountaineers led 13-4. Northwest did not get closer than seven points the rest of the first sets and EOU took set one, 25-14.

Set two was a back and forth battle as Northwest and EOU were locked in a tight battle to start the set. With the set tied at, 4-4, the Eagles took their first lead of the match after an attack error by Sorensen. The set stayed within a point until it was tied at 11. With the score tied at 11, the Mountaineers went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-11 lead.

The Eagles started to make a comeback in set two, by cutting the Mountaineers lead to four points, 21-17, after an EOU error. Northwest continued to battle and after a kill by Arika Zwack, the Mountaineers lead was down to three, 23-20. However, EOU scored the next two points, on Casey Loper and Katie Keeney kills to take set 2, 25-20, and a 2-0 lead over Northwest.

Starting set three, Northwest grabbed the lead at, 1-0, after a kill by Sarah Stoker. The lead for the Eagles did not last long as EOU took its first lead of set three after two Northwest errors. The Eagles tied it at 4-4 and tried to keep it close but after a Kasaundra Tuma kill EOU led 5-4 and did not trail again in set three.

Eastern Oregon looked to be pulling away and led by three but the Eagles bounced right back and brought the set to within one. With EOU up, 13-10, the Mountaineers started to pull away as they scored five of the next seven points to take an 18-13 lead. The Eagles could not make a run late and EOU took set three, 25-19.

Eastern Oregon returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 when The Evergreen State College Geoducks come to Quinn Coliseum. The match begins at 7 p.m.