Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. – Junior Casey Loper, led the No. 14 Eastern Oregon University Volleyball team to a, 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-23) victory over Northwest Christian Beacons on Friday evening. Loper recorded a game-high 14 kills and recorded a .571 hitting percentage on the night.

"The girls played consistently well against a tough NCU team tonight," said head coach Kaki Morehead. "Even though we were down at times, we persevered when we needed to."

In a highly contested first set between EOU (14-2, 4-0 CCC) and Northwest Christian (9-4, 3-2 CCC) started as a back and forth battle. The set stayed tight and after the first 12 points the set was tied at, 6-6. Eastern Oregon took the lead at 7-6 after a kill by Taylor Stewart. However, the Beacons battled back and took a, 12-8 lead after an attack error by Karly Stack.

Northwest Christian continued to extend its lead and grew the lead to as many as five points, 16-11, after a service error by Loper. EOU would not go away easily as the Mountaineers mounted a comeback. Trailing 16-11, Eastern Oregon scored the next five points to tie the match at 16. With the score tied at 18 EOU would take its first lead, 19-18, since they led 9-7. EOU rallied off the last six points of the match and took set one, 25-19.

The Beacons raced out to a quick 3-0 lead on the Mountaineers early in set two but EOU responded by taking the next four points to take an, 4-3 lead. Eastern Oregon and Northwest Christian continued to battle and the match stayed within two points until the Beacons led 12-11. At this point in the match, Northwest Christian went on a, 7-3, run to take a 19-13 lead.

Eastern Oregon would not go away easily as the Mountaineers mounted its second comeback of the night. After a Loper kill EOU found themselves down 20-17. EOU continued to find itself down and with the score Northwest Christian 22, EOU 17, Eastern Oregon made its run. The Mountaineers took the next six points to take a 23-22 lead. The Beacons battled to try to try to claim the set but EOU came away with a, 26-24, set two victory to take a 2-0 lead.

The Mountaineers raced out to a, 6-0, as EOU took advanced of Beacons errors in set three. However, Northwest Christian would not go away quietly. With EOU up, 7-2, the Beacons started making a comeback and cut EOU's lead to three points, 11-8.

The Beacons continued to battle but Eastern Oregon continued to hold onto the lead. EOU's did not grow to more than three points the rest of the match and with the score, 21-18, EOU, the Beacons made one last effort and scored four of the next five points to tie the match at 22.

However, the Mountaineers continued to take advantage of Beacon errors. With the match tied at 23, Northwest Christian's Kayla Ping collected an attack error that gave EOU a 24-23 lead. EOU took set three after Chelsea McGowan registered an attack error of her own to give set three to EOU, 25-23. 

Karly Stack led EOU with 19 assists and Bobbi Sumpter followed with 17. Eastern Oregon recorded an attack percentage of .268 for the match.

EOU returns to action tomorrow when they head to Salem, Ore. to play Corban University in CCC action. The match starts at 7 p.m.