Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3

IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 23 Eastern Oregon University Volleyball team went 2-1 on day one of the CUI Labor Day Tournament. The Mountaineers defeated Carroll (Mont.), 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21) and Westmont (Calif.), 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 30-28, 25-23). The Mountaineers lone loss came to No. 8 Biola (Calif.), 3-1 (19-25, 22-25, 26-24, 26-28).
 
Biola
In set one, the Mountaineers stayed close to the Eagles. A service ace by Jessalyn Smith put the Mountaineers down two points, 9-7. However, the Mountaineers would not find themselves any closer than two points, the rest of the way.
 
Biola pulled away from EOU in set one as they used a 7-0 run to take a 20-9 lead over EOU. EOU slowly started to chip away, as EOU scored six of the last eight points but it was too late as Biola took set one, 25-19.
 
The Mountaineers continued to battle the Eagles and in set two EOU found themselves down two points, 6-4. EOU scored the next three points to take a one point lead, 7-6. The lead did not last long as Biola continued to battle back and took a 16-12 lead over EOU.
 
The lead continued to grow for the Eagles and grew to five points, 19-14, after a service ace by Amy Weststeyn. However, EOU did not go away quietly in the second set. EOU slowly started to mount its comeback and cut the lead down to one point, after a Casey Loper kill and an attack error by Joclyn Kirton. However, that would be as close as EOU would get and EOU dropped set two, 25-22.
 
Eastern Oregon jumped out to a quick 3-0 early in the third set. Biola continued to battle but each time the Eagles grew close to EOU, the Mountaineers had an answer. After back-to-back kills by Loper and Isabelle Statkus, the Mountaineers found themselves ahead 15-9.
 
The Eagles did not go away quietly and after an attack error by Loper, Eastern Oregon's lead was down to two points, 15-13. EOU responded by scoring the next three points, capped off by a Rachelle Chamberlain kill.
 
Biola continued to battle and tied the set at 24-24 after a Kendra De Hoog attack error. Casey Loper put the Mountaineers back on top 25-24 and she gave EOU the set win with an ace to give EOU set three, 26-24.
 
The Mountaineers led early in set four and after an Amanda Miller kill the Mountaineers found themselves ahead by four points, 9-5. The Mountaineers continued to hold the lead of four points after a kill by Miller, 16-12. However, the Eagles answered by scoring the next four points to tie the set at 16-16.
 
EOU and Biola continued to stay locked in a tight battle. With the match tied at 22-22, EOU scored the next two points, to take a 24-22 lead. However, Biola continued to battle and scored the next three points putting the Eagles on top 25-24. EOU responded by scoring the next two points to take the lead back at 26-25. However, after regaining the lead, EOU did not score again in the set and dropped set four, 28-26, and the match 3-1 to No. 8 Biola.
 
Loper led the Mountaineers with 16 kills against Biola. Chamberlain dished out 42 of 46 assists for EOU.
 
Carroll
The Mountaineers used a few different runs to pull away from Carroll in the first set. With EOU ahead, 8-7, EOU scored the next four points to grow its lead to 12-7. EOU continued to extend its lead after an Isabelle Statkus kill, EOU led by seven, 18-11.
 
The Fighting Saints would not go away easily as they scored four straight points to cut EOU's lead down to three points, 18-15. That would be as close as Carroll would get as EOU took set one, 25-21.
 
The Mountaineers and Fighting Saints stayed locked into a tight battle in set two, as the biggest lead for either team in the second set was three points. Set two saw 11 ties and six lead changes. Each time the Mountaineers took a one point lead, Carroll responded by scoring the next two points.
 
With Carroll ahead by two, 18-16, the Mountaineers answered by scoring the next five points. Casey Loper capped off the run with a kill putting EOU ahead, 21-18. The Fighting Saints did not ago away as they continued to battle but a kill by Amanda Miller gave EOU the set, 25-22.
 
Early in the third set belonged to the Mountaineers as EOU raced out to a 6-1 lead over Carroll. Leading the early charge was Loper and Miller. The Mountaineers continued to extend its lead and after an ace by Bobbi Sumpter, EOU led 10-4.
 
Carroll slowly started to chip away and trimmed the EOU lead down to two points, 10-8, after a ball handling error by Sumpter. However, EOU answered back to grow its lead back to six points, 16-10, after back-to-back kills by Statkus.
 
The back-to back kills by Statkus led Carroll to a time out. After the timeout the Fighting Saints rallied off six straight points to tie the game at 16-16. EOU slowly continued to grow its lead and after a kill by De Hoog, EOU led, 22-18. Loper ended the match by recording her 15^th kill of the match. EOU took set three, 25-21, and swept Carroll.
 
Loper led the Mountaineers with 15 kills. Amanda Miller followed with 10 and Emily Nay and Isabelle Statkus recorded eight kills apiece.
 
Westmont
In the Mountaineers third game of the day, Loper continued to lead the Mountaineers. As she recorded 24 kills in the match, two kills away from tying Eastern Oregon's school record for kills in a match.
 
The Mountaineers found themselves down early in set one. After being down two points, 11-9, Loper recorded a kill to cut the Warriors lead down to one point, 11-10. EOU continued to battle and after back to back attack errors by Westmont, EOU found themselves ahead 17-16. However, the lead did not last long as the Warriors scored nine of the last 11 point to take set one, 25-20.
 
The second set belonged to the Mountaineers. After back to back attack errors by Westmont, Eastern Oregon slowly started to pull away from the Warriors. With the Mountaineers ahead 8-5, EOU went on a 10-4 run to take an 18-9 lead. The Mountaineers did not let the Warriors get closer than seven points the rest of the set and EOU took set two, 25-15 to tie the match at 1-1.
 
Eastern Oregon found themselves down early in the third set. After a Westmont kill by Taylor Beckman the Mountaineers were down 9-7. EOU slowly battled back and with the set tied at 10-10, EOU scored seven of the next nine points to take a lead of five points, 17-12.
 
However, the Warriors continued to battle and came all the way back to tie the set at 24-24. However, the Warriors never took the lead after tying the match at 24-24. With the set tied at 28-28, Loper recorded a kill and Westmont gave EOU the set three after an attack error. After three sets of play EOU led, 2-1.
 
Westmont slowly started to build a lead in the fourth set. After trailing 3-1, to EOU the Warriors started to battle back and after tying the set at 4-4, Westmont slowly started to grow its lead to 7-5. EOU continued to battle and kept the set close, as a kill by Loper put EOU down 9-8.
 
However, the Warriors continued to extend its lead and grew the lead to four points, 12-8. Trailing by four points the Mountaineers scored nine of ten points to take a 17-13 lead. Amanda Miller and Casey Loper led the Mountaineers on this run as they combined for five of the nine points for EOU.
 
With the Mountaineers leading 21-16, the Warriors slowly started to mount its comeback. The Warriors ended up tying the Mountaineers at 23-23 after a Kami Troesh ace. However, the Mountaineers did not let Westmont score the rest of the game and Loper and Miller closed out the victory for EOU. EOU defeated Westmont, 3-1.
 
Loper recorded 24 kills against Westmont, while Miller followed with 10. Rachelle Chamberlain dished out 50 assists against Westmont.
 
The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. when they take on Montana Tech at the Concordia Labor Day Tournament.