KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Nearly 24 hours after clinching at least a share of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) regular-season title, the No. 10 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team suffered a five-set (25-23, 16-25, 12-25, 25-20, 13-15) setback at the hands of Oregon Tech on Saturday night.

Early deficits cost the Mountaineers in each dropped set, and the Navy and Gold hit a negative hitting percentage in two of the five frames.

Key Performances
Sophomore right side hitter Isabelle Statkus led EOU with a career-high 13 kills, while junior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller added 12 and 10 kills, respectively.

Notching her eighth double-double of the season, junior setter Rachelle Chamberlain recorded 52 assists and 10 digs.

In addition, both senior libero Piper Cantrell (24) and junior defensive specialist Sara Pulaski (21) collected +20 digs in the losing effort.

The Storyline
Set one saw the Mountaineers recover form an early six-point deficit (11-5) to take down OIT, 25-23. Kills by Nay, Miller, and Chamberlain ignited a 12-2 EOU run to put the Mountaineers on top, 17-13. Kills by Miller and freshman middle hitter Karlee Hollis gave EOU a five-point (19-14) advantage, but the Owls stormed from behind to take a 23-22 lead. Back-to-back Miller kills lifted EOU to set point (24-23), and OIT committed an attack error to drop the opening frame.

Once again, the Owls swung to an early lead, taking a 13-7 advantage to start the second set. Chamberlain hammered one down and then Nay and Miller teamed up for a block assist to scratch OIT's lead to two (14-12), but the Owls closed the frame with an 11-4 run to even the match at one set apiece.

The third set saw OIT open the frame with an 11-3 run capped by a block assist by Mykala Rubey and Kelsey Rank. A Hollis kill cut the Owls' lead to six (17-11), but OIT closed the frame with an 8-1 run to put EOU in the dust.

Needing the fourth set to stay alive, the Mountaineers were able to take advantage of nine OIT miscues, while the Navy and Gold hit .213 to stay afloat. A Tuma kill granted EOU its largest lead of the frame (19-13), but the Owls hung around, ultimately getting as close as three on a trio of occasions. Miller's kill lifted the Mountaineers to set point (24-20), and then Tuma knocked one down to send the intense battle to a fifth set.

EOU scooted to a 5-4 advantage in the fifth frame following a kill by senior outside hitter Kendra De Hoog. Rubey and Bailey Nelson accounted for two kills apiece amidst a 9-5 run to give OIT a critical 13-10 lead, and the Owls (14-10, 9-9 CCC) kept the advantage for the remainder of the set to hold on for the upset.

Stat of the Match
17 – Blocks by OIT compared to only six by EOU.

Up Next
EOU (22-3, 17-2 CCC) has a chance to earn its first outright CCC title on Nov. 5 against Walla Walla in College Place, Wash., at 7 p.m.