LA GRANDE, Ore. – The 'Final 4' of the 2015 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Volleyball Tournament is set.
The No. 9 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team is the top seed after winning the regular season title outright, however, the Mountaineers will have to face a team that gave them their first conference blemish of the season in Northwest. Match time on Friday is set for 7 p.m.
After sweeping Corban last night in Kirkland, Wash., the fourth-seeded Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the CCC Tournament for the first time since 2005.
To watch the promo video, "Join the Fight," click the 'Play' button in the photo above.
The Opponent
Northwest is enjoying its best season in 10 years with a 20-9 record overall and a 14-6 mark in CCC play.
The Eagles lead the league in aces per frame (2.00) and are fourth in the CCC with a .206 hitting percentage.
Last night, Northwest overcame an early six-point hole in the third stanza to complete the sweep (25-17, 25-18, 25-23) over the Warriors. Amanda Waterman tallied a team-best 11 kills, while Morgan Pilon dished out 33 assists.
On the season, Mattie Jo Johnson leads the squad and is fourth in the CCC in hitting percentage (.288), while Pilon is sixth in the league in assists per set (8.38). The Eagles' serving game has aided the squad in countless matches this season, as three players rank in the top 10 of the CCC in aces per set.
Three players average over two kills per frame for Northwest, with Waterman (2.84/set) leading the way.
Last Meeting
The Mountaineers dropped their first CCC match of the year in a five-set (22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 10-15) heartbreaker to Northwest on Oct. 17 in Kirkland.
Northwest drove in 14 service aces on the evening, and the Navy and Gold was held to just a .162 hitting percentage.
Sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay carded 16 kills and seven blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller added 15 kills.
After EOU evened the match at two sets apiece, Northwest utilized a 4-1 run in the fifth stanza to reach match point (14-9), and the rest was history.
Earlier in the season on Sept. 18, the Mountaineers hit .305 and swept (25-18, 25-23, 25-17) the Eagles to notch their 10th win of the 2015 campaign.
All Navy and Gold Since 2011
Since the 2011, EOU is 9-1 against Northwest. Five of those matches were handled by the Mountaineers in straight sets.
Home Sweet Home
The Navy and Gold currently boasts the best home record in the CCC with a 12-0 mark. EOU has simply dominated at Quinn Coliseum, winning 52 of its last 55 matches in La Grande.
Waiting in the Wings
Should EOU come out on top, the Navy and Gold will square off against the winner of the Southern Oregon-College of Idaho matchup on Saturday in the 2015 CCC Championship at 4 p.m.
We're Baaack
On Tuesday, the Mountaineers snuck their way back into the top 10 of the 2015 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. EOU has notched a top-10 ranking in all but two weeks this season.
First 100
The first 100 EOU students in attendance on both Friday and Saturday's matches will receive free admission.
Just for Kids
Both matches (4 p.m. & 7 p.m.) on Friday will be free for fans ages 12 and under.
Live Stats/Video
While live stats are free, fans can pay ($7.95) to watch the matches on the EOU athletics website. To watch live video, click here.
