PHOTO GALLERY - EOU vs. Walla Walla

COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – The preseason favorite of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) confirmed its predetermined fate.

With a four-set (25-18, 24-26, 25-9, 25-18) victory over Walla Walla, the No. 12 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team clinched its first-ever outright CCC regular season championship on Thursday night.

"I'm proud of what we have accomplished this season and the work we have done," said head volleyball coach Kaki McLean Morehead. "More than what we have achieved, we realize that our work isn't done, and all of this has prepared us for the next path. We are enjoying this moment."

Key Performances
Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller hammered down a career-high 21 kills on 33 attempts for a .515 clip. Meanwhile, junior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma and sophomore right side hitter Isabelle Statkus posted 15 and nine kills, respectively.

Senior libero Piper Cantrell paced the back row with 22 digs, while junior setter Rachelle Chamberlain put forth a balanced effort with 56 assists and nine digs. 

The Storyline
EOU scored eight of the first 11 points in the opening stanza after Tuma swung in for back-to-back kills. Walla Walla didn't budge, as the Wolves sliced the Mountaineers' advantage to two on a pair of occasions until Miller and senior outside hitter Kendra De Hoog attacked for consecutive kills to ignite an 8-2 run and lift EOU to set point, 24-16. After Walla Walla forged two more points, Chamberlain found Miller for the kill to give EOU a one-set lead.

The second frame saw the Navy and Gold's worst set (.222) of the match, while the Wolves amassed their best hitting percentage (.278) of the night to even the contest. EOU overcame an early seven-point deficit to reach set point (24-23) after a Walla Walla attack error, but Lexi Shanko and the Wolves tallied three unanswered points to steal the stanza.

Set three represented the polar opposite of its predecessor, as EOU swung an unstoppable .444 clip while holding Walla Walla to a negative .103 percentage. Kills by Miller and Statkus capped a 15-5 run to open the frame, and the Mountaineers never looked back en route to the 25-9 third-set victory.

The Mountaineers utilized another quick start in the fourth set to give themselves some breathing room, as sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay and freshman middle hitter Karlee Hollis teamed up for the block assist to put the Navy and Gold on top, 10-5. Despite trailing by as many as nine, Walla Walla (7-18, 3-16 CCC) refused to go down quietly and got as close as five (23-18), but Miller attacked for a kill and the Wolves forged a setting error to hand the match to EOU.

EOU outhit Walla Walla, 64-38, and the Navy and Gold also had 62 assists, a season-high in a four-set match.

Stat of the Match
21 – Kills by Miller, a career-best effort.

Up Next
The Mountaineers (23-3, 18-2 CCC) return to the hardwood on Friday, Nov. 13, to compete in the semifinals of the 2015 CCC Volleyball Championship. EOU will compete at 7 p.m. in La Grande, and the squad's opponent is to be determined.