SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 11 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team gave No. 1 Lindsey Wilson College (LWC) all it could handle, but the Mountaineers ultimately came up short in four sets (25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 25-15) on Thursday night in pool play of the 2015 NAIA Volleyball National Championship.
The Mountaineers exited the 2015 campaign with a 25-6 overall record. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders improved to 36-3 on the season.
Key Performances
Junior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma recorded double-figure kills for the 14th time this season, as she paced EOU with 16 kills on 39 attempts.
In addition, sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller compiled 13 and 10 kills, respectively.
Registering her 12th double-double of the season, junior setter Rachelle Chamberlain logged 50 assists and 15 digs. The Idaho native tallied 50 or more assists nine times during the 2015 season.
Playing her last match in a Navy and Gold uniform, senior libero Piper Cantrell added 19 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Holli Mullins collected 16 digs.
Carol Siqueira led LWC with 28 kills and 16 digs.
The Storyline
After LWC doubled up EOU early (14-7), a Chamberlain kill sparked a 10-5 Mountaineer run to make it a two-point match, 19-17. The Blue Raiders stretched their advantage to four, and after Tuma's kill cut the deficit back to two (23-21), LWC notched a kill and an ace to take the opening frame, 25-21.
EOU played catch-up in the second stanza before claiming its first lead (13-12) of the match following a kill by Miller. The squads traded points until Tuma hammered one down to put the Mountaineers on top by two, 19-17. With a 23-22 advantage, freshman middle hitter Karlee Hollis put one away to lift EOU to set point, and then a bump-over by junior defensive specialist Sara Pulaski found the hardwood to tie the match at one set apiece.
Another tight stanza saw neither team lead by more than three points before LWC stole a 25-23 third-set victory. EOU snagged a 12-11 advantage after a kill by Hollis, but the Blue Raiders ultimately regained the lead for good. Miller's kill tied the frame at 22 all, but the Navy and Gold's effort came up short.
After EOU leaped to a 4-1 lead in the fourth frame thanks to two errors by LWC, a kill by junior outside hitter Sierra Linke, and an ace by Hollis, the Blue Raiders put the hammer down and responded with a 14-4 run to take control. Nay attacked for EOU's final kill of the season, and the Mountaineers mustered one last 'EOU Block Party' to cut the deficit to eight (23-15), but LWC hung on for the four-set victory.
Stat of the Match
25 – EOU amassed 25 wins during the 2015 season, marking just the fourth time in program history that the Mountaineers tallied 25 or more wins.
