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16_VB_Champs
EOU Athletics
2
Corban CRB 22-6, #2 seed
3
Winner Eastern Oregon EOU 28-2, #1 seed
Corban CRB
22-6, #2 seed
2
Final
3
Eastern Oregon EOU
28-2, #1 seed
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Corban CRB 25 22 26 20 13 (2)
Eastern Oregon EOU 20 25 24 25 15 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Seth Dahle, Sports Information Director

No. 7 EOU Volleyball Rallies to Beat No. 22 Corban in CCC Title Match

LA GRANDE, Ore. – There's a first for everything – including a conference tournament championship. 
 
Second-seeded Corban stood only three points (12-6) away from pulling off a remarkable upset, but the first-seeded EOU volleyball team had other plans, as the Mountaineers rallied to clinch a five-set (20-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-20, 15-13) triumph over the Warriors in the finals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championship, presented by U.S. Bank.
 
EOU looked dead in the water, trailing 6-0 in the fifth stanza, while the Corban sideline had already begun to celebrate. However, behind a 20-kill performance by junior outside hitter Amanda Miller and school-record 68 assists by senior setter Rachelle Chamberlain, the Blue and Gold got the job done in front of an electric environment at Quinn Coliseum.
 
Along with Miller, junior middle hitter Madisen Garlie (14) and senior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma (12) recorded double-figure kills.
 
Two Mountaineers notched double-doubles, as Chamberlain (68 assists, 18 digs) and senior hitter Makayla Lindburg (18 kills, 16 digs) were solid on both ends of the net.
 
But it was EOU's back row that got the Mountaineers back into the fifth set, including junior defensive specialist Malia Mills and sophomore libero Holli Mullins, who added 15 and 13 digs, respectively.
 
No. 22 Corban (22-6) certainly came out with a mission, carding seven of the first 10 points to take the early edge. A Miller kill ultimately tied the opening frame at 13 apiece, but the Warriors fired back with an 11-6 burst to reach set point (24-19). Following a Garlie kill, Corban's Bethany Filipenko swatted one down to put the Warriors up early.
 
Despite being outhit in the second stanza, .351-.297, No. 7 EOU managed to overcome an 18-15 deficit to even the match at one set apiece. Tuma and Miller combined for five kills amidst an 8-3 burst to put EOU up two (23-21), and following a Warrior kill, Miller booked another point before Mills delivered an ace to cash in the stanza.
 
In the third frame, Lindburg floated one over to put the Mountaineers on top by three (18-15). Corban responded with seven of the next 10 to take a one-point advantage (22-21). Kills by Miller and Lindburg lifted EOU to set point (24-23), but the Warriors rallied behind kills by Amber Parker and a Mountaineer attack error to snag a 2-1 match lead.
 
Playing just its sixth non-three-set match of the season, the Blue and Gold got to work, hitting .342 in the fourth frame compared to a .234 clip by Corban. Freshman hitter Megan Bunn provided a spark of energy off the bench, totaling three kills and helping the Mountaineers to a 20-17 lead. Up 24-20, Chamberlain setup Lindburg for the swat to seal the set and send the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
Corban entered the match already having competed in four five-set matches during the 2016 campaign. That experience seemed to have helped initially, as the Warriors unloaded six quick points to send Quinn Coliseum into shock. Although Garlie hammered one down to pull EOU to within four (10-6), it didn't seem like it was going to be enough after Corban tallied two more points to extend its advantage back to six (12-6).
 
That's when the Mountaineers began to chip away, as Tuma put down three straight, and then Chamberlain delivered an ace to cut the deficit to two (12-10). Lindburg teamed up with Tuma to deny Parker's attempt, and then Lindburg sent down a kill to knot the set at 12 apiece. At 13 all, Bunn popped down a kill, and then Corban committed an attack error to yield the wild fifth set.
 
Marandah Boeder and Parker led the Warriors with 18 and 16 kills, respectively, while Madison McLain dished out 60 assists.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
1ST – Tournament championship in school history for EOU.
68 – Assists by Chamberlain, a single-match record at EOU.  
20 – Kills by Miller, a career-high effort.  
 
UP NEXT
EOU will discover its pool play opponents on Monday during the NAIA Selection Show at 8 a.m. PST. To watch the show, click here.


 
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