SALEM, Ore. - The Mountaineers continued their winning ways in their Cascade Collegiate Conference opening match against No. 5 Corban on Friday night. EOU beat Corban for the first time since the shortened 2020 season to open conference play, sweeping the Warriors in three sets, 27-25, 25-21, 25-17.
The first set started out in Corban's favor as they jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, but it didn't last as EOU once again came from behind evening it up at 13. From there the top two teams in the CCC battled to the end of the frame with the Mounties prevailing, 27-25. Eastern and Corban went back and forth in the second set up to the 16-point mark when Eastern pulled ahead and then closed the set with a 4-0 run. Just a set-win away from the first conference victory of the year, the Mountaineers finished the job in the third set taking the lead early and never looking back, winning 25-17.
"I am so proud of our team tonight and how they performed under pressure in a highly competitive atmosphere," Coach
Kaki McLean Morehead said. "We knew it was going to be a high level match and that we were going to have to control our errors and play incredibly well."
The win pushes EOU's streak to eight, winning six-straight against nationally ranked opponents. The sweep against Corban also marks their third win over a top-10 team in the 2022 campaign, and their second sweep of a top-10 team. EOU continues conference play on the road tomorrow against Bushnell. The match is set to start at 5 p.m. in Eugene, Ore.
BY THE NUMBERS
- EOU's efficient offense only had eight attack errors to Corban's 24
- The Mounties hit .227 on the night to Corban's .113
- Eastern dominated at the net with 14 blocks to Corban's three
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
