LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers fell behind early but ultimately won three straight sets to secure a 3-1 victory over Oregon Tech on Saturday night at Quinn Coliseum.
Eastern Oregon dropped the first set 21-25 before rallying to take the next three sets and claim the match. A balanced offensive attack fueled the win, with Ashton Bales leading the way with 12 kills on a .286 hitting percentage. Kiauna Mack and Madison Morgan contributed 11 kills each, while Mack also added six blocks, helping EOU control the net.
The Mountaineers hit .177 as a team, improving their efficiency as the match progressed. They dominated the third and fourth sets, hitting .233 and .353, respectively, to outpace the Owls. Hailey Arritola anchored the defense with a team-high 18 digs, while setters Alexis McMurtrey and Hannah Ledgerwood combined for 47 assists.
For Oregon Tech, Molly Grace led the offense with a match-high 16 kills, hitting .316. Aleksen Thayer added 6 kills and five block assists, but the Owls struggled to find consistency, finishing with a .120 hitting percentage as a team.
Match Stats:
- EOU (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 57-29-158 (.177)
- Oregon Tech (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 42-25-142 (.120)
- EOU Leaders: Ashton Bales (12 kills, .286 hitting percentage), Kiauna Mack (11 kills, 6 blocks), Hailey Arritola (18 digs)
- Oregon Tech Leaders: Molly Grace (16 kills, .316 hitting percentage), Aleksen Thayer (6 kills, 5 blocks)
With the win, the Mountaineers improved to 19-2 overall and 11-2 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, while the Owls dropped to 12-10 and 5-9 in conference action. Eastern Oregon will look to continue their momentum next weekend when they face Corban University at Quinn Coliseum on October 18th.
