COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – The Mountaineers recovered from a slow start to secure a 3-1 victory over Walla Walla University on Friday, improving to 17-0 overall and 9-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
The Wolves started fast, outscoring Eastern Oregon 25-16 in the first set. The Mountaineers regrouped in the second set, edging out the Wolves 25-23. EOU took control in the third set, winning 25-15 behind a dominant .414 hitting percentage, and finished off Walla Walla in the fourth set with another 25-15 victory.
Eastern Oregon bounced back after dropping the first set, with strong performances from Emma Burlingame, who led the team with 12 kills and three service aces, and Keira Vaughn, who recorded 11 kills. The Mountaineers hit .216 as a team, with Ashton Bales adding 8 kills and 5 block assists.
Senior libero Hailey Arritola made history in the match, becoming the second Mountaineer in program history to surpass 2,000 career digs. Arritola currently sits behind all-time leader Kiley McMurtrey who set the record in 2020 with 2,150 digs. The senior libero now has 2,006 digs.
Hannah Ledgerwood notched a team-high 21 assists for the Mountaineers, while Danielle Faamausili recorded an impressive 26 assists for the Wolves.
Walla Walla's Sahara Browning led all players with 21 kills, while Natalia Jimenez added 12 kills and 14 digs. Despite their efforts, the Wolves struggled to maintain momentum after their first-set win, hitting .154 as a team.
Match Stats:
- EOU (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 44-17-125 (.216)
- Walla Walla (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 50-29-136 (.154)
- EOU Leaders: Emma Burlingame (12 kills, 3 aces), Keira Vaughn (11 kills), Hailey Arritola (16 digs)
- Walla Walla Leaders: Sahara Browning (21 kills), Natalia Jimenez (12 kills, 14 digs)
The Mountaineers will next take on the Lewis-Clark State Warriors tomorrow in Lewiston. The match is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. PT.
