KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eastern Oregon volleyball standouts Ashton Bales and Kiauna Mack were named to the 2024 NAIA Women's Volleyball First Team All-America, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The honors mark a historic season for the Mountaineers, the first time in program history that two players have earnd first-team distinctions.
The NAIA-VCA Executive Committee selects the All-America teams during the NAIA Championship, pulling candidates from their respective All-Conference teams.
Bales, a senior opposite hitter from Yakima, Wash., earned her spot after a dominant offensive season. She totaled 286 kills, averaging 2.51 kills per set, while adding 345.5 points across 114 sets. Bales posted a .269 hitting percentage and was a consistent force in EOU's frontcourt attack.
Joining her on the First Team, junior middle blocker Kiauna Mack had an equally stellar season. The Puyallup, Wash., native led the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) in blocks and ranked second nationally with 1.57 blocks per set. Offensively, Mack registered 265 kills with a .302 hitting percentage, contributing 364.0 total points.
The duo's performances were instrumental in Eastern Oregon's success this season, helping the Mountaineers finish with a 31-5 record and make another deep run in the 2024 NAIA National Tournament.
