LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 2-ranked Mounties continued their strong start to conference play, sweeping College of Idaho on Wednesday night at Quinn Coliseum. With the win, the Mountaineers improved to 14-1 overall and 6-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, while the Yotes dropped to 7-8 overall and 3-4 in conference action.
In a highly competitive first set, both teams exchanged leads before EOU edged out the Yotes 29-27. The Mountaineers controlled the second set, hitting .375 to win 25-18, and closed out the sweep with a 25-20 victory in the third.
Eastern Oregon showcased a balanced offensive attack, led by Ashton Bales, who tallied 12 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, and Emma Burlingame, who contributed 11 kills while hitting .391. Keira Vaughn added 10 kills, and Kiauna Mack chipped in with six kills and four blocks. The Mounties hit .264 as a team, totaling 50 kills and 14 blocks across three sets.
Defensively, reigning NAIA National Defender of the Week Hailey Arritola anchored the backline with 10 digs, while setters Alexis McMurtrey and Hannah Ledgerwood combined for 37 assists. McMurtrey also added a service ace and two kills to round out her solid performance.
For College of Idaho, Haley McUne and Mia Hutchison led the team with seven kills, while Alexa Wheeler and Shelbey Nichol added six and five kills, respectively. Despite a strong start, the Yotes struggled to find consistency, hitting .171 as a team and committing 19 attack errors.
Match Stats
- EOU (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 50-18-121 (.264)
- College of Idaho (Kills-Errors-Attempts): 37-19-105 (.171)
- EOU Leaders: Ashton Bales (12 kills, 4 blocks), Emma Burlingame (11 kills), Alexis McMurtrey (20 assists, 1 ace), Hailey Arritola (10 digs)
- College of Idaho Leaders: Haley McUne (7 kills, 2 blocks), Alexa Wheeler (6 kills), Shelbey Nichol (5 kills)
Eastern Oregon will return to Quinn Coliseum this weekend, preparing to face Warner Pacific University on Friday at 6:00 p.m.
