LA GRANDE, Ore. — No. 1 Eastern Oregon University suffered its first loss of the season Friday night, falling 3-1 to No. 5 Corban University at Quinn Coliseum. The Warriors claimed the match by scores of 25-14, 25-16, 16-25 and 28-26, snapping the Mountaineers' program-record winning streak at 23 matches.
The Mountaineers struggled to find their rhythm in the opening set as Corban quickly established a two-point lead before extending its advantage to 10-3 behind a six-point run sparked by Emma Bischoff. The Warriors continued to capitalize on extended scoring runs, while Eastern Oregon struggled to keep its attacks in bounds. Corban closed the set with four consecutive points to secure a 25-14 victory.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Eastern Oregon opened strong, taking a 5-2 lead behind kills from
Keira Vaughn and
Akylah Kaino, along with a service ace from
Jaycee Villastrigo. Corban responded with kills from Lauryn Copeland and Kendra Bittle, while Mountaineer errors allowed the Warriors to even the score at 7-7. Corban then seized momentum and pulled ahead 15-9. The teams traded points through the middle of the set before Eastern Oregon trimmed the deficit with a three-point run featuring a kill from
Ava Semprimoznik, a service ace from
Madison Vaughn and a Corban error. However, the Warriors closed the set by capitalizing on four consecutive Eastern Oregon errors to claim a 25-16 win and take a 2-0 lead.
Facing a must-win third set, the Mountaineers responded with renewed energy. A five-point run sparked by Kaino helped Eastern Oregon establish a 5-1 advantage. After the teams traded points,
Mylie Mills and Vaughn helped ignite the Mountaineer offense, fueling a nine-point run that pushed the lead to 20-9. Corban managed to extend the set with a few additional points, but Eastern Oregon maintained control to earn a 25-16 victory and force a fourth set.
Looking to complete the comeback, Eastern Oregon battled through an extended fourth set that went beyond the standard 25-point mark. Corban opened with a 6-3 lead and extended the advantage to 15-9, using a combination of kills, service pressure and blocks to disrupt the Mountaineers' offense. Eastern Oregon fought back behind
Brooke Womack and
Keira Vaughn, whose timely kills kept the Mountaineers within striking distance.
Corban maintained its advantage through the middle of the set, leading 20-15, but Eastern Oregon continued to battle. The Mountaineers cut the deficit to 23-22 behind contributions from Vaughn, Womack and
Brooklyn Willard. Another Vaughn kill brought Eastern Oregon closer before a block by
Jule Whitley and Kaino tied the set at 24-24. Whitley then put the Mountaineers ahead 25-24.
Corban answered to even the score at 25-25, but Vaughn delivered another kill to give Eastern Oregon a 26-25 lead. The Warriors responded by claiming the next three points, with Gracee Robertson delivering the decisive kill to secure a 28-26 victory and end the Mountaineers' historic winning streak.
Vaughn led Eastern Oregon with a match-high 21 kills, hitting .311 on 45 attacks. Kaino added nine kills, while Womack finished with eight kills, two service aces and 10 digs.
Kate Stidham paced the offense with 27 assists, and Villastrigo led the defensive effort with 11 digs. Whitley contributed four blocks.
Corban's offense was led by Bischoff, who recorded 15 kills, four service aces and 13 digs. Greta Van Gemert added 13 kills, while Bittle finished with 10. The Warriors also held a significant advantage at the net, recording 13 total blocks to Eastern Oregon's six.
Despite the setback, the Mountaineers' historic start remains a milestone for the program. Their 23 consecutive victories established a program record for the longest winning streak to open a season, marking an impressive run for the 2026 campaign.
Eastern Oregon will look to rebound Saturday night when the Mountaineers return to Quinn Coliseum to host Bushnell. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m.
