LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon University Volleyball team continued its historic start to the season Friday night, sweeping Northwest University 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-15) at Quinn Coliseum to extend its winning streak to 22 matches.
The Mountaineers took early control, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind kills from
Akylah Kaino and
Brooke Womack and a solo block from
Mylie Mills. Northwest responded to keep the set competitive, but EOU gradually extended its advantage with contributions from
Keira Vaughn, Mills and
Jule Whitley.
Stella Koch added to the attack, while service aces from
Ava Semprimoznik and
Sidney Friesen helped the Mountaineers close out the opening set 25-17.
The second set opened with a competitive stretch as EOU built a two-point lead behind a Mills kill and a
Jaycee Villastrigo service ace. Northwest answered with three consecutive points to take a narrow advantage, but
Keira Vaughn helped spark the Mountaineers on both sides of the ball. Koch and Whitley contributed defensively at the net as EOU reclaimed a 6-4 lead. The Eagles later tied the set at 8-8 with two kills and a block, but the Mountaineers responded with seven straight points to take control. Whitley contributed a kill,
Madison Vaughn delivered three service aces, and Mills added three kills during the run to give EOU a 15-8 advantage. Eastern maintained its momentum down the stretch, securing a 25-16 win to take a 2-0 match lead.
Northwest looked to respond in the third set, keeping the opening points close, but Eastern Oregon once again found its rhythm. The Mountaineers built a 13-9 lead as
Brooklyn Willard and Koch contributed multiple blocks, while
Keira Vaughn, Willard and Whitley helped fuel the offense. A Whitley-Womack block and back-to-back service aces from
Madison Vaughn further disrupted the Eagles' attack. EOU then used an 8-1 run featuring contributions from Womack, Friesen and Mills, along with a Mills-Womack block, to pull away and close out the set 25-15.
Keira Vaughn led the Mountaineers with 11 kills, followed by Mills with nine, while
Madison Vaughn contributed five service aces. Whitley led the defensive effort with six block assists, while Koch added four and Mills recorded three total blocks.
Eastern Oregon finished the match hitting .354 while holding Northwest to a .042 hitting percentage. The Mountaineers also held advantages in kills (39-23), service aces (12-6), blocks (10-3) and assists (36-19), underscoring their balanced performance on both sides of the net.
The Mountaineers will look to keep their unbeaten season rolling Saturday when they host The Evergreen State College at Quinn Coliseum. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.
