LEBANON, Tenn. – No. 2 Eastern Oregon Volleyball closed out its final day at the Phoenix Classic in dominant fashion, sweeping the University of Rio Grande, 25-10, 25-20, 25-12, before taking down (RV) Cumberland (TN) 25-21, 25-12, 25-19.
Game 1 - University of Rio Grande
The Mounties set the tone immediately, opening the match with a 4-0 run behind back-to-back kills from
Keira Vaughn. EOU continued to control the first set, hitting .320 while limiting Rio Grande to a -.143 attack percentage. Eastern's early impact stemmed with blocks from
Mylie Mills and Vaughn and kills from Vaughn,
Jule Whitley, and
Brooklyn Willard, helping the Mounties build a 13-3 advantage. EOU closed the set on a 5-2 run to take it 25-10.
Rio Grande pushed back in the second, using a 5-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. Eastern quickly answered to even the set at 10-10 before the teams traded points throughout the middle stages. After Rio Grande tied the set at 19-19, the Mounties responded with six of the final seven points, using Vaughn and Whitley kills, a Whitley-Vaughn block, and two late aces to secure the 25-20 win.
Eastern again jumped ahead early in the third, racing to a 7-1 lead behind kills from
Brooke Womack,
Stella Koch and Mills, and a trio of Rio Grande errors. The Mounties never surrendered control, extending their lead to 18-8 on consecutive Willard kills before closing out the sweep, 25-12. EOU hit .444 in the final set while holding Rio Grande to .086.
The Mounties finished the match with timely attacks and a dominant defensive performance.
Keira Vaughn led EOU with seven kills, while
Brooke Womack added six and
Brooklyn Willard five.
Jule Whitley anchored the net with six blocks, while
Jaycee Villastrigo served up four aces.
Kate Stidham paced the offense with 16 assists.
As a team, EOU held decisive advantages in points (55-32), kills (33-24), aces (13-5), blocks (9-3), assists (29-22), and digs (38-35). The Mounties hit .329 for the match while limiting Rio Grande to .034, committing just seven attack errors compared to 21 by the Redstorm.
Game 2 - (RV) Cumberlands (TN)
The Mounties faced a much tighter opening set against Cumberland, with the Phoenix taking the first two points before Eastern responded with a 5-2 run. EOU maintained its advantage throughout the early stages, but Cumberland battled back to tie the set at 11-11. The teams continued to trade points until Eastern put together a crucial 4-0 run, highlighted by kills from Vaughn, Whitley and Womack, to take a 19-16 lead. Cumberland attempted another comeback, but a Mills-Willard block and a Kaino kill halted the momentum as the Mounties closed out the set, 25-20.
Eastern took control early in the second set, turning a 5-5 tie into an 11-5 lead behind kills from Womack, Willard and Whitley, along with an ace from
Sidney Friesen. The Mounties continued to pull away, using a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 22-9 before Vaughn's kill sealed the 25-12 victory. EOU dominated offensively, hitting .440 while holding Cumberland to -.077.
Cumberland opened the final set with a 3-0 lead, but Eastern quickly answered with a 5-0 run, featuring four kills and an ace, to take a 10-7 advantage. After Cumberland pulled within 16-15, EOU responded with another strong finish, scoring nine of the final 13 points to complete the sweep, 25-19.
Vaughn led the Mounties with 12 kills, followed by Kaino with 11 and Womack with seven. Stidham directed the offense with 18 assists, while Villastrigo led the defense with 13 digs. Willard, Mills and Whitley each recorded three blocks.
As a team, EOU hit an impressive .406 for the match compared to Cumberland's .146. The Mounties also held advantages in points (56-39), kills (46-32), blocks (6-2) and assists (41-30), finishing the weekend undefeated.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon heads to Fullerton, California, next weekend for the Summer Slam. The Mounties will face Life Pacific, La Sierra and Hope International before closing the weekend against No. 1 Northwestern College (Iowa).
