CALDWELL, Idaho – A back-and-forth Top-25 match-up that featured 41 ties and 15 lead changes did not go the College of Idaho's way, as Eastern Oregon outlasted the Lady Yotes in four sets inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The No. 17-ranked Mountaineers (13-4, 8-1 CCC) extended their win streak to eight with the 25-10, 24-26, 30-28, 25-19 victory – using 92 total digs and 13 team blocks to their advantage.
Set 1 was all Eastern, as the visitors hit at a stellar .378 clip – using a seven-point push to extend a big lead to 23-9 and cruise to the set win.
The No. 12-ranked Lady Yotes (11-6, 6-3) pulled even in Set 2 – which featured 17 ties and a string of 13-straight side-outs. A Hailee Ackerman ace gave EOU a 23-22 lead, but the Mounties followed with consecutive hitting errors to give C of I set point. Megan Bunn provided a kill to square the match at 24-24, before
Taylor Alexander smashed a winner for the Yotes and a
Mackenzie Keating-
Danielle Neuman combo-block capped the comeback for the hosts.
EOU surged ahead in Set 3 at 15-11, only to see the Yotes pull even at 16-16 when an overpass from
Zuri Meehan found the floor for a kill. The Mountaineers regained form and used a three-point run to earn set point at 24-22 – only to see
Jackie van Vliet smash consecutive kills to square the score. Each team fought off a pair of set points before a combo-block from Bunn and Alysson Crisp gave Eastern a 29-28 lead and a C of I hitting error ended the set.
The Mountaineers capped off the road win in Set 4, taking advantage of four C of I hitting errors to turn a 13-12 lead into a 18-13 edge – with Ackerman adding three late kills to close the match.
Ashley Pagan led C of I with 17 kills and 20 digs, with van Vliet logging 13 kills and six blocks and Alexander finishing with 11 kills and 11 digs.
Ackerman led all players with 24 kills, with Bunn adding 12 kills, 18 digs and four blocks. Setter Sarah Carpenter had 25 assists and 10 digs, with Kiley McMurtrey leading all players with 23 digs.
The Lady Yotes have a quick turnaround, hosting Walla Walla University tomorrow at 3 p.m.
