CALDWELL, Idaho – Facing the No. 8-ranked team in the NAIA, The College of Idaho went toe-to-toe with Eastern Oregon for the first two sets, before dropping a 25-23, 25-18, 25-13 decision to the Mountaineers inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Playing a non-conference match against their Cascade Conference rivals, the Coyotes (2-3) had chances in each of the first two sets to earn a victory, before an huge Set 3 run gave the Mountaineers the 3-set sweep.
Eastern (5-0) jumped out leads of 5-1 and 12-6 in the opening frame, but the Yotes battled back. Back-to-back stuff blocks from
Jade Warren cut the margin to 15-13, with C of I cutting the gap to 17-16 on a combo-block from
Cameron Wallace and
Sarah Gold. EOU would regain a 24-20 lead, before a Gold kill and consecutive Mountie hitting errors got the hosts within a point, before a Cambree Scott kill ended the set.
The two teams battled to six ties in Set 2, with C of I taking their only lead of the day at 7-6 after an Eastern hitting error. Breanna Shaffer answered with two kills in a 6-point surge by the visitors, to take a 12-7 lead. The Yotes would close the margin to 18-16 on a
Cameron Wallace kill, but Sade Williams countered with two kills and forced two C of I hitting errors, as EOU closed the set on a 7-2 run.
Set 3 was all Mounties, scoring the first six points and adding an 8-0 run to push out to a 17-3 lead – with the visitors never threatened – posting 16 kills in the period.
Warren led C of I with eight kills and four blocks (three solo), with Wallace adding five kills and five blocks and Gold adding three kills and five blocks.
Margie Beeler had 13 assists, with
Ali Carpenter logging 17 digs.
Madison Morgan led EOU with 12 kills without a hitting error, with Williams posting 11 kills. Madison Pilon had 28 assists and Kiley McMurtrey led all players with 21 digs.
Both teams return to action next weekend at the CCC C of I Pod #2 – facing Bushnell and Warner Pacific.
