No. 10 EOU finishes nonconference slate 10-0 with two more wins
Published 10:24 am Friday, September 13, 2019
The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers finished its nonconference slate a perfect 10-0 with two more victories in Caldwell, Idaho, at the College of Idaho Labor Day Classic Saturday.
The 10th-ranked Mountaineers opened with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-5, 25-16 victory over previously unbeaten and 21st-ranked Providence (Montana) and followed with a sweep of Hope International (California), 25-21, 25-16, 25-23.
Megan Bunn was one of three Mountaineers in double figures with 13 kills, and added 11 digs to post a double-double. Madison Pilon also had a double-double, recording 38 assists — a career high — and 16 digs. She also had four aces. Jet Taylor added 12 kills and seven blocks — six of which were block assists — and Hailee Ackerman had 10 kills. Three other players had double figures in digs — Kylie McMurtrey (29) and Aspen Christiansen and Sade Williams (11 each).
Eastern led much of the first set until a 6-1 run put Providence up 15-13 on a Renae Davis kill. EOU briefly pulled even before the Argos outscored EOU 10-5 and finished the set with a Kelsey Shaver kill.
The Mountaineers rallied from as many as four points down to take a 19-18 lead on back-to-back Ackerman kills. A kill by Pilon broke a 22-22 tie, a block by Taylor Tibbetts and Taylor gave EOU set point, and Tibbetts finished it two points later with a kill.
EOU scored the first seven points and last 10 points to win a third-set laugher. Taylor had a block for a 7-0 lead, and a kill later by Cambree Scott made it 13-3, and Bunn had four kills during the closeout 10-0 run. EOU had 14 kills and four aces during the set, and posted a .520 kill percentage.
The rally carried into the fourth as Eastern scored the first three points, went up 6-1 and later 10-4. A kill by Scott made it 12-5, and Taylor extended the lead to 19-9. Providence got no closer than seven the rest of the way.
Scott turned in one of the most prolific blocking performances in program history in the Mountaineers’ sweep of Hope International. The sophomore had 12 block assists, which tied her with Emily Nay for second most blocks in a three-set match ever at EOU and fifth most ever. She also had eight kills.
Ackerman led Eastern with nine kills, but Eastern’s dominance in the match came on the defensive side. The Mountaineers had 17 total blocks and had five players in double figures in digs — McMurtrey (25), Christiansen (22) Bunn (16), Pilon (14) and Williams (13). Pilon also had 24 assists.
Eastern pulled out the first set late. Scott broke an 18-18 tie with a kill, then had two blocks — one with Bunn and one with Pilon — for a 21-18 lead. Another Scott kill made it 22-20, and Taylor had a kill later to end the set.
Eastern scored four straight points early in the second to take the lead for good, and went up 11-6 on a Scott and Tibbetts block. Scott later had a kill for a 10-point lead at 22-12, and Bunn ended the set with a kill.
Hope International rallied from six points down to take a 20-18 lead in the third set on a Sarah Wong ace. But Ackerman followed with two kills to start a 6-0 run, and a Breanna Shaffer kill capped the run for a 24-20 lead. Scott and Ackerman finished the match with a kill.
EOU (10-0 overall) travels to Northwest Christian Friday to begin Cascade Collegiate Conference play.