LA GRANDE, Ore. – The top-ranked team in the NAIA, No. 1 Eastern Oregon, flexed its power on Saturday with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-16) sweep of the LC State Volleyball team. With the loss, the Warriors are now 13-8 overall and 9-7 in Cascade Conference play.
LC State went 1-2 on the week, with a win over Walla Walla at home, at remain on the road for more CCC action next weekend.
After a 4-0 start by EOU, Jada Wyms and Grecia Ung Enriquez slammed down back-to-back kills to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Mounties maintained a slim edge over the Warriors before kills by Lisi Langi, Channa Hart, Ung Enriquez, and Cassidy Nelson evened the set 14-14.
EOU regained the advantage at 17-14 to force an LC timeout, and Nelson came out swinging with three straight kills to tie things up once more. Back-to-back kills by Wyms and Langi again knotted the score 20-20, but the Mounties rallied for three straight points to take control. They closed out the set 25-23.
Langi started the second frame with a kill before joining Wyms on a block as part of a 3-0 opening run. EOU answered with six in a row to jump in front before a kill by Ung Enriquez snapped the stretch. The Mounties continued to build their lead with a four-point stretch at 12-5. The margin continued to grow with EOU in the driver’s seat as the set ended 25-17 in favor of the home team.
EOU opened the third with a 4-0 run before a block by Juliauna Forgach Aguilar madeit 4-1. The Mounties grew their lead to 6-1 before a kill by Wyms, block by Hart and Langi and an ace by Jennah Carpenter brought LC within two at 6-4. A kill by Langi made it a four-point stretch, but EOU regained its momentum to push back out to 14-8. Kills by Nelson and Hart cut the LC deficit to three, 15-12, but that as close as LC would get. Top-ranked EOU finished off the Warriors with a final set score of 25-16.
Nelson led LC State with 10 kills and Ung Enriquez added nine. Esther Kailiponi and Carpenter each dealt 14 assists. On defense, Langi led LC with four blocks, while Kenzie Dean collected nine digs.
UP NEXT
LC State is on the road again next weekend with matchups at Northwest and Evergreen State.
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