LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Warriors took on the top team in the nation on Saturday in No. 1 Eastern Oregon and gave the Mountaineers a challenge through three sets. Despite momentary leads throughout the frames, LC State fell 25-21, 25-21, 25-21.
Warrior Volleyball is now 3-11 on the season and 2-7 in Cascade Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
EOU errors gave LC State its first two points of the match before Juliauna Forgach Aguilar tallied the first Warrior kill. Another swing by the sophomore kept LC within two at 9-7 before a kill by Gianna Anderson and ace by Katie Rainville evened the score 13-13. The Mountaineers rallied to pull ahead 17-13 before the Warriors went on a three-point run to pull within one. Missy Mortensen and Forgach Aguilar put up back-to-back blocks to help the score to 21-20, but another surge by EOU ended the set 25-21.
The Warriors bounced back well in the second frame starting with three kills by Forgach Aguilar for a 3-1 lead. A kill by Anderson and block by Hallie Seaman and Karissa Lindner kept LC in front 6-4, and a kill by Anna Merrill sparked an eight-point run for the Warriors. The stretch featured a block by Merrill and Mortensen and kills by Forgach Aguilar to make it a 16-9 LC State advantage, but the lead was short-lived.
EOU answered to pull ahead on a seven-point run. Anderson and Seaman added kills but the Mounties took the frame 25-21.
A block by Mortensen and Forgach Aguilar opened the third set, and a pair of kills by Mortensen kept things tied 4-4. A 5-2 stretch had EOU ahead 11-6 as the Mounties continued to grow their lead. Lindner tallied a kill before assisting on blocks with Anderson and Merrill to cut the difference to 19-16, and a kill by Forgach Aguilar and block by Forgach Aguilar and Mortensen had the score at 24-21. EOU ended the match with a 25-21 set win.
Forgach Aguilar led the Warriors with 11 kills on a .216 attack percentage and Esther Kailiponi dished out 14 assists. Kenzie Dean collected 16 digs to bring her career total to 1,475. Mortensen led LC State at the net with seven block assists, Forgach Aguilar had five and Lindner added four. Warrior Volleyball out-blocked EOU 11-5.
UP NEXT
The Warriors take on Walla Walla on the road on Wednesday.
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