College volleyball: Eastern begins homestand with 3-1 victory over Bushnell
Oct. 8—LA GRANDE — The No. 1 Eastern Oregon University volleyball program started off a big weekend on the right note.
The Mountaineers defeated Bushnell 3-1 at home on Friday, Oct. 7, winning the sets 25-17, 22-25, 25-18 and 25-20. The win is the 19th straight for the team, who is now 19-1 overall and 12-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
Eastern's trio of Preslee Jensen, Cambree Scott and Kara Clayton were strong on the net offensively. Jensen led the team with 13 kills, while Scott recorded 11 kills and eight blocks. Alexis McMurtrey recorded a team-high 24 assists and Hailey Arritola recorded 20 digs.
After a close start in the first set, the Mountaineers went on a big run midway through the set to build up a 16-7 lead. Eastern controlled the tempo and held a steady lead throughout the majority of the set, ultimately taking the frame 25-17 off a service error by Bushnell.
The Beacons came out firing in the second set, building up a steady lead early on. Eastern trailed by roughly four points throughout the majority of the set and failed to overcome the deficit despite a late rally. Bushnell would hold on to win 25-22 and equalize the overall match score.
After succeeding the second set, the Mountaineers had to battle early in the third frame. The teams were knotted at 6-6 early on, but Eastern ultimately pulled away and carried out a steady lead for the remainder of the set. A kill by Scott put the fourth set on ice as Eastern secured a 2-1 lead.
While the fourth set was neck-and-neck throughout, Eastern never trailed at any point. Both teams were tied at 15-15, but Eastern constructed a close lead that would outlast any late runs from the Beacons. A kill from Jensen off an assist from Madison Morgan was the final point that secured a match victory for Eastern.
Coming off the victory, Eastern will face arguably its biggest challenge of the regular season. The Mountaineers will play Corban, the No. 5 team in the NAIA rankings, at home on Oct. 8. The action is slated to begin at 5 p.m. at Quinn Coliseum.
