College volleyball: Eastern defeats Lewis-Clark State for 10th consecutive victory

Davis Carbaugh, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
·2 min read

Sep. 10—LEWISTON, Idaho — The Eastern Oregon University volleyball team remained in top form on Friday, Sept. 9, taking down Lewis-Clark State in four sets.

The victory was game one of back-to-back conference road matchups this weekend. The Mountaineers saw their winning streak stretch to 10 games, while the team's record improved to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Eastern and Lewis-Clark State battled back and forth in the opening set, fighting out a 20-20 draw late in the frame. After falling down 21-20, the Mountaineers rattled off five straight points to take the set — two straight kills from Madison Morgan put the set away and gave Eastern an early lead in the match.

The Mountaineers handled business in the second set, rattling off an 11-0 run in the middle of the set to build a 20-8 lead. After a late rally from the Warriors, a kill by Kara Clayton gave Eastern a 25-14 final advantage in the second set.

With the match on the line in the third set, Lewis-Clark State battled to keep their chances alive. With both teams knotted at 20-20, the Warriors scored five out of the ensuing six points to win the set 25-21 and force a fourth frame.

In the fourth set, the two teams battled out a close start as Eastern held a narrow 8-7 lead. The Mountaineers took control of the set, extending their lead to 20-12 and forcing Lewis-Clark State against the ropes. With the match on the line, Preslee Jensen recorded the final point to give the Mountaineers a 25-16 advantage.

Jensen led Eastern with 10 total kills, while Morgan and Sade Williams both tallied nine. Alexis McMurtrey was the top player in assists for the match, totaling 20 on the night — she also led all players with five aces. Cambree Scott was solid on the net, totaling a team-high five blocks.

Coming off the win, Eastern will have a quick turnaround before traveling to College Place, Washington to face off with Walla Walla. The second game of Eastern's weekend double is set to begin at 9 p.m.