Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – Hoping to make it two nights in a row of upsetting nationally-ranked teams, the Multnomah University Lions instead were swept by the NAIA's No. 14 team, the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers, 3-0 (25-17, 27-25, 25-12) in Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball action Saturday evening here at Lytle Gym.
The Lions, coming off a 3-2 win Friday over the No. 8 College of Idaho, hung with the heavily-favored Mountaineers through the first two sets. EOU led for most of the first stanza, but held only a 15-14 lead after back-to-back kills by
Miranda Halverson and
Maile Kam brought the Lions within one. Megan Bunn sandwiched two kills around a pair of winners by Amanda Miller that enabled the visitors to stretch their lead to a more comfortable 19-14 margin, and a service ace by Madison Pilon closed out the set.
EOU opened the second set with a 3-0 run and eventually built its largest lead to 11-5. The margin was five at 14-9 when the Lions reeled off seven unanswered points behind the serving of
Madysen Trout, Halverson contributing two kills and Kam and
Sydney Amundsen teaming up for a block that put them ahead 16-14. EOU rebounded to regain the lead 23-20 on a kill by Madisen Garlie, but Trout kept the Lions alive with a kill and two blocks, one each with Halverson and Kam, for a 25-24 Multnomah lead. However, the Mountaineers responded with two kills by Amy Arnzen around one by Miller to deny the Lions the equalizing set.
EOU took control of the third set early and finished off the match on a roll, holding the Lions to a minus .163 hitting percentage. A 10-2 run midway through the set extended the Mountaineers' lead from 7-6 to 17-8, and a block by Bunn and Miller made the final score the largest margin of the night.
--- By the Numbers: Halverson paced the Lions, who hit .062 (25-17-130), with eight kills, while
Marissa Rhodes passed out 12 assists and
Kayla Keane nine.
Sabrina DeJesus-Bair recorded a match-high 22 digs, Halverson added 13, and
Emily Weidlich had 12. Trout contributed three block assists.
EOU was led by Miller with 13 kills and Bunn with 11. Three different Mountaineers had double-figure assists: Pilon with 14, Sarah Carpenter 13, and Abby Smith 12. Kiley McMurtry made 19 digs, Malia Mills 14, and Aspen Christiansen 10. Garlie, the national leader in blocks per set, had four block assists.
Multnomah is now 6-16 on the season and 2-12 in the conference. Eastern Oregon improved to 18-5 overall and 12-2 in the CCC.
--- Quoting Coach Jenna Bouey: "Eastern did a great job tonight staying consistent. We are looking forward to working hard in practice next week and coming out even stronger next weekend."
--- Next: Multnomah plays its final non-conference game Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., hosting George Fox University … Eastern Oregon returns home to host Northwest University (Wash.) Friday at 7:00 p.m. in a conference game.
