LA GRANDE, Ore. – The LC State Volleyball team got off to a hot start against No. 8 Eastern Oregon and took the first set from the perennial powerhouse. The Warriors couldn't maintain the pace, however, and fell in four sets to the Mountaineers (21-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-19).
The Warriors kept it close until 6-6 with timely kills and Mountaineer errors. A kill by Kierstyn York started the set before EOU took a 3-2 lead. A block by Jada Wyms and Tori Edwards evened the set 3-3 and Chloe Emory put LC in 4-3 with a kill. EOU pulled ahead to take a 9-6 advantage, but a run of five with a kill and ace by Emory, paired with Mountie errors, gave the Warriors an 11-9 edge. Carli Berntson kept LC State in front with a kill before teaming up with Wyms on a block. A point by Wyms made it a four-point stretch and a 14-10 lead.
EOU kept it close, but a pair of kills by Edwards kept the Warriors in front by a slim margin. A kill by Berntson widened the gap to 22-17 before another from the sophomore made it 23-18. Kills by Edwards and Emory ended the first set 25-21.
Emory and Edwards put the Warriors on the board in the second set and a block by Edwards and Hallie Seaman made it a 4-2 lead. EOU pulled ahead by a point, but another big swing by Emory knotted the set 5-5. The Mountaineers jumped ahead with a 9-6 advantage as kills by Seaman and Wyms kept it close. A block by Wyms and York brought LC within one a 10-9. EOU rallied again to push the lead to 15-11.
A kill by Seaman and an ace by Emory brought the Warriors within one at 16-15, then rallied with kills from Berntson and Edwards to tie the set 20-20. EOU tallied five straight to take the set 25-20.
An ace by Kendzee Cloward gave LC a 3-2 lead in the third set, and kills by Seaman and Edwards kept the Warriors in front by one. After an injury took a key piece of the LC State offense off the court and forced the Warriors into an unfamiliar lineup, the Mounties took control of the set and ran ahead 22-12. They took the set 25-13.
Kills by York and Denise Elder got LC State off to a good start in the fourth, but EOU quickly responded to take an 8-5 lead. A kill by setter Hannah Martinez kept the Warriors within striking distance at 10-8. Kills by Elder and Edwards kept the set close, but EOU closed out the set 25-19.
Edwards led the Warriors with 12 kills on the night while Berntson and Emory each had nine. Jess Ruffing dealt 23 assists and Martinez had 18. Kenzie Dean rallied 14 digs and Cloward added 12.
The Warriors wrap up the regular season on Saturday at EOU. The match is slated for 5 p.m.
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