LA GRANDE, Ore. – It took extra points in the first and third sets, but the Lewis-Clark State Volleyball team (6-6, 1-3) eventually fell to No. 14 Eastern Oregon in three sets (30-28, 25-18, 27-25) on Saturday in La Grande, Ore. The Warriors battled hard against a national powerhouse in the Mountaineers and showed that the program is headed in the right direction.
 
"People who didn't tune into the match cannot judge the competitiveness from just the score," Head Coach Shaun Pohlman said. "Our girls went toe-to-toe and exchanged blows with a national powerhouse. We have turned this ship around for the better and we have something to build from."
 
The night started with a kill by Jada Wyms to get the ball rolling for LC State. A kill by Tori Edwards and block by Channa Hart and Cassidy Nelson gave LC a 3-2 advantage in the first set, and Hart and Nelson went back-to-back to push the lead to 5-2. Hannah Martinez dumped a ball over the net to keep the Warriors ahead by a slim margin at 11-9, and Nelson kept it a two-point difference with a kill at 12-10.
 
Jennah Carpenter tallied her first kill of the match off an assist by Jess Ruffing at 14-12, but the Mountaineers tied things up at 15-15 before jumping in front a point later. Wyms knotted the score 16-16 before an EOU error push the lead back to two for the Warriors, but the back-and-forth continued.
 
After a kill by Hart, the junior teamed up with Nelson for a block to put LC back in front at 20-19. Two more kills by Hart made it 22-20, but EOU again rallied to even the set before taking the extended battle 30-28.
 
The score remained tight in the beginning of the second frame before kills by Wyms and Nelson gave LC a 4-2 advantage with a pair of kills. Hart made it a three-point game with a kill at 5-3, and again at 7-4, before a block by Hart and Carli Berntson gave the Warriors a four-point lead.
 
A run by the Mounties tied the score 12-12 before EOU took a 16-14 advantage. A kill by Hart kept LC within one at 17-16, but EOU built momentum and took the set 25-18.
 
Edwards started the third with a kill and an ace by Josie Peters gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead, but the Mounties responded quickly with four points of their own. Edwards cut the run with a kill and tied the score 4-4 as the match remained close.
 
An ace by Kenzie Dean tied things up 11-11 with the two teams trading points, and Wyms put LC in front 13-12 with a well-placed kill in the back-left corner. A big wing by Hart put the Warriors up by one before an ace by Ruffing made it a two-point advantage at 18-16. A hard-hit kill by Nelson kept LC in front by a slim margin to force an EOU timeout at 21-18.
 
Nelson and Berntson tallied kills to push the score to set point, 24-22, in favor of 24-22, but the Mounties push the set into extra points for the second time in the match. EOU capped a run of four to take the set 27-25 and close out the match.
 
"The outcome wasn't in our favor, but a lot of the training and the process we have been working towards is, and that will carry us into a better place for our next set of matches," Pohlman said. "If we continue to grow at this rate, we will see ourselves in a favorable position. We are excited to be back at home as a different team this week."
 
Edwards and Nelson led LC State with nine kills each, while Hart added seven at an impressive .875 attack percentage. Martinez led the pair of setters with 17 assists, and Ruffing had 16. Dean led the defense with 17 digs and Peters added 10. Hart assisted on three blocks at the net.
 
The Warriors return home for a midweek matchup against Walla Walla on Tuesday. The Cascade Conference match is slated for 7 p.m. in the Activity Center. A streaming package can be purchased online at lcwarriors.com/watch, and tickets to the match can be purchased on lcwarriors.com.
 
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