HONOLULU, Hawaii – Eastern Oregon Volleyball wasted no time wrapping up Saturday’s contest, sweeping the Embry-Riddle Eagles while winning each set by double digit figures. The Mountaineers advance to 7-0 for the season, as they bid farewell to Honolulu and journey back to La Grande.
In the first set, the teams went neck and neck, with Eastern Oregon edging ahead in the latter half of the set. Spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Sade Williams and Kara Clayton, the Mountaineers pierced through the Eagles’ defenses time and again. Clayton was virtually unstoppable on the day, boasting a hitting percentage of .800 and tallying 12 kills on 15 attempts. Eastern Oregon’s fortress-like defense made its presence felt, repelling multiple Embry-Riddle attacks and sealing the set 25-15 in their favor.
The second set began with both teams exchanging points. Eastern Oregon’s combination of Hannah Ledgerwood’s setting skills and the powerful strikes by Kara Clayton and Sade Williams consistently forced their advantage. Despite the best efforts of Embry-Riddle’s players like Katie Rolle and Emma Barber, Eastern Oregon managed to maintain their lead, forcing Embry-Riddle to take a timeout at 14-9. Without wavering, Eastern Oregon dominated the second set 25-13, marking two consecutive set victories.
Eastern Oregon began the final set right where they left off in the second, capitalizing on stellar play at the net to gain an early advantage. Despite the pressure, Embry Riddle displayed gritty determination, tactically rotating players in a bid to tilt the game’s balance. As the set progressed, Eastern Oregon managed to find their rhythm and consistently score off kills while capitalizing on Embry-Riddle’s costly errors. Despite Embry-Riddle’s best efforts and some last-minute rallies, Eastern Oregon eventually clinched the set and match with a decisive 25-14 score.
Set-By-Set
Set 1: EOU 25, ERAU-AZ 15
Set 2: EOU 25, ERAU-AZ 13
Set 3: EOU 25, ERAU-AZ 14
Standout Performances
EOU
Sade Williams: .517 hit percentage, 15 kills from 29 attempts, 17.5 points.
Kara Clayton: 12 kills from 15 attempts, .800 hit percentage.
Hannah Ledgerwood: 24 assists.
ERAU-AZ
Dalia Haase: .429 hit percentage, 7 kills from 14 attempts, 8.5 points.
Kelly Hansen: 6 kills
Alexsandra Rodriguez: 6 kills
Eastern Oregon’s formidable performance saw them collect 49 kills from 97 attempts, posting a hit percentage of .443. In contrast, Embry-Riddle managed only 28 kills from their 96 attempts, culminating in a hit percentage of just .094.
With the ability to dominate the hitting percentage game, the Mountaineers can head confidently into next week’s face-off against Oregon Tech. EOU is set to square off against the Owls at Quinn Coliseum on September 1st at 7:00 p.m., gearing up to deliver a powerful message in the opening bout of conference action.
Mounties Sweep Eagles, Leave Hawaii Unbeaten
