SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Mountaineers carried their momentum with them to Sioux City, Iowa for the first match of the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Eastern Oregon as the No. 3 seed took on No. 22-seeded Valley City State for their first pool play match on Wednesday afternoon. Eastern opened up play in the Tyson Events Center with a 3-0 sweep taking down the Vikings in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20.
Senior outside hitter, Sade Williams delivered an impressive 10 kills and .474 hitting percentage. Also putting together a strong performance was freshman middle hitter, Mylie Mills, who delivered a stellar performance with 12 kills, hitting at a .500 clip. Ashton Haughton contributed 8 kills, showcasing an efficient attack with a .333 hitting percentage. Eastern’s setting combo of Alexis McMurtrey and Hannah Ledgerwood racked up a combined 42 assists with 22 and 20 respectively.
Defensively, Eastern Oregon displayed a formidable presence at the net, with three players recording multiple blocks (Sade Williams, Kiauna Mack, Mylie Mills). Williams not only excelled at the net but also held down the back row leading the team with 12 digs alongside Hailey Arritola who also had 12 digs.
Valley City State, despite putting up a spirited fight, couldn’t keep up with the Mountaineers. Mardi Scutchings led the offensive charge with 11 kills, while Sadie Hansen contributed 30 assists.
With the win, Eastern now sits at 32-1 on the year while extending their current win streak to 21 matches. The Mounties now turn their attention to their final pool play match on Friday afternoon when they will take on the Orediggers of Montana Tech. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CST.
Mounties Sweep Valley City to Open Final Site Action
