KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Nicole Reyes posted a season-high 23 kills, but Oregon Tech's upset bid of No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon fell short, as the Lady Owls dropped a 19-25, 25-19, 25-14, 27-25 decision to the Mountaineers at Danny Miles Court.
 
EOU (25-2, 18-1 CCC) used 12 total blocks and nine aces in the victory, remaining tied atop the Cascade Conference standings with three matches to go.
 
The Lady Owls (12-13, 9-10) rallied from a 16-13 deficit in Set 1, as Reyes recorded four kills in a 12-3 run to end the period – as Tech held Eastern to a .057 hitting percentage in the frame.
 
The visitors responded by controlling the middle two sets – jumping to a 6-1 lead in Set 2 and a 15-7 lead in Set 3 – to grab the match lead.
 
Set 4 featured 11 ties and four lead changes, with OIT taking a lead at 23-21 on the strength of an Ashley Ripplinger kill and a Mountie hitting error. Eastern answered, getting a Madison Morgan kill and consecutive blocks from Kara Clayton to earn match point. Reyes kept Tech alive with two kills, but a Clayton kill broke a 25-25 tie and an OIT hitting error ended the match.
 
Ripplinger had 11 kills and four blocks for the Owls, with Brooke Cassidy recording a season-high 18 assists and Aubrey Kievit leading all players with 22 digs.
 
Cambree Scott had 12 kills without an attack error and six blocks to lead the Mountaineers, with Morgan posting eight kills and Preslee Jensen recording eight kills and four blocks.
 
OIT closes out their home schedule tomorrow night, hosting College of Idaho at 5 p.m. The Owls will honor six senior student-athletes in a pre-match ceremony – Reyes, Ripplinger, Kievit, Kaylin Talonen, Courtney Isom and Alicia Volk.