KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Facing the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA, Oregon Tech took Eastern Oregon to the brink, but the Mountaineers remained unbeaten, outlasting the upset-minded Lady Owls 25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10 at Danny Miles Court.
 
Eastern (12-0, 4-0 CCC) got 16 kills from Keira Vaughn and 14 kills and eight blocks from Kiauna Mack – but a boost off the bench from Emma Burlingame provided the spark in Set 5.
 
After the Lady Owls (6-5, 0-4) rallied late in Set 4 to force the final frame, the hosts grabbed a 7-6 lead on one of a career-high nine kills from freshman Steffini Goss. EOU turned to Burlingame, who powered home three kills and the Mounties capitalized on four OIT miscues, to rattle off 8-straight points to put the match away.
 
Tech was in comeback mode throughout the match – rallying from 12-4 down in Set 1, getting within 22-19, before EOU claimed the win.  The Owls trailed 12-7 in Set 2, but two kills and a pair of blocks from Aleksen Thayer jumpstarted a 13-4 run to take the lead, with a Goss kill and an EOU hitting error ending the set.
 
After Eastern won Set 3, the two sides combined for 15 ties in Set 4, the last at 23-23, before a Taryn Ramsay ace and an Alexa Gugliotta block forced the final set.
 
Savanna Sterck had 12 kills and Willow Jacobson added 11 kills in the loss. Thayer had nine kills and a season-high nine blocks, Lucy Boyd had 25 assists and 13 digs, Abigail Sorensen had 21 digs, with Ramsay a career-high 18 assists. Tech finished the night with 13 blocks and eight digs.
 
Kate Stidham led EOU with 34 assists and 11 digs, as the Mounties recorded 12 blocks and nine aces.

OIT hits the road for a pair of matches next week, beginning Tuesday night at Southern Oregon.