PORTLAND, Ore. – After nearly knocking off a ranked team Thursday, the Western Oregon Wolves battled back from deficits in the second and third sets, but fell two points short in each stanza and were swept by Embry-Riddle on Friday at LCEF Court during day two of the Concordia Labor Day Tournament. Set scores were 22-25, 23-25, 23-25.
 
Junior Alisha Bettins was the lone WOU player with double figures in kills with 13. Junior Sydney Blankinship added nine kills while sophomore Mariella Vandenkooy posted six kills and a block. Sophomore setter Maddie Mehciz notched 29 assist and senior Christie Colasurdo added a match-high 24 digs, as the Wolves struggled with 25 hitting errors leading to a .089 mark for the match.
 
The Wolves and Eagles traded the lead four times before the first set evened up at 16-16. Embry-Riddle used a four point spurred on a pair of kills coupled with two WOU errors to reach 20 points. Western countered with three points straight including an Orth ace. WOU would keep the deficit one point until ERAU notched the final two points to claim the first set. 25-22.  
 
It looked like the Eagle would take control of the second set after a four-point string put the score at 12-9, but the Wolves fought back on multiple occasion only to see their opponents still go up 2-0. After tying the game at 12-12 and 14-14, Embry-Riddle got just enough separation with consecutive kills to go up 16-14. WOU only strung points together twice more, falling by two despite playing off two previous game ending points.
 
The third set got off to a great WOU start with a 6-1 lead after Libbie Hoene served up three straight aces. With the Wolves up 10-7, the Eagles scored six of the next seven points to take a 13-11 lead. At 14-all, ERAU netted a 5-0 with one kill, an ace and three WOU miscues. The Wolves would rally to tie things up at 23-all, but the Eagle eventually got two successive kills to complete the sweep.
 
The Wolves close out the CU Labor Day Tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m. when they face Metro State.