LA GRANDE, Ore - It was history in the making for CIU women's volleyball on Saturday afternoon as the Rams took part in the 2021 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round. The Rams traveled to NAIA ranked No. 12 Eastern Oregon University for their opening-round matchup. The match was CIU's first against a team from the Cascade Collegiate Conference and their first all-time playing in the NAIA national tournment. CIU (29-9) battled the Mountaineers (26-7) through three sets but were not able to overcome EOU and ultimately came up short 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-20). 

CIU opened the first set looking like a team destined for an upset and a trip to the NAIA final round, jumping out to an early 5-3 advantage on the Mountaineers. CIU would not be able to hold the momentum, however, dropping the first two sets. The Rams saw their best opportunity for a set win in the third, coming from behind to get as close as 24-20 before the Mountaineers would seal the match.

Freshman Cintia Lorena was extremely impressive on the big stage, recording a match-high 14 kills and a .357 hitting percentage. Ingrid Ferrari also displayed why she is one the best middle blockers in the NAIA as the junior tallied five blocks against one of the nations' top teams. Setter Kamelia De Jesus stood out as she picked up yet another double-double with 19 assists and 14 digs. 

What Coach Amber Haver is saying:
"Great experience.  We traveled across the country to play a solid opponent. Not the outcome we had hoped for, but the goal is always growth. We learned tonight what it is going to take to compete the next go around.  The team is eager to grow and level-up. This experience will help us do that."

Up next:
CIU hopes to receive an at-large bid to the NCCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship hosted by the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo., which will take place Dec. 2-4.