The 14th-ranked Southern Oregon volleyball team improved to 5-0 in Cascade Conference play with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-19 sweep of Northwest University tonight in Kirkland, Wash.

The Raiders are now 8-2 overall and travel to Evergreen State Saturday night. Northwest dropped to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Leanne Stennett (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito) led the Raiders with 16 kills, while Megan Bartling (Medford, Ore./North Medford) had 13 kills and Sarah Holgen (Honolulu, Hawaii/Ashland) finished with 10 kills.

The Raiders jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opener before having to hold on after Northwest tied the set at 16-16. An ace by Renee Yomtob (Boise, Idaho/Centennial) and a kill by Sarah Holgen (Honolulu, Hawaii/Ashland) helped the Raiders pull ahead at 21-16.

Southern cruised to victory in the second set and then had to battle the Eagles to pull off the sweep. Northwest led 12-7 in the third set before the Raiders rallied to tie the set on a Stennett kill and then take the lead at 13-12 on a kill by Leah Bergstrom (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) as the Raiders took the sweep.

Anu Akamine had nine kills for the Eagles.

Lindsey Stone (Ashland, Ore./Ashland), the back-to-back Cascade Conference Setter of the Week, finished with 38 assists. Holgen had a team-high 22 digs and Stennett had 12 digs.