LA GRANDE – A shocked crowd at Quinn Coliseum watched Southern Oregon resuscitate its Cascade Conference title hopes mid-match and eventually halt third-ranked Eastern Oregon's 14-match winning streak in a five-set classic on Friday night.

After dropping the matchup in a tiebreaker five weeks ago, the ninth-ranked Raiders scuffled early before overcoming a two-set deficit – a feat they hadn't pulled off on the road since 2012 – for a 23-25, 14-25, 25-16, 25-23, 17-15 victory.

SOU (24-3 overall, 15-2 CCC) and EOU (25-2, 15-2), last year's conference co-champions, are locked atop the standings again with three regular-season matches left to play.

Working on another CCC Player of the Year campaign, senior right-side Taylor Ristvedt wouldn't let the Raiders lose. They fed her often in the clutch, and she responded by dropping in six of her 21 kills in the fifth set before Maddie Pernich's block of Hailee Ackerman clinched the win.

Pernich had 19 kills – including team-highs of five in the third and six of the fourth to bring the Raiders back – but she and Ristvedt weren't alone in providing heroics. Elliott Cook had 13 kills on 26 attacks and Makayla Hoyt had 12 on 28, and the all-star middles went back-to-back to start the Raiders' night-ending three-point rally as they fought off match point.

Senior libero Emma Ryan pulled in a match-high 31 digs, including a couple of the match-saving variety late while outstretched on the floor. The reigning CCC Libero of the Year was aided in the back row by Sara Fanger, who recorded six of her 14 digs in the fifth set, and Kadyn Jones, who added 14 more.

Setters Hannah Bogatin (38 assists) and Tehani Faitau (25 assists) helped the Raiders adjust to EOU's block, which stands as the third-most proficient in the NAIA. Through the first two sets, the Mountaineers recorded nine blocks while SOU hit .178; over the last three, they combined for six while the Raiders hit .302.

The win was the Raiders' fifth in five sets this season, and they've had to come back in each of them. They're working on a nine-match overall winning streak.

The Mountaineers have taken three losses at home over the last two seasons. The Raiders are responsible for two of them.

EOU's Megan Bunn dominated with 24 kills on 59 swings, while Jet Taylor totaled nine assisted blocks and Taylor Tibbetts had seven.

SOU will be tested again at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday night, when it finishes the trip at 21st-ranked College of Idaho.

Should the Raiders and Mountaineers finish the regular season as co-champions, as of now the Mountaineers would own the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed – and therefore hosting rights for the CCC Tournament – by virtue of having lost fewer sets against the third-place team, Corban.