KLAMATH FALLS – Sadie Byrd nearly matched her own blocks record and Savannah Schwindt had a career night, leading No. 19 Southern Oregon back for an 18-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-18 win over Oregon Tech on Tuesday night at Danny Miles Court.

Playing without top attacker Megan Perry, the Raiders (11-2 overall, 4-1 Cascade Conference) snapped a four-match series losing streak against OIT (4-8, 2-3) by tightening up defensively. They matched a season-high with 15 blocks and Byrd, a senior middle, had 11 of them – two short of the mark she established last year in a five-set affair – to hold the Owls to a .036 attacking average over the last three frames after they hit .276 in the first.

Schwindt's contributions were a necessary bonus. After sitting both matches over the weekend, the junior outside hitter was inserted late in the first set and responded with 10 kills and just one error on 17 swings. She deposited three in each of the Raiders' set wins.

Junior right-side hitter Hannah Stadstad assisted seven blocks to go with seven kills. Marin Mackey manufactured 17 kills and 47 attempts and added 12 digs and two service aces. Kayla Neidigh (21 digs) and Trinity Atuatasi (12 digs) bolstered the back line, while Vitoria Mattos (25 assists) and Annie Hite (21 assists) set the attack's pace.

Byrd has recorded 21 blocks over her last nine sets played, boosting her average (1.6 per set) to the fourth-best among all NAIA players. In the third set, she had four blocks and a kill during a 5-0 run that gave SOU a 12-6 lead. In the fourth, she had a kill and back-to-back blocks to put the Raiders up 11-10.

They closed the match with a 12-6 surge. Mackey downed five kills in the final frame.

Molly Grace led OIT with 15 kills on 32 swings, but the rest of the Owls combined for nearly as many attacking errors (22) as kills (24).

SOU brings a three-match winning streak this weekend to Portland, facing Multnomah on Friday and Warner Pacific on Saturday.