ASHLAND – The top-ranked Eastern Oregon volleyball team kept its perfect record intact with a 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-12 win over No. 19 Southern Oregon in Cascade Conference action Friday night at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
All-American middle Kiauna Mack was in on 10 of EOU's 17 blocks and put up 12 kills on a .400 attacking average, helping the Mountaineers improve to 11-0 overall and 3-0 in CCC play.
The Raiders (3-7, 0-3) became just the second team to steal a set from EOU this season. They did so in the second frame behind six kills and three service aces from
Andressa Ribeiro Soares, who finished with 17 kills, 17 digs and four aces.
The Mountaineers' dominance at the net was too much to overcome. They sank SOU's attacking average to .096, making the Raiders their fourth consecutive opponent to land on a sub-.100 clip.
Setter Katie Stidham pushed EOU to a .267 attack with 27 assists, adding seven digs. McKenzie Jonas totaled 12 kills on 24 swings and assisted four blocks. Mylie Mills assisted seven more blocks, and Keira Vaughn pitched in nine kills.
SOU's
Friley Curtiss and
Maya Watters went for 14 kills apiece.
Tais Vega secured 15 digs and
Mia Jaeger distributed 29 assists with eight digs.
The matchup was the first between the teams since they met in last year's NAIA quarterfinals. EOU snapped a three-match losing streak in the series.
Both squads will be in action Saturday, SOU against No. 10 College of Idaho and EOU at Oregon Tech. C of I took down OIT in straight sets on Friday.