The Eastern Oregon University volleyball team makes its fifth appearance in postseason play since 2000, Friday in Caldwell, Idaho.

However, the Mountaineers are seeking their first victory since 2000 in postseason play against No. 13 Southern Oregon University. The match will be the first of two Friday at The College of Idaho in Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament.

The third-seeded Mountaineers have their highest seed in the tournament since 1990. Standing in the way of EOU's first postseason win in 19 years is SOU. The Raiders have defeated Eastern Oregon in both matches so far this season in four games.

Southern Oregon beat EOU, 3-1, on Sept. 25, in La Grande. The Mountaineers jumped out and won the first game, 26-24. But then fell in Game 2, 25-23 and Game 3, 25-23. The then ranked No. 21 Raiders held off EOU in the fourth game, 25-20.

Eastern Oregon challenged the Raiders in every game taking the lead in each game. Both teams had 56 kills and 55 assists in the match. Southern had a hitting percentage of .317 and the Mountaineers were at 25 percent.

Jessica Lea led the Mountaineers with 13 kills and 23 assists. The sophomore had a hitting percentage of 32. Southern Oregon's Leah Bergstrom had 16 kills and a hitting percentage 43.

Eastern (15-8) fell in Ashland on Oct. 10 in four games to No. 15 Southern. After losing the first two games, 21-25, 23-25, EOU was able to bounce back winning the third game, 26-24, before falling again in the fourth, 24-26.

Eastern was led by senior Haley McEnroe with 15 kills, Lea's 12 kills and 27 assists, Chelsea Herron's 28 assists, and Kaitlyn Duncan with 24 digs. Chelsea Hartmen led Southern with 11 kills, Caryn Westrick's 22 assists, and Becky Jorgensen with 28 digs.

Southern Oregon has a 6-2 advantage over the Mountaineers dating back four seasons, but EOU won both matches over the Raiders last season. Eastern won 3-1 in Ashland on Sept. 6, 2008 and defeated the Raiders in five-game thriller on Oct. 17, 2008 in La Grande. The two previous seasons the Raiders won 12 out of the 13 games played with Eastern in four matches.

After consecutive victories over Warner Pacific and Concordia and winning six of the seven games, the Mountaineers received only one vote in this week's national poll. EOU began the season receiving three votes. Eastern received a vote in every poll in 2009, its highest amount of votes on Oct. 13 with 28, but failed to crack the top 25.

Southern Oregon (23-2) is led by Leah Bergstrom who is second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference in hitting percentage (.302). Megan Bartling is second in blocks per set (1.2). Becky Johnstone is third in the league in digs per set (4.4). And Chelsea Hartman and Angela Spieker are fifth in kills and assists per set respectively.

Eastern Oregon has won only four of its last 37 games in the Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell dating back to 2000. The other pair of teams in the semifinals, Concordia and The College of Idaho, will square off at 7 p.m. MST. The host 'Yotes (22-2) enter the tournament ranked No. 8 in the NAIA.

Friday's first serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. MST, and will be video streamed through EOUSports.com and PennAtlantic.com. The match will also feature live stats.