LA GRANDE, Ore. – Wins at Southern Oregon have been hard to come by, until now at least. Junior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma tallied a team-high 16 kills, and the No. 10 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team snatched a four-set (25-23, 31-29, 19-25, 25-23) triumph at No. 14 Southern Oregon for the squad's first win in Ashland since 2008.

"I'm so proud of how our girls played on the road tonight," said head volleyball coach Kaki McLean Morehead. "They stayed the course and were resilient against a tough team. Kassy Tuma was great when the game was on the line for us. Now we just need to stay focused and stay consistent."

Key Performances
Along with Tuma, sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller helped direct EOU's attack with nine kills apiece.

Junior setter Rachelle Chamberlain dished out 43 assists, while junior defensive specialist Tylo Colflesh (11), senior libero Piper Cantrell (11), and junior defensive specialist Sara Pulaski (10) each booked double-figure digs.

The Storyline
With the first set tied at 11 apiece, the Mountaineers used a 6-0 run started by a Miller kill that proved to be the difference in the stanza. The Raiders made a run of their own, ultimately tying the frame at 21 apiece, but Tuma responded with three-straight kills to keep the Navy and Gold in front. At set point (24-23), sophomore right side hitter Isabelle Statkus swung in for the point to give EOU a critical 1-0 lead.

No doubt the most thrilling frame of the match, set two saw 10 lead changes that ultimately led to a 31-29 triumph for the Navy and Gold. Tuma's attack granted EOU an early 15-9 advantage, but SOU responded with a 9-2 run to take the lead. The two squads proceeded to swap mini-runs until Chamberlain and Nay teamed up for the block assist to give EOU a 29-28 lead. A Raider kill knotted the frame at 29 all, but the Mountaineers scored the last two points of the set thanks to a kill by senior outside hitter Kendra De Hoog and an SOU attack error.

EOU swung a match-low .053 while the Raiders delivered a match-best .306 effort to down the Mountaineers in the third set, 25-19. SOU opened the frame with a 10-2 run, and the Navy and Gold never recovered en route to the third-set defeat. 

The Raiders (21-3, 14-3 CCC) carried their hot streak to the fourth frame and even led by as many as six (19-13) after a block assist from Emma Gasman and Corynn Kopra. But the Mountaineers weren't about to let the match slip away, as a Nay kill sparked a furious 11-2 run to reach match point and silence the packed house at Riehm Arena. A kill by freshman middle hitter Karlee Hollis put EOU on top, 24-21, and although SOU hung around for two match points (24-23), Laura Morse yielded an attack error to surrender the frame to the Mountaineers.

With the win, EOU now leads the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) by two matches over SOU and College of Idaho.

Stat of the Match
6 – Point comeback by EOU in the fourth set.

Up Next
EOU (22-2, 17-1) returns to the hardwood tomorrow against Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, Ore., at 5 p.m.