LA GRANDE, Ore. – For just the second time under ninth-year head coach Kaki McLean Morehead, the No. 7 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team took down No. 8 Southern Oregon in straight sets (25-21, 25-15, 26-24) on Saturday night in a packed house at Quinn Coliseum.

The stage for the NAIA Match of the Week was set, and the highly-anticipated affair between the two Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) foes ended up lasting a mere 65 minutes.  

"I'm so proud of how our girls played tonight," said Morehead. "They played consistent both offensively and defensively which is what we really have been working on. It was a great atmosphere in Quinn Coliseum tonight. We would like to express our thanks to all of the high school teams that showered their support tonight."

With the win, EOU moved into sole possession of first place in the CCC by two matches.  

Key Performances
A trio of Mountaineers saw double-figure kills, as junior middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma, sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay, and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Miller recorded 11 kills apiece.

After the match, Nay spoke about the crowd and the victory.

Junior setter Rachelle Chamberlain amassed 42 assists, her second-best effort in a three-set match this season. Meanwhile, senior libero Piper Cantrell and junior defensive specialist Sara Pulaski logged 13 and 10 digs, respectively.

In a losing effort, junior outside hitter Corynn Kopra paced the Raiders with 11 kills and 11 digs, while junior setter Lauren McGowne dished out 34 assists.

The Storyline
The first set saw a six-all tie before the Mountaineers rattled in four-unanswered points capped by a block assist from Nay and Miller to snag an early 10-6 advantage. SOU played catch-up for the remainder of the frame, cutting EOU's lead to one on seven different occasions.

However, the Navy and Gold seemed to have an answer for every Raider point. Two kills by Tuma and a setting error by SOU put EOU on top, 23-20, and at set point (24-21), Nay teamed up with Chamberlain for the block assist to give the Mountaineers a one-set advantage.

SOU hit its worst clip (.111) of the night and EOU remained consistent in the second set to topple the Raiders, 25-15. Nay and Miller combined for five kills amidst a 6-2 run midway through the frame to give EOU a 20-11 advantage. Leading 22-15, a kill by junior outside hitter Sierra Linke sparked a 3-0 run that would carry the Mountaineers to a second-set victory.

The third stanza featured nine ties and four lead changes before the Navy and Gold finally managed to snatch a 21-18 lead to give itself a little bit of breathing room. After a Tuma kill lifted EOU to match point (24-21) and brought the crowd to its feet, SOU made the fans stand a little longer, as the Raiders tacked on three-straight points to stay in the match. However, following a Raider blocking error, SOU (15-2, 8-2 CCC) committed an attack miscue to surrender the third and final set to EOU.

Stats of the Match
3 – Players with 11 kills for EOU.

.333 – Best hitting percentage by an EOU volleyball team vs. SOU under head coach Kaki McLean Morehead.

29 – Wins all-time for EOU vs. SOU in 102 meetings.

Up Next
EOU (15-1, 10-0 CCC) returns to action on Tuesday against College of Idaho in La Grande at 7 p.m.