LA GRANDE, Ore. – Just two Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) teams remain unscathed in league play, and a collision course between the two squads is set for Saturday evening at Quinn Coliseum.
The NAIA announced on Wednesday afternoon that the No. 7 Eastern Oregon University volleyball team's showdown against No. 8 Southern Oregon will be the sixth installment of the NAIA Volleyball Match of the Week.
To watch the 2015 EOU volleyball promo video, 'Passion,' click the 'Play' button in the photo above.
Scouting Southern Oregon
SOU comes into Saturday's contest with a 15-0 record overall and an 8-0 mark in CCC play.
The Raiders are coming off an easy three-set (25-19, 25-10, 25-12) triumph over Walla Walla on Sept. 26. Senior outside hitter Tyana Andrews paced the team with 11 kills, while junior setter Lauren McGowne tallied 28 assists and eight digs for SOU.
Junior middle blocker Niki Small (.367) and junior outside hitter Emma Gasman (.338) are the number one and two hitting percentage leaders, respectively, in the CCC, while McGowne leads the league with 11.46 assists per set.
EOU Back in Familiar Territory
The Navy and Gold is tied for its best start in program history with a 13-1 record and an 8-0 clip in CCC action.
Last season, EOU started the campaign 15-1 before falling to then-ranked No. 14 SOU in five sets on the road.
The Mountaineers have won seven-straight three-set matches, with its last victory coming on Sept. 26 against Multnomah in Portland, Ore. Sophomore middle hitter Emily Nay and sophomore right side hitter Isabelle Statkus led EOU's offense with nine kills apiece, while senior libero Piper Cantrell logged 16 digs.
Although EOU (.251) is second in the conference behind SOU (.256) in team hitting percentage, the Mountaineers lead the CCC in kills per set (14.15), assists per set (13.25), blocks per set (2.36), and digs per set (17.12).
Coating the Record Book
EOU may only be three wins away from booking the program's best start in school history, however, the Mountaineers made some history on Sept. 25 against Warner Pacific.
In a three-set triumph over the Knights, the Navy and Gold swung in for its highest hitting percentage (.500) in program history, knocking off a record set on Oct. 4, 2014, against a familiar opponent in Warner Pacific.
Last Meeting
It was a memorable Senior Night against SOU on Nov. 2, 2014, as the Mountaineers moved into a tie for first place in the CCC with a four-set (25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 26-24) victory over the Raiders.
Middle hitter Kasaundra Tuma, who was a sophomore at the time, directed the fleet with 17 kills for EOU, while Chamberlain dished out 53 assists.
Heated Rivalry
The Mountaineers are 7-10 vs. the Raiders since 2008.
Live Audio/Video
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