LA GRANDE, Ore. — The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers fell to the No. 3-seeded Southern Oregon Raiders in a hard-fought 3-0 loss in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship at Quinn Coliseum on Saturday. The Raiders secured the title with set scores of 25-23, 26-24, and 25-16.

Southern Oregon's Megan Perry led the offensive charge with 15 kills and a .310 hitting percentage. The Raiders displayed balanced attacking, hitting .252 as a team and receiving key contributions from Mylena Testoni (8 kills, 12 points) and Linda Conceicao (7 kills, 10 points). Setter Vitoria Mattos orchestrated the attack with 26 assists, while libero Kayla Neidigh anchored the defense with seven digs.

Eastern Oregon fought valiantly, led by Keira Vaughn's 10 kills and Kiauna Mack's six kills and six blocks. Despite their efforts, the Mountaineers were unable to match Southern Oregon's efficiency, finishing with a .154 hitting percentage. Alexis McMurtrey provided 19 assists, and libero Hailey Arritola added 10 digs to lead the Mountaineers' defensive efforts.

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair, with the Mountaineers pushing the Raiders to the brink before a kill by Perry sealed the 25-23 win for Southern Oregon. The second set followed a similar script, as EOU rallied from a deficit to tie the set at 24-24, only to see Southern Oregon edge them out 26-24. The Raiders carried that momentum into the third set, where they pulled away with an 8-2 run to secure the sweep.

Key Performers:
SOU: Megan Perry (15 kills, .310 hitting), Mylena Testoni (8 kills, 12 points, 3 aces), Vitoria Mattos (26 assists)
EOU: Keira Vaughn (10 kills, .273 hitting), Kiauna Mack (6 kills, 6 blocks), Alexis McMurtrey (19 assists)

Despite the loss, the Mountaineers capped a stellar season with a 28-4 record, clinching the CCC regular-season title and an automatic NAIA National Tournament bid. The Mountaineers will now await their NAIA tournament seeding and opponent, revelaed during the NAIA Volleyball Selection SHow on Monday.