The Southern Oregon University Raiders Volleyball team has shown why they’ve turned it around in the second half of the season with the sweep of Evergreen College last night.

The win improves the Raiders to 14-2 in their last 16 matches after the squad started 3-6 back in early September and find themselves in a tie with College of Idaho for first place after the Wolves lost to Concordia last night, in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

But Saturday will bring a new challenge for the Raiders (17-8, 13-2) as they face a Northwest College squad that’s fighting for their playoff lives.

The highly talented Eagles (13-11, 8-8) enter this weekend a game behind the 6th-place Northwest Christian squad for the final playoff spot for the CCC tournament that’s to start in two weeks.

Northwest went into Klamath Falls last night and swept Oregon Tech three sets to none, by at least seven points a set.

Northwest will enter tonight’s game with a conference lead in service aces with 2.08 per set, are second in digs in the conference with 18.17 and fourth in blocks with 2.1.

Individually, the Eagles have Ashton Arbuthnot; whom is forth in the CCC with 8.42 assist a game and is first in aces with 0.65 a game.  Other notable players are Olivia Vandlac, who is second behind Arbuthnot in aces with 0.48; Sarah Stoker is second in the conference with blocks at 1.21 and Heather Shulke is second in the digs category with 6.15.

For the Raiders statistically, they are currently second in the CCC in blocks with 2.1 a set, fifth in assist with 11.36 a game.

Individually for the Raiders, sophomore Nikki Keller is third in the CCC in hitting percentage with a .306 and second in blocks with 1.13 a set.  Junior Renee Yomtob is fourth in the conference in digs with 5.26 a set.

Tip-off for the last home stand for the Raiders for the regular season is slated for 7 p.m. at Bob Rheim Arena in Ashland.

sources:

http://www.cascadeconference.org/custompages/wvball/2012/stats/CONFLDRS.HTM#conf.wki