ASHLAND– It was a season of ups and downs for the Southern Oregon University Raiders volleyball team.
Coach Josh Rohlfing had once said that the volleyball season was divided into three seasons in one season of volleyball; pre-season, conference season and tournament/post-season.
With three seniors, the Raiders had youth heading into the season. And it showed during the “first season”, the pre-season, as the Raiders found themselves 3-6 heading out of the first season.
They’re lone big win came against then fifth-ranked Biola University the second game of the season. In which the Raiders took them to the distance, a five-set nail-biting victory over the Eagles.
“We got such a young team, for them to get a short victory like that is going to do a lot for us for the rest of the year,” said head volleyball coach Josh Rohlfing about win that night.
Heading into the second season, the Conference Season, the veteranship from the juniors and seniors help lead the Raiders to a 14-4 conference record, a 18-10 overall record. En route to a second place in the Cascade Colleigate Conference.
Of those 14 victories, seven were 3-0 sweeps; four were 3-1 victories. Of their four losses, two of them went the distance.
, ”We are an exceptionally athletic team that is just beginning to get physically healthy for the first time in about a month and a half.” said Rohlfing about his team during this second season.
Heading into the conference and post-season, the thrid season, the Raiders were hoping to win their third straight CCC crown.
With a three-set sweep of Warner Pacific that saw a 50-20 run in the last two sets; the Raiders looked posed to make a serious run at the crown heading to Caldwell, Idaho November 9th for the semi-final round.
In the Semi-final round, the Raiders drew the Eastern Oregon University Moutaineers.
Both teams had won one game apiece of their two-game series during the regualr, “Second season” play; both going to five sets. This game was expected to go the distance as well.
The Raiders, at this point, were middle of the pack statistically but had caught fire at the right time and had the momentum on their side against the Moutaineers who were near the top statistically in almost every catorgory in the CCC.
November 9th.
The Battle ensured.
Eastern took the first two sets before the Raiders had taken the thrid. Heading into the fourth, both team’s battled like Warriors in the Roman Colliseum.
Eastern stormed out on a 18-6 commanding run. The momentum slide to the Moutainners once again.
However, the Raiders had used a 6-1 run to get back into it during the fourth set and eventually cut the Moutaineer lead down to 23-21.
The Raiders were looking for the run to continue, to continue their season, to get that thrid straight crown.
A kill by Rebecca Haight made it do or die for the Raiders 24-21.
Both team’s traded the ball around after the serve before a Irene Walter kill, crushed the Raiders (19-11, 14-4), chances of a three-peat.
The Raiders, however, did pick up two all-conference honors with seniors Haley Kasler and Renee Yomtob and honorable mention with sophmore Nikki Keller.
Kasler finished the season with a .307 attack percentage, 7th best in the conference.
Yomtob averaged 5.6 digs a set to finish her career four shy of the SOU school record of 619 by Kristen Lilly in 2004.
As for Keller, she lead the conference in attack percentage at .357 and in blocks with 88.
Moving forward, the Raiders are just losing three players heading into the offseason; meaning that they have a solid foundation set heading into next season with Keller at the relm of the team heading into her junior year.
This team is also returning youth, with mostly sophmores and juniors on roster for next season; but with their determination and now expierence in tight situations and in big games; Southern Oregon will continue their dominance in the Cascade Colliegate Conference in 2013.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNobIq4k5wE&feature=plcp
ources: https://jmac1989.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/going-the-distance/
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