LA GRANDE, Ore. – No. 11 Eastern Oregon University volleyball won a five set thriller Saturday night over Southern Oregon, 3-2, (16-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18- 15-13). The Mountaineers rode the arms of Casey Loper and Stefani Sorensen, who both recorded 18 kills, to victory.
In a highly contested first set, EOU (17-2, 7-0 CCC) stayed locked in a tight match for first eleven points. With EOU leading, 6-5, the Raiders pulled away. SOU used a 8-0 run to take an 13-6 lead over Eastern Oregon. The Raiders did not look back and extended its lead to eight points during the set. EOU had no answer and Southern Oregon took set one, 25-16.
Set two was a battle for EOU to take as there were eight tie scores and three lead changes in the set. Once EOU took an 11-10 lead the Mountaineers did not look back. Eastern Oregon battled back behind the arm of Sorensen. In the second set, Sorensen recorded 10 of her 18 kills to help the Mountaineers take set two, 25-22. After two sets the match was tied at 1-1.
In a back and forth third set EOU and SOU stayed close the entire set as neither team took a lead over five points the entire match. With the game tied at five, SOU scored the next two points to take a 7-5 lead. The Raiders did not give up the lead after that in the set. With the Raiders leading 24-19, EOU tried to mount a comeback as they scored the next two points, but the lead was too much and SOU took set three, 25-21, for a 2-1 lead over EOU.
Set four belonged to the Mountaineers as they never trailed in the set. Eastern Oregon jumped out to a 9-3 lead and continued to grow its lead in the set. With EOU up, 23-12, the Raiders tried to make a run at the Mountaineers. However, EOU was too strong and took set four, 25-18, to tie the set at 2-2 and force a fifth and final set.
EOU raced out to a 7-4 lead in the fifth and final set of the night. However, SOU answered right back as they scored the next two points to trim the lead to 8-7. The Mountaineers proceeded to score the next five points to take a 13-7 lead. The Raiders answered back with a 4-0 run of its own to cut the lead to two. That would be as close as SOU would get in the fifth set as EOU took the set, 15-13 and the match 3-2.
EOU returns to action next Oct. 4 when they travel to Portland to face Warner Pacific at 7 p.m. SOU hosts Evergreen next on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.