SOU rallies for four-set win at Warner Pacific
PORTLAND – The 12
th-ranked Southern Oregon volleyball team avoided a letdown and rebounded from a first-game setback with a 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 win Friday night against Warner Pacific at Bart Valentine Court.
The Raiders (18-2 overall, 11-2 Cascade Conference) had to wiggle out of trouble in the third set, going on a 10-4 run to end it after trailing 19-15. Instead of facing defeat in the fourth, they slammed the door with a .429 attacking average in the frame – downing 16 kills on 28 attempts.
Corynn Kopra tallied 17 kills and 17 digs and
Lauren McGownehad 45 assists and nine digs for the Raiders. Their most efficient attackers were
Emma Gasman (12 kills, 19 attacks) and
Laura Morse (13 kills, 20 attacks), who paved the way to a .262 hitting clip for the match.
Janessa White pounded a match-high 19 kills for the Knights (8-10, 5-8 CCC).
WPC got out to a fast start with an 8-3 lead in the first set, eventually stealing the last two points of the frame to break a 23-all tie. SOU led for the duration of the second, but the Knights jumped out again in the third with an 8-2 spurt that made it 17-12. Morse had three kills during SOU's comeback, which
Tyana Andrews finished off with an ace.
Kiley Barcroft served the Raiders to a 9-1 lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Kopra put down seven kills on 11 attacks in the frame.
Niki Small contributed eight kills and five assisted blocks on the night, and Andrews added eight more kills.
SOU remains in Portland for Saturday's 5 p.m. match against Multnomah.