ASHLAND – Transfers Marin Mackey, Megan Perry and Carlin Stroud made explosive introductions as the No. 20-ranked Southern Oregon volleyball team won six straight sets to starts its season, wiping out No. 25 Jessup (Calif.) and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) in the Raider Invitational on Thursday at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
The Raiders, whose opening-day rotation of 11 players included six newcomers, defeated the Warriors 25-18, 25-18, 25-21 in the morning session, then returned in the evening to sweep the Eagles 25-14, 28-26, 25-15.
Mackey and Perry, both junior hitters, teamed up to total 42 kills and only five attacking errors in the matches, combining for a .463 average. Mackey had 10 kills and seven digs in the opener and 14 kills with eight digs against ERAU on the outside. Perry, working on the right side, needed just 18 attempts to deposit 11 kills against the Eagles. Stroud debuted with 14 blocks, recording seven assisted in both outings.
The Raiders hit .316 as a team on the day with two new setters, junior Vitoria Mattos (35 assists) and freshman Annie Hite (34 assists), running the show. Their opponents posted identical .108 averages.
The first contest was a rematch of last year's NAIA Championships Opening Round against Jessup. It saw the Raiders jump out to a 19-9 lead in the first set and end the third with four straight points. SOU had 12 blocks – Sadie Byrd and Hannah Stadstad joined Stroud with five apiece – and Stadstad went for eight kills in her first action since a knee injury took her out halfway through the 2022 season.
Stadstad and Stroud set the tone against ERAU by teaming up for four blocks in the first set. They finished with seven apiece, and Carol Melo contributed eight kills on 15 attempts.
SOU's back row also impressed, getting 18 digs from Kayla Neidigh and 16 from Trinity Atuatasi.
The Raiders will play two more on Saturday, facing Menlo (Calif.) at 10 a.m. and Vanguard (Calif.) at 6 p.m.