CORVALLIS, Ore. – The No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon University Beach Volleyball team was named the Under Armour Team of the Week for March 23 – March 29, the Cascade Collegiate Conference announced Sunday.
SOU earned the honor after a statement weekend that included back-to-back wins over No. 2-ranked Corban University and a move into the top spot in the CCC standings.
The Raiders went 3-0 on the week, opening with a 4-1 victory over Corban to hand the Warriors their first conference loss of the season and snap an eight-dual losing streak in the series. Southern Oregon rallied in multiple flights, highlighted by wins from the No. 2 pair of Molly Grace and Kira Sandoval and the No. 5 pair of Natalie Perez and Kendal Hadwick. The clinching point came from the No. 3 duo of Andressa Ribeiro Soares and Maelle Garon, who battled back after dropping the first set to secure the dual.
SOU followed with another 4-1 win over Bushnell University, earning three straight-set victories and showcasing depth across the lineup. The Raiders closed out the weekend with a second 4-1 victory over Corban on Saturday, completing the sweep and taking over sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
In the rematch, Southern Oregon took early control with tiebreaker-set wins from Grace/Sandoval and Amanda Moffat/Kaitlyn Shilling. Perez and Hadwick once again delivered the clinching point in three sets, while Ribeiro Soares and Garon added a straight-set victory to cap the day.
The Raiders improved to 13-2 overall and 11-1 in CCC play, extending their winning streak to nine matches. SOU now turns its focus to the final weekend of regular season matches in Kirkland, Wash., where the top seed and host site for the following week’s conference tournament will be decided.