Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels November 3, 2004 Raiders rolling toward another league title Staff and Wire reports Two months of consistent success has placed the Southern Oregon University volleyball team on the verge of accomplishing two of its three season goals: repeating as Cascade Conference champion and earning postseason tournament hosting rights. SOUTHERN OREGON JUNIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER Nicholette Le Bel (No. 14) teams up with fellow Raider Kristin Ferris (right) for the attempted block. The Raiders can clinch the Cascade Conference regular season title this with a road win this weekend. Andrew Mariman | Ashland Daily Tidings Leading second-place Northwest University by one match and holding the tiebreaker against all league foes, the 22nd-ranked Raiders (19-5, 14-2 Cascade) enter the final weekend of the regular season one victory away from clinching the school's eighth loop crown since 1978. Southern can make Ashland a title town as soon as Friday evening when the Raiders battle eighth-place Eastern Oregon (4-16, 4-12) in La Grande. SOU then tangles with a streaking Albertson College (15-7, 12-4) the following evening in Caldwell, Idaho to complete the 18-match conference slate. A Raider first-place finish makes McNeal Pavilion the scene for the six-team league tournament (Nov. 12-13) as well as the NAIA Region I championships (Nov. 18-19). In that eventuality, Southern would be the No. 1 seed for the conference fracas with a bye into the semifinals. As for the regional tourney, which encompasses the top teams from the Cascade and Frontier conferences, the Raiders are a projected No. 2 seed behind 15th-ranked Carroll, Mont. in the six-team event. Regardless of seeding, earning home-court advantage is not good news for Raider opponents because Southern is 14-0 at its Ashland digs dating back to last year and 52-6 over the past six years. SOU head coach Paul Elliott says hosting regionals would give the Raiders a nice postseason boost. "Well, not only not having to get on a bus and travel, but we play great at McNeal and I think it's a huge advantage for us to be playing at home," he said. Stat supremacy In addition to its first-place status, Southern Oregon is compiling one of its most formidable seasons ever based on cumulative statistics. The Raiders lead the 10-team conference for kills (15.0 per game), attack percentage (.247), opponent attack percentage (.139), assists (13.78), blocks (2.36) and digs (18.32). The offensive numbers are the school's best since 2001 and each rank in the program's all-time top-three. The Raiders' success has not come as a shock to Elliott. "Yes and no," he said, when asked if he was surprised. "You're always a little bit surprised, but I saw what the returners were doing in spring ball last year and once we added the recruits I sort of quietly thought we could do this. I think there's been a winning attitude and a winning tradition that's carrying over from the returners." SOU has taken control of the conference despite the fact that it entered the season having lost arguably the best player in team history (outside hitter Kristina Matchett) plus another regional all-star (Lindsey Aitchison) to graduation. The Raiders have done it with depth. Outside hitter Kristin Ferris leads the team with 302 kills, but three other Raiders have added at least 175 kills apiece. Setter Jamie McCreary has a team-high 583 assists, but Melissa Beard is right behind with 460. "We have the same defense and ball control we've had in the past and we've added a well balanced offense," Elliott said. "We have so many options on offense, so many places we can go with the ball to get kills that that's how this team is different." Another rowdy roadie Southern Oregon is counting on its track record of success against Eastern Oregon to continue Friday night in hopes of avoiding a pressure-packed Saturday tilt at Albertson that could decide the Cascade Conference champion. The Raiders are 55-21 all-time against the Mountaineers, including an amazing 28 of 29 during Elliott's 14-year coaching tenure. But Mountaineer not-so-secret weapon Kaki McLean has the ability to administer a long night for the Raiders. The senior outside hitter and all-around performer ranks second in the league for kills (4.67 per game) and also ranks among the league's best for attack percentage (.263) and digs (3.75). Third-place Albertson still has a mathematic chance for the school's first-ever league title, but a more realistic scenario could have the Coyotes leapfrogging Northwest for the No. 2 spot and a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Albertson enters the week nursing a school-record 12-match home-court win streak dating back to Oct. 25 of last year. The Coyotes have also won seven straight and 11 of 12 since their ill-fated 0-2 mid-September weekend trip to SOU and Oregon Tech. ACI's top players are senior hitter Ashlea Thornton (3.88 kills per game), freshman middle and league blocks leader Katie Hogue (1.30 blocks per game) and sophomore setter Erin Cherrington (12.52 assists per game). DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Isotoner Slippers Dsw Shoes Ciara Lyrics & Pictures libor rate Radiotelephone Communication Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Calendar lil jon eastside boyz Citibank Student Loans Acs Loan Matchmaking & Dating Scripts Adventure Travel Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems The game rapper Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams