Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 10, 2005 Streaking Raiders roll out the welcome wagon Host eight-team conference tournament this weekend By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings SOUTHERN OREGON SENIOR SETTER Jamie McCreary , left, sets the ball to senior middle blocker Nicholette Le Bel during Wednesday’s practice at McNeal Pavilion. The Raiders host the Cascade Conference tournament, starting Friday. Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings The Southern Oregon Raiders know that they probably don’t have to win this weekend’s Cascade Conference tournament to qualify for regionals. They don’t care, either. “My mentality going in is, we need to make a statement that we’re ready to play our game and play Raider ball and let them know what Raider ball means to us,” SOU senior libero Kristin Lilly said. And what’s that? “Play hard no matter what,” Lilly added, “and make a statement that we’re out to win.” The eighth-ranked Raiders (25-3) will get their first postseason chance to do that Friday night at McNeal Pavilion, when they face either Oregon Tech or Concordia in the Cascade Conference Tournament semifinals. The final match of Day 1 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. SOU enters the match with several streaks on the line. It has won 17 straight matches, the longest winning streak since 1981, has an eight-match home winning streak and has won 16 conference and regional tournament matches in a row dating back to 2002. All in all, the Raiders have been nearly flawless over the past four years in big-match situations — at least when it comes to Region I play. If they can add to those streaks this weekend and during next week’s Region I Championships, the Raiders will almost certainly earn their highest seed ever in the NAIA National Championships, Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 in San Diego, Calif. That may be SOU’s greatest motivation. While SOU has qualified for the past four NAIA Championships, it has received a tough draw each time and has yet to advance past pool play. The Raiders know solid performances at the league and regional tourneys could help change all that. “Well, there’s definitely not that much stress going into the tournament, but we look at it as we have a better chance at going to nationals if we do good at conference,” said SOU senior setter Jamie McCreary, a league player-of-the-year candidate. “So, this is definitely a tournament where we’re looking at the long run of it, and it’s our home court. We never like to lose on our home court.” Team to beat Conference Tournament When: Friday and Saturday. Where: McNeal Pavilion. Top seeds: No. 1 Southern Oregon (25-3), No. 2 Northwest (24-2), No. 3 Albertson (18-5), No. 4 Oregon Tech (16-9). SOU enters the eight-team tournament as the No. 1 seed and the clear favorite after winning the Cascade Conference regular season championship with a 17-1 league mark. The Raiders’ only slip up came in their league-opener back on Sept. 7, when Oregon Tech escaped McNeal with a three-games-to-one victory. The Raiders also have history on their side. They’ve won the past two league tourney titles and are led by four seniors who played major roles on both those teams. Those seniors — Lilly, McCreary, middle blocker Nicholette Le Bel and defensive specialist Haley Phillips — are better than ever this season, with McCreary and Le Bel both in the running for league and regional player of the year honors. McCreary ranks third in the conference in assists per game (12.73) and quarterbacks an offense that ranks second in hitting percentage (.254) and third in kills (15.25). Le Bel, a Crater High product who moved to outside hitter after Jaclyn Hamilton-Smith went down with an ankle injury two weeks ago, ranks second in the conference in kills per game (3.96) and fourth in hitting percentage (.339). Hamilton-Smith, a sophomore, is expected to return to the lineup Friday, which would allow Le Bel to move back to her natural position at middle blocker. Freshman Mia Wortel has played well in the middle in Hamilton-Smith’s absence and leads the conference in hitting percentage (.421). “I think we’re more balanced offensively, and we’re becoming a better blocking team,” said SOU head coach Paul Elliott, who became the winningest coach in program history earlier this season. “So, I think you add those two things together and it makes us difficult to deal with, especially when we’re ball handling, which we usually do.” SOU’s stiffest challenge may come from Northwest (24-2, 16-2 CC), which is looking to reverse a painful history against the Raiders. SOU is responsible for Northwest’s only two losses this season and ended the Eagles’ season a year ago in the Region I championship match. Despite its second-place effort in league play, the Eagles come to Ashland with the most impressive stat line. Northwest leads the 10-team conference in hitting percentage (.257), opponents hitting percentage (.092), kills per game (14.25) and digs per game (19.93) and is second in aces per game (2.52) and third in blocks per game (1.87). Of course, the Eagles entered their most recent match-up with SOU (Oct. 22) with the same statistical superiority, and still suffered a straight-game loss. “We have a very competitive team,” Elliott said. “They really like to win, they like to be challenged and they’ve just become a cerebral, smart team that knows how to win.” Sports editor Joe Zavala can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams