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SOU splits opening matches; Olson recognized FRESNO, Calif. - The ninth-ranked Southern Oregon University volleyball team opened the 2003-04 Raider sports year by splitting a pair of matches at the Fresno Pacific University Invitational on Friday. The two-time defending NAIA Region I champions dug out of a 2-games-to-1 deficit to defeat Bethany (Calif.) College, 19-30, 30-15, 26-30, 30-19, 17-15, in the season-opener, but lost a record-setting Game 3 and fell to 18th-ranked Azusa Pacific, 30-25, 28-30, 41-39, 30-15, later in the afternoon. "We were fighting the inconsistent but all day today," 13th-year head coach Paul Elliott said. "We were pretty good at times, but lacked a spark at times. Against Azusa, we just ran out of gas." Senior All-American hitter Kristina Matchett paced the Raider offensive attack in both contests, including a match-high 25 kills against Bethany and a team-high 18 against APU. Senior all-star middle blocker Lindsey Aitchison collected 10 and 11 kills, respectively, along with a total of 11 blocks. Junior transfer Kristin Ferris, a former North Medford all-state standout, contributed 17 kills and nine digs against Azusa, while sophomore setter Jamie McCreary collected a career-high 45 assists, nine digs, four blocks and three aces to help Southern battle back from a 13-11 deficit in Game 5 and stave off the Bethany upset bid. The Raiders, however, came up short in the longest game in school history: the 41-39 Game 3 setback to the Cougars. SOU completes tournament action today against regional rival Lewis-Clark State and second-ranked Fresno Pacific. SOU Football Southern Oregon University head coach Jeff Olson is listed among the country's most up-and-coming college football coaches in the August 2003 issue of American Football Monthly magazine. Olson, who compiled a 42-26 mark over seven seasons at the Raider helm, is one of 82 current coaches from all classifications and one of 10 from the NAIA ranks to receive the magazine's coaching "hot list" distinction. "Any college looking to run a balanced attack between the run and pass should look to hire (Olson)," the AMF staff writers wrote of Olson, a three-time regional or NAIA independents coach-of-the-year who is in his 23rd year of involvement in the SOU program as a player or coach. "It's important to recognize the national attention we receive is a result of the program, not any one person," Olson said. "It's a reflection of our entire coaching staff and our players over the years." Since Olson's promotion from defensive coordinator to head coach in 1996, Raider football fortunes have skyrocketed. SOU enters the 2003 campaign with four straight winning seasons, a 30-11 record dating back to the final game of 1998, and the Ashland state school is coming off back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in the NAIA Championship Series. Southern rose to an all-time best No. 2 in the NAIA top-25 poll during the 2002 season, and the Raiders have been ranked in the poll every week since Game 1 of 2001. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -