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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 23, 2005 SOU sweeps Northwest in volleyball showdown Raider Roundup ASHLAND — The Southern Oregon University volleyball team took a giant step toward a third consecutive Cascade Conference championship by sweeping Northwest University in a first-place showdown at McNeal Pavilion Saturday night. The 11th-ranked Raiders (21-3, 13-1 CC) extended their win streak to 13 straight and moved into sole possession of first place in the 10-team league in a 32-30, 30-26, 30-27 triumph over the 13th-ranked Eagles (20-2, 12-2). Senior all-star middle blocker Nicholette Le Bel augmented her conference MVP chances with Raider-bests of 14 kills (in 23 swings) and five blocks, while redshirt-freshman Katie Pluchos compiled a match-high 17 digs. "We were very determined to play a great match," Raider coach Paul Elliott said, "and even when we weren’t playing well, we were still focused and confident. Technically speaking, our blocking was the key to the match. We touched a lot of (NU attacks) and were able to transition into our offense effectively." Despite remarkably even team statistics (48 kills by both teams, and 65-64 and 7-6 SOU edges for digs and blocks, respectively), the Raiders mixed key kills with untimely Eagle errors to pull away in crucial situations. Northwest battled back from a 29-26 deficit in Game 1 to tie at 30-all, but SOU used Jessie Buck’s attack miscue to win back the serve, and Raider junior outside hitter Rachael Baran closed out the frame by tooling the Eagle block. Advertisement SOU led 20-15 in Game 2 when NU closed to within 26-25, but kills from Baran, Pluchos, sophomore hitter Shanna Claflin and freshman middle Mia Wortel resulted in a commanding two-games-to-none perch headed into the promotional break. The Eagles appeared to have regained momentum in taking a 18-16 Game 3 lead only to watch SOU storm back with a 10-5 spurt, and the Raiders clinched their seventh straight home-court win when Eagle freshman hitter Madeleine Krahn served long. In addition to Le Bel’s .565 attack efficiency, the Raiders hit .197 as a team and helped limit Northwest to a .172 clip with Claflin (9), Wortel and Jaclyn Hamilton-Smith combing for 25 kills. "Nicholette is such a physical, dominating presence at the net," Elliott said. "Her dynamic kills really fire up the team." Raider senior setter Jamie McCreary finished with 41 assists and 13 digs. Northwest, which lost to SOU for the 20th time in 21 all-time meetings and fell to 0-11 against the Raiders in Ashland, received a match-best 17-kill performance from freshman hitter Sara Bendorf and a sold 10-kill effort by all-star senior Lisa Langmade. The victory allowed Elliott to equal program architect Joanne Widness atop the school’s career victory list with 358. "It’s an honor to be in the same discussion with Joanne Widness, who is a legend in (Ashland)," Elliott said. "People like Joanne changed the thought process about women in sports." Football PACIFIC LUTHERAN 28, SOUTHERN OREGON 17 — At Hillsboro, the Pacific Lutheran University football team answered Southern Oregon University’s strong start by scoring touchdowns on four consecutive first-half drives en route to a 28-17 football victory at Hillsboro Stadium Saturday. The win allowed the NCAA Div. III Lutes (2-4) to keep hopes alive for a 37th straight winning season, while the loss dropped the NAIA Raiders to a worst-ever 0-7 start amid a 10-game losing streak dating back to 2003. SOU stormed to a 7-0 lead 2:49 into the contest on a 42-yard Boomer Marshall-to-Gabe Hatchett pass play and penetrated deep into PLU territory its next two drives only to come up empty due to an interception and a fumble. The Lutes cashed in both turnovers for eventual touchdowns and built a 28-10 halftime edge as a result of three first-half paydirt passes and a one-yard plunge. Women’s Soccer CORBAN COLLEGE 2, SOUTHERN OREGON 0 — At Salem, the Southern Oregon University women’s soccer team squandered its chance for the Cascade Conference south division championship with an 0-2 weekend trip to the Willamette Valley, but the Raiders managed to qualify for the playoffs thanks to some help from an unlikely source: Oregon Tech. The Raiders (7-9-1) lost their shot at the divisional crown and a home game in next week’s league tournament semifinals with a 2-nil loss at Corban College in Salem Saturday afternoon, but SOU made the four-team field for the sixth straight year when fourth-place OIT unexpectedly defeated Warner Pacific, 2-0, in the tightly-packed four-team playoff hunt. SOU, the No. 4 seed, travels to Portland next Wednesday to tangle with five-time defending conference champion and ninth-ranked Concordia University in the semifinal round. Cross Country SOU SPRINTS PAST OWLS, KNIGHTS — At Klamath Falls, the Southern Oregon University cross country teams emerged victorious in a three-way meet against Oregon Tech and Warner Pacific on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Raider men had five of the top six finishers on the 8K Klamath Sports Park course, while the SOU women were led by third-place finisher Rebecca Neilson. Senior all-star Ryan Pfeil won his second consecutive meet by clocking a 25:08.4 in the 23-racer field, and three other Raiders finished right behind: sophomore Kyle Gillette (25:28.2), freshman Cameron Krueze (25:32.8) and sophomore Kevin Jeffers (26:03.6). Only Warner Pacific’s Anton Stupultsky (26:12.2) separated senior Ross Dexter (sixth, 26:13.2) from sweeping the top five. Neilson had a 20:17.7 on the 5K loop among 10 competitors, and freshman Susie Talbert (fifth, 20:47.6), freshman April Bradshaw (sixth, 21:03.9) and sophomore Megan Confer (seventh, 21:27.1) were SOU’s other placers. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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