Image Credit: Al Case, https://traveljapanblog.com/ashland/tag/volleyball/
The Raider volleyball team put on the heat this weekend! They competed against 4th ranked Bushnell and the Cascade Collegiate Conference 1st place contender, the Corban Warriors.
Friday night, the Raiders took on the Bushnell Beacons and finished them in three sets. The first set of the night ended with a win of 25-23. The second set also matched the score with a 25-23 win for the Raiders. The third set wasn’t just a win but a triumph over the Beacons. The Raiders won the set with a 13-point lead, 25-12. A Raider standout of the night was the redshirt freshman and outside hitter Hailey Van Well. Well had 16 kills, which were either assisted by setter standouts, Taylor Russell or Gwen Sheldon. Russell, a junior from Roseburg, OR, had 20 assists. Sheldon, a junior from Loveland CO, had 18 assists. The Raiders were dynamic on the court against the Beacons, and it was evident in their sweep against the Beacons. The Raiders had 44 kills and a .277 hitting percentage on the night.
Saturday night, the Raiders lost three consecutive sets to the Corban Warriors, but they did not go down without a fight. The Raiders trailed behind Corban for a majority of the first set and could not catch back up, ending the set 25-13. In the second set, the Raiders came alive and met Corban point-for-point as the match went on. However, Corban won the last few points of the set for a score of 25-21. The Raiders didn’t let up on momentum, though. They started the third set with a 6-1 lead before Corban caught up. The third set ended with a kill from Corban. The final score was 25-22.
Though the Raiders lost, they had a few volleys throughout the sets that fired up the crowd and the rest of the Raider bench. These incredible volleys were aided with the help of two defensive specialist standouts, Karina Oliveira and Kaydn Jones. Karina Oliveira, a junior from Salto, São Paulo, Brazil, had 17 digs on the night. Kaydn Jones, a senior from Troutdale, OR, had 13 digs against Corban. Their digs and all-out effort eventually set up Simone Gordon, an outside hitter, for a successful night. Simone Gordon, only a sophomore from Portland, OR, had 11 kills.
The results of this weekend left the Raider season record 12-11 overall. They have four remaining games on the schedule, two of which will be home games.
The last two home games of the season are November 5th and 6th at the Lithia Motors Pavilion. On November 5th at 7 PM, Raider volleyball will face Multnomah University. On November 6th at 5 PM, the Raiders will face Warner Pacific.
