CALDWELL, Idaho – Emma Gasman had 18 kills and five blocks helping Southern Oregon survive a tough five-set marathon over the College of Idaho inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The win for the No. 11 ranked Raiders (20-3, 14-1 CCC) was their second-straight five-set win at C of I, as SOU remained a game up on Eastern Oregon for the top spot in the Cascade Conference standings with three matches remaining.
Southern never trailed in the decisive fifth set, as both teams trade four-point rallies to open the period. The Raiders would build a 14-12 lead on a double contact call – but the Lady Yotes (13-11, 10-5) fought off four match points, before a net violation broke a 16-16 tie and a Sam Boehnke kill after a long rally, ended the match.
Gasman was dominant in the first two sets, as SOU built an early lead. The opening period featured 12 ties, the last at 22-22, before a Motade Atanda kill, a Lauren McGowne-Gasman combo-block, and a Gasman spike gave the Raiders the win. Set 2 was back-and-forth, as Southern got three Atande kills in an opening 10-4 run, only to watch C of I storm back to grab a 17-16 lead on an Emily Ottinger stuff of an overpass. The Raiders tightened up their block, stuffing a pair of Coyote attacks in a four-point run that gave them the lead for good.
The Lady Yotes got into system in Set 3, as Bailee Kendall and Janessa Koelliker each had four kills in the period, as C of I used a 7-1 run to take a 13-6 lead and never looked back. Ottinger was dominant in Set 4, recording seven kills, including a smash in a three-point run that broke a 22-22 tie to force the fifth set.
Atanda had 16 kills and 15 digs for SOU, with Boehnke adding 12 kills and Paulla Pinheiro registering 11 kills and a team-high 26 digs. McGowne led the Raiders with 56 assists in the win.
Ottinger led all players with 20 kills, with Kendall adding 13 kills and four blocks. Koelliker had a season-high 12 kills and five blocks for the Yotes; Katy Robinson had 12 kills; Sierra Porter had 57 assists; and Kilee Lopez was one of four C of I players in double-figure digs, recording 35.
The Lady Yotes return to action tomorrow at 5 p.m., hosting Oregon Tech in their annual Dig for a Cure Night to support Breast Cancer research.
