COMING UP: vs. College of Idaho, Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. No. 4-ranked Eastern Oregon, Saturday, 5 p.m.

COMPLETE INTERACTIVE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION: Live Video of both weekend matches will be available online via the Owls Sports Network with Mike Safford Jr. on the call. Both matches will also have Live Stats via OIT's SIDEARM Stat Portal. For fans coming to the game, general admission tickets are $8.00 or can be purchased online through the OIT Ticket Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2023 season will be posted online via the OIT Volleyball Flickr Page, while highlight clips and interviews will be posted online via the new OIT Volleyball You Tube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – COLLEGE OF IDAHO: The weekend opens against C of I, as the Yotes (10-9, 8-3 CCC) are off to their best start in league play since 2018 – their last trip to the NAIA Championships. Longtime head coach Liz Mendiola (23rd season) has a team averaging 12.8 kills per set and a defense that is averaging 2.2 blocks per set and holding opponents to a .140 hitting percentage. Veteran middle blocker Jade Warren (2.08 k/s, 1.12 b/s) anchors an attack that is complemented by Janae Rayborn (2.78 k/s), Shelby Nichol (2.27 k/s, 0.60 b/s) and Haley McUne (2.14 k/s, 3.39 d/s, 18 aces). Setters Savannah Hutchins (5.29 a/s, 2.34 d/s) and Analise Hitchcock (5.34 a/s, 1.37 d/s, 20 aces) run the 2-setter offense, with Char Hodge (4.29 d/s) serving as libero.
 
HISTORY VS. THE YOTES: Tech and C of I have met 59 previous times, with the Coyotes holding a commanding 46-13 series edge (including an 18-6 mark in Klamath) – including a 24-match win streak that was snapped during the 2021 spring season. OIT had a 6-match win streak over the Yotes ended in Caldwell in the first meeting between the clubs this season.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EASTERN OREGON: It has been a banner season for EOU, as the Mountaineers (17-1, 10-1) head into the second half of the league season ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Top-25 poll, with their lone loss (and only set losses in CCC play) coming in five sets at Northwest. The defending national semifinalists average 13.3 kills and 2.6 blocks per set, while holding opponents to a .076 hitting percentage. Setters Hannah Ledgerwood (4.98 a/s, 2.00 d/s) and Alexis McMurtrey (5.44 a/s, 2.75 d/s, 24 aces) run an offense paced by a deep group of hitters including Sade Williams (2.93 k/s, 2.69 d/s), Keira Vaughn (2.71 k/s), Ashton Haughton (2.12 k/s, 0.74 b/s), Madison Morgan (2.12 k/s, 0.75 b/s) and Kiauna Mack (1.73 k/s, 1.45 b/s), with All-CCC libero Hailey Arritola (3.79 d/s) keying the defense.
 
HISTORY VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS: Saturday's date with EOU marks the 54th meeting between the rivals since 1998, with the Mounties win in September breaking a 26-26 all-time deadlock. OIT holds a 14-10 series edge in the Basin, but are searching for their first win at Danny Miles Court over Eastern since 2017.
 
ANOTHER TOP-5 OPPONENT: Friday's match marks the sixth match-up this season against a team in the Top-25 poll (or receiving votes) and the third vs. the Top-5 – as Tech previously met Jessup, Vanguard, Benedictine Mesa, Corban and a road date at EOU. OIT's last win against a Top-25 foe was last season, a victory over No. 19-ranked Southern Oregon.
 
FIRST HALF IN THE BOOKS: The Cascade Conference schedule hit the midway point on Saturday, with Corban and Eastern Oregon tied for the league lead with identical 10-1 records. Three teams are locked into a third-place tie at 8-3 – Southern Oregon, College of Idaho and Northwest – with Bushnell a game behind the trio. Both OIT and LC State hold a 3-game lead on the remaining group of teams vying for the final two postseason bids. The second half of the schedule opens this week with Corban and Bushnell traveling to Warner Pacific and Multnomah, C of I and Eastern making the journey to SOU and OIT, with LC State and Walla Walla crossing the Cascades to face Evergreen State and Northwest.
 
CONFERENCE NUMBERS: As a team, the Owls rank No. 5 in the CCC in hitting percentage (.169) and digs per set (15.24), No. 7 in aces per set (1.46) and No. 8 in kills per set (11.19), assists per set (10.26) and blocks per set (1.74). Individually, Paige Tevelde leads the league in assists per set (6.37), Molly Grace is No. 3 in kills per set (3.55) and No. 9 in hitting percentage (.276), Kaley Whalen is No. 4 in digs per set (4.53) and both Autumn Williams and Abigail Williams are No. 8 in aces per set (0.36).
 
WHALEN BREAKS DIGS RECORD, EARNS CONFERENCE HONORS: For the second-straight weekend, a school-record fell by the wayside, as libero Kaley Whalen broke OIT's single-match digs record in Friday's win at Evergreen State – earning Cascade Conference Defender of the Week honors. The sophomore posted 41 digs – 13-more than her previous career-high – helping the Owls to the come-from-behind victory, adding 13 digs in Saturday's loss at Northwest. Whalen broke the record of 37 digs, set by Marie Baumann at Simpson during the 2012 season, while three others previously recorded 33 digs in a match. It marks the Lady Owls first CCC Defender of the Week award since the 2021 season.
 
TEAM DIGS RECORD SMASHED: Tech kept balls in play throughout their win at Evergreen, amassing a school-record 136 digs in the 5-set win. The Owls previous record was 131 digs in a win at Pacific Union in 2002 – during the 30-point rally-scoring era – with the new mark surpassing OIT's CCC single-match mark of 123 digs at College of Idaho in 2005. Abigail Sorensen posted a career-high 24 digs, one of five Lady Owls with double-figure digs on the night.
 
HITTERS STEP UP: OIT played the weekend without their top hitter, but the trio of Kennedy Kantola, Willow Jacobson and Savanna Sterck filled in admirably. Friday night, Kantola narrowly missed Tech's first 20-20 in 19 seasons, posting season-highs with 18 kills and 19 digs in her first start of 2023. Jacobson was outstanding playing six rotations – finishing with 11 kills along with career-highs of 18 digs and seven blocks against Evergreen – adding seven kills and two blocks at Northwest. Sterck was key in the comeback at TESC, posting 18 kills – her third match this season with 15-or-more kills – adding a career-best nine digs.
 
BLOCKERS SOLID: The Owls block was solid throughout the trip – with freshman Aleksen Thayer recording a career-high seven blocks in the win over Evergreen. Thayer also posted a career-best seven kills in the victory. Fellow middle blocker, Kate Hicks, combined for six blocks on the trip, tying a career-high (for the fifth time) with a team-high nine kills at Northwest.
 
A RARE REVERSE SWEEP ON THE ROAD: Friday's win at Evergreen State saw the Lady Owls rally from a two-set deficit to pick up the road victory – the first road conference win since 2014 when dropping the opening two sets. OIT rallied at TESC during the 2014 season, losing the first two sets 25-23, before claiming the reverse sweep. During 2019 and 2020, Tech rallied for road wins in non-conference play at Jessup, while winning the final three sets at home in 2021, also against TESC.
 
RECORD BOOK: Five OIT players currently rank among the Top-25 in the all-time career record book – as Paige Tevelde leads the group, ranking No. 11 in assists (977). Brooke Cassidy is No. 13 in assists (696) and No. 15 in aces (77), Kate Hicks is No. 14 in blocks (219), with Molly Grace No. 23 in kills (550) and Kaley Whalen No. 25 in digs (534).
 
400 WINS: Tech heads into the weekend with a 399-344 record since the program returned in 1998, with the next victory the 400th in modern history.
 
NEXT WEEK: The Lady Owls will have three matches next week, beginning with a Wednesday (Oct. 11) date at Southern Oregon, before home matches vs. Multnomah (Oct. 13) and Warner Pacific (Oct. 14).