COMING UP: at No. 9 College of Idaho, Friday, 6 p.m. (MDT); at No. 1 Eastern Oregon, Saturday, 4 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Both weekend matches will be streamed live on the Cascade Sports Network, powered by Hudl. Live Stats will be available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal. Links to both video and stats can be accessed at OregonTechOwls.com.  
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ABOUT THE OPPONENT – COLLEGE OF IDAHO (9-0, 2-0) | C OF I LEADS SERIES, 51-13 | LAST MEETING IN 2025 (C OF I 3, OIT 0): Tech heads eastward to open the road portion of the Cascade Conference schedule, facing College of Idaho, as the Yotes are one of six remaining undefeated teams in the NAIA. C of I climbed to No. 9 in the latest NAIA poll, thanks to a defense holding opponents to a .077 hitting percentage, while averaging 2.2 aces and 2.4 blocks per set. A multi-faceted offense is led by all-star middle Alexa Wheeler (2.00 k/s, 1.47 b/s), with Abigail Flerchinger (2.64 k/s, 0.79 b/s), Addison McKarcher (2.33 k/s, 1.00 b/s) and Jessica Stires (2.31 k/s, 0.41 b/s) among five players averaging at least two kills a set. Setter Shaynee McWilliams (8.74 a/s, 2.94 d/s) leads the CCC in assist average, with libero Avery Lewis (3.61 d/s, 16 aces) among the league leaders in aces. OIT is looking to snap a 6-match losing streak to the Yotes.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT – EASTERN OREGON (13-0, 2-0) | EOU LEADS SERIES, 32-26 | LAST MEETING IN 2025 (EOU 3, OIT 0): Day 2 on the road has the Owls squaring off against the No. 1 team in the NAIA, as Eastern Oregon puts a 13-0 record on the line. The Mountaineers have been dominant, averaging 13.7 kills a set and lead the NAIA in attack percentage (.315), while adding 2.3 aces and 2.5 blocks a set. EOU has options at the net, as All-American Keira Vaughn (4.17 k/s, 0.57 b/s) is joined by newcomers Akyah Kaino (3.01 k/s, 0.79 b/s) and Jule Whitley (2.70 k/s, 1.33 b/s) and returner Brooke Womack (2.74 k/s, 3.12 d/s). Setter Kate Stidham (6.95 a/s, 2.02 d/s) paces the offense, with Jaycee Villastrigo (3.26 d/s) serving as the libero. EOU has won the past nine meetings, though Tech took the Mounties to five sets last season in Klamath Falls.
 
AGAINST #1: Saturday will mark the 11th time an OIT team has played the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA and the sixth time they've faced EOU as the top-ranked team. The Lady Owls are 1-9 all-time against the top team in the NAIA – defeating Fresno Pacific in five sets during the 2011 season.
 
NEARLY A SWEEP: Tech avenged a sweep on the court at the hands of Walla Walla last Friday, toppling the NAIA Tournament team in four sets – using a 52-43 edge in kills and 10 aces to earn the victory. One night later, the Owls were on the verge of taking down No. 12-ranked LC State, winning the first two sets, while posting 48 kills over the first three periods. However, LC found their rhythm, holding OIT to just 14 kills over the final two sets and jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the deciding fifth set, to complete a reverse sweep.
 
THAYER BREAKS 400 BLOCK MARK: Middle blocker Aleksen Thayer continues to post eye-popping numbers, as the Cascade Conference and NAIA's leader in blocks per set was key in the opening weekend of league play. The senior had a career-high 11 kills and added nine blocks vs. Walla Walla, adding 10 kills and five blocks vs. LC – improving her blocks per set average to 1.82. Thayer achieved another personal milestone against WWU, becoming the first OIT player to surpass 400 blocks in a career and enters the weekend with 410 blocks in a Tech uniform.
 
AT THE PINS: Production from the left and right sides were key on the weekend, as outside hitter Shalyn Bliss and opposite hitter Tiffini Goss had their best weekends of the year. Bliss had nine kills in Friday's win and followed with a season-high 13 kills vs. LC State, while Goss led Tech in both matches, finishing with consecutive 13-kill efforts, while adding a career-high six blocks vs. LC.
 
RAMSAY RUNNING THE SHOW: Tech continued to run a one-setter rotation, with Taryn Ramsay continuing to put up big numbers. The sophomore recorded a double-double in the win over Walla Walla, finishing with 40 assists and 13 digs, while against LC State, recorded career highs with eight kills and 50 assists, adding nine digs. Ramsay currently ranks second in the CCC, averaging 8.64 assists per set.
 
WHALEN A DIG MACHINE: Kaley Whalen was key for the Owls in both weekend matches, combining for 49 digs, including a season-high 34 in Saturday's meeting with LC State. The fifth-year senior extended her school record of 30-or-more dig matches to six – two more than any other OIT player in program history. Whalen, the CCC's leader in digs per set (5.05) pushed her career dig total to 1,591, sitting 248 digs away from the all-time OIT record – needing to average 13 digs per match during CCC play to reach the milestone.
 
MORE FROM THE BACK ROW: The Owls got key production from multiple defensive specialists during Saturday's game with LC State. Alison Miller posted a season-high 13 digs, Emma Kness had a season-high 12 digs, Brooklynn Thesenvitz had a season-high 11 digs, while Sumerlyn Spencer led all OIT players with four aces.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Sweeps were in order the first week of CCC play, as unbeaten Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho cruised to road wins in the Seattle area, Southern Oregon grinded out two 5-set wins over LC State and Walla Walla, while Bushnell upset Corban and toppled Warner Pacific. This week, LC and WWU meet and both travel to WPU, C of I and Eastern host SOU and OIT, with Bushnell and Corban head to Northwest and Evergreen State.
 
STANDINGS: Eastern Oregon 2-0, 13-0, College of Idaho 2-0, 9-0, Southern Oregon 2-0, 10-2, Bushnell 2-0, 7-2, Lewis-Clark State 1-1, 7-1, Corban 1-1, 8-3, Oregon Tech 1-1, 7-3, Northwest 0-2, 4-6, Evergreen State 0-2, 1-5, Warner Pacific 0-2, 0-3, Walla Walla 0-2, 0-3.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Kills/Set – Sahara Browning (WWU) 4.70, Keira Vaughn (EOU) 3.83, Mikale Roy (LC) 3.45, Emma Bischoff (CRB) 3.43, Taylor Boyce (LC) 3.28. Assists/Set – Shayne McWilliams (CI) 8.74, Taryn Ramsay (OIT) 8.41, Katelyn Bogetti (NU) 7.60, Kate Stidham (EOU) 6.95, Olivia Cheek (WWU) 6.00. Digs/Set – Kaley Whalen (OIT) 5.05, Dani Street (CRB) 4.68, Chloe Farr (BU) 4.44, Ella Stosich (LC) 3.76, Jaci Yamada (TESC) 3.74. Blocks/Set – Aleksen Thayer (OIT) 1.82, Alexa Wheeler (CI) 1.47, Julie Whitley (EOU) 1.33, Tessa Zimmerman (SOU) 1.27, Jenna Konzelman (CRB) 1.11.
 
NAIA TOP-25 POLL: The NAIA announced its first regular-season Top-25 poll, with five CCC teams in the national ranking. Eastern Oregon climbed to No. 1, Corban at No. 4, College of Idaho moved to No. 9, LC State jumped to No. 12, with Southern Oregon at No. 18.
 
RECORD BOOK: Four current Lady Owls rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book. Aleksen Thayer leads the way, holding the all-time blocks (410) mark, with Kaley Whalen No. 3 in digs (1,591), No. 16 in aces (80) and No. 18 in assists (238), while Lucy Boyd is No. 9 in assists (1,595) and No. 21 in aces (72) and Taryn Ramsay is No. 16 in assists (442).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Lady Owls return home next week for a rare Thursday-Friday doubleheader, meeting Southern Oregon (Sept. 17) and Warner Pacific (Sept. 18) – both at 6 p.m.