ASHLAND, Ore. – The Warriors dropped a heartbreaker on Saturday night when the Lewis-Clark State Volleyball team fell in five sets to Southern Oregon. After taking the first two sets, the Raiders stormed back to take the next three (24-26, 22-25, 25-15, 25-12, 15-12). It was the second night in a row LC State forced five sets.
 
LC State took advantage of a pair of SOU errors to keep the score close before back-to-back kills by Jada Wyms and Grecia Ung Enriquez gave the Warriors a 4-3 advantage in the opening set. Carli Berntson and Ung Enriquez gave LC a 9-7 lead on two swings, and Cassidy Nelson made it a three-point margin with two straight kills at 11-8. Nelson sparked a 4-2 run that featured a block by Tori Edwards and Wyms and kills from Ung Enriquez and Channa Hart to make it a 16-12 game and force an SOU pause.
 
The Warriors cut a Raider run after two points with a kill by Ung Enriquez. LC took advantage of two SOU errors and two kills by Berntson to grow the lead to 21-17. Wyms assisted on back-to-back blocks with Nelson and Edwards moved the score to 23-18, but the Raiders rallied to tie the set 24-24. An SOU service error and kill by Hart gave LC the first set victory at 26-24.
 
SOU earned the first point of the second frame, but another error by the home team put LC on the board. Kills by Wyms, Edwards and Nelson, a block by Wyms and Edwards and an ace by Jess Ruffing were part of a seven-point rally to put the Warriors in front 8-3. A 7-2 run by the Raiders knotted the set at 10 each and the score remained tied until SOU strung together three points to take a 17-14 lead.
 
A timeout by the Warriors proved beneficial as LC came out of the pause with two straight points to cut the deficit to one. Another run by the Raiders grew the margin to 22-17, but a pair of kills by Ung Enriquez brought the Warriors within two at 22-20 and forced an SOU timeout. Hart and Berntson denied SOU twice at the net before Berntson and Ung Enriquez went back-to-back to cap an eight-point run and end the second set at 25-22 in favor of LC State.
 
For the third straight set, SOU struck first and an error by the Raiders gave the Warriors their first point in the set. The teams traded points until SOU surged to take a three-point lead at 9-6. Kills by Wyms and Nelson kept the set within reach at 12-10, but the Raiders charged ahead again to grow the difference to 18-12. They went on to take the set 25-15.
 
The Raiders jumped in front 7-1 to begin the fourth before a kill by Ung Enriquez snapped the run. SOU picked right back up and dominated the set with a final of 25-12 to force a fifth and deciding set.
 
In a change of pace from the first four sets, the Warriors struck first in the fifth set with an error by the Raiders. Nelson added on with a kill on an assist from Martinez before a kill by Hart and block by Wyms and Berntson made it a 4-1 advantage. SOU went on a six-point run to take a 7-4 lead before back-to-back kills by Edwards brought LC within one at 10-9. The Raiders bounced back and carried the momentum to a 15-12.
 
Ung Enriquez led the LC offense with 15 kills and Edwards added 10. Nelson, Wyms, Hart and Berntson each tallied seven. Martinez dished out 22 assists and Ruffing dealt 21. Defensively, Wyms put up six block, Hart had five and Berntson and Edwards each put up four. Kenzie Dean held down the back row with 19 digs.
 
The Warriors return home next weekend with matches against No. 13 Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho. LC hosts EOU on Friday at 7 p.m. for Dig Pink Night, and C of I on Saturday at 5 p.m. for Warrior Zone Night. Information on tickets and live coverage can be found at lcwarriors.com.
 
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