The Umpqua RiverHawks volleyball team fell short in a tough loss to Lane Community College on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 in Eugene.
Despite winning the first set, Umpqua ultimately lost to Lane in four sets (3-1). Set scores were 25-15, 25-12, 25-21, 25-23 in Lane’s favor.
With Umpqua fighting for position in the South Region, Saturday’s game marked Umpqua’s third straight loss, bringing their regional record to 2 wins and 4 losses and their league record to 10 wins and 13 losses. Umpqua’s record is now 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Coming off of their 2017-2018 season, which saw the RiverHawks finish with a record of 13-24, the team has shown signs of improvement from last year’s finish, however.
The RiverHawks defense has given opponents a rough time by keeping the score close. Umpqua as a team averages over one block per set on top of also averaging 17.8 digs per set.
With over 300 digs in the current season, Kyrie Keffer earned the defensive player of the week honor for week five, and teammate McKenna Wilson also won the award for her defensive performance during week six of the season.
With nine games left in the regular season, the team is looking to gain momentum in the standings and finish strong. With the playoffs just around the corner, the team has plenty of motivation to finish strong in the South Region.
“I’m really excited to attend their home games; they’ve worked so hard and shown so much dedication. They’re all amazing, and I’m excited to see what they accomplish the rest of the season,” Kira Oerman, assistant athletic director at Umpqua Community College, said.
UCC has five home games left and fans are expected to be out in full force to cheer them on.
“We’ve had really good student turn out this season; the student section has brought this team a lot of energy. They have a really big impact on the game, and I always expect it to be loud,” Oerman said.
The RiverHawks’ next home game will take place on Friday, Oct. 19 where Umpqua will host Clark at 6:30 p.m. in the gym.
For out of town guests, the gym is located at 1140 Umpqua College Road, Roseburg, and can be accessed from the first driveway into the college.