Megan Perry, SOU volleyball

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — Mustafa Daggig became the first player to start a season with consecutive multi-goal outings in Southern Oregon history, netting two more in a 3-1 win over Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Saturday night at Varsity Field.

Daggig, a sophomore from Portland, needed only two days to match his goal total from last year and make the No. 25-ranked Raiders 2-0 on their debut trip. He scored two off the bench in Friday’s 3-0 defeat of Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.), then stuck the go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute before tacking on a successful penalty kick three minutes later as a starter against the Eagles (0-1-1).

SOU has won nonleague matchups three years in a row against ERAU, which on Friday earned a draw against College of Idaho, the team picked to finish second behind the Raiders in the Cascade Conference.

Senior forward Evan Norconk’s 20th career goal put SOU ahead in the sixth minute. Two Raiders were credited with assists on the play: Kaden Barker, who initiated the action with a cross from the left side, and Kaito Nakayama, who collected the pass and redirected it to Norconk in the box.

The Eagles found an equalizer a few minutes later in the form of Roei Nir’s PK. The tie only lasted 14 minutes before Franco Fasoli sent a pass from the right end line to the far post, where Daggig was waiting for a header.

Daggig delivered his fourth goal of the weekend in the 26th by slotting a PK inside the left post moments after getting tripped up on a breakaway two steps into the box. He accounted for three of SOU’s six shots on goal.

SOU was without all-star keeper Casey Ruvolo. In his place, Aly Alvarado made two saves as he and the Raiders kept ERAU off the board for the final 81 minutes.

Volleyball

RAIDERS OPEN WITH SWEEP: At Ashland, Southern Oregon’s opening-day returns, which included a drubbing of the team’s first nationally-ranked opponent, were promising on Friday in the Raider Invitational.

The No. 10-ranked Raiders started with a 25-13, 25-8, 25-17 sweep of Simpson (Calif.) during the morning session, then returned for the nightcap to handle No. 14 Bellevue (Neb.) almost as easily — winning 25-22, 25-8, 25-14 just hours after the Bruins took down No. 12 Corban in straight sets.

Senior outside hitter Marin Mackey starred throughout the debut performance, going for team-highs of 19 kills on a .417 attacking average and seven service aces. The returning All-Cascade Conference performer tacked on 15 digs and six blocks over the two matches.

But the Raiders dominated with balance. They attacked at a .461 average against Simpson, as Megan Perry dropped in eight kills, Hannah Stadstad had seven, and neither committed an error. Mackey led the match with 11 kills and five aces, and Vitoria Mattos distributed 22 assists.

The first set was competitive against Bellevue, tied 22-22 before a Mackey kill and a pair of Bruins errors ended it. SOU took over in the second by opening on a 14-2 run that featured four Perry kills. The third, which ended with an 11-2 Raiders spurt, was more of the same.

Stadstad and Mackey had eight kills apiece against the Bruins, and Perry finished with seven. Defense was the difference, though: Bellevue landed on a negative-.067 team attack, logging just 20 kills compared to 27 errors. Sadie Byrd got in on seven of the team’s nine blocks, and the Raiders protected the floor with 10 digs apiece from Mackey and Testoni, nine from Kayla Neidigh and eight from Annie Hite.

“For an early-season match we played very well and improved throughout the day on the things we’ve been working on,” SOU coach Josh Rohlfing said. “We got great contributions from our middles and Megan and Marin were exceptional all day.”

Neidigh finished the matches with 20 digs, Byrd with nine blocks and Mattos with 40 assists. Senior middle Linda Conceicao had a stellar SOU debut, totaling nine kills on 16 swings and five blocks.