Otago snapped a five-game losing streak in coloured clothing and 21-year-old Ben Lockrose played a key role.
The left-arm spinner made his first appearance for the Volts in three years yesterday and bagged three wickets to help his side dispatch Canterbury by 53 runs in Rangiora.
The Volts posted 258 for seven which seemed like it would not be enough.
But Matt Bacon struck twice in his opening over and finished with four for 51.
Jacob Duffy grabbed an early wicket as well to reduce the home side to 15 for three.
Leo Carter mounted a revival with an innings of 63, and Henry Shipley underlined his value as an all-rounder with a hard-hit knock of 78 from 64 balls.
But Otago's two-pronged left-arm spin attack helped close the game with five wickets between them.
Anaru Kitchen grabbed two of them but Lockrose was the star with three for 36 from 10 overs.
He would have played more cricket by now but he has sat behind Kitchen and Michael Rippon in the pecking order.
But with Rippon injured, Lockrose received a rare opportunity.
He teamed up with keeper Max Chu to have Carter stumped.
Theo van Woerkom spooned a catch into the outfield and Will Williams was bowled for a duck.
The performance drew praise from his coach Dion Ebrahim.
"He's had to bide his time but grabbed his opportunity and was probably unlucky not to come off with four wickets," Ebrahim said, adding he had a catch dropped off his bowling.
"It was a fantastic effort by him."
Otago made a steady start. It crept its way to 39 for none.
After some recent poor batting displays in limited-overs fixtures, there was something to be said for retaining wickets.
First-class opener Mitch Renwick, who has been overlooked for the one-day and twenty20 games, got through to a half century in his first list A appearances for the Volts this season.
He combined in a 105-run opening stand.
"He did an outstanding job coming in to get 50," Ebrahim said. "He has kept up the form he had shown in the red-ball format."
Rutherford was the first to go. He danced past a delivery from Cole McConchie and was stumped for 45.
Renwick lasted another five overs before he got a top edge on a pull shot and had to depart for 55.
Nick Kelly (one) got an inside edge before he could get going.
Otago had fallen from 105 for none to 140 for three.
But veteran right-hander Neil Broom and Llew Johnson still had a decent platform to work with.
Broom muscled his way to 41 and Johnson chipped in with 26 before they both became part of a second clump of wickets to fall.
Chu picked up the slack with a career-best 44 not out and Lockrose clobbered an undefeated 18 from 17 balls.
At the Basin Reserve, Wellington seamers Ollie Newton and Logan van Beek took three wickets apiece to help secure a five-wicket win against Auckland.
Aces opener Martin Guptill was forced to retire hurt for 32 when Nathan Smith pinned him on the foot with a devastating yorker.
