In front of a raucous crowd at the Kurtz Gym, The Hood River Valley Eagles (2-0) came from behind Thursday to defeat The Dalles Riverhawks (0-3) 18-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-22 in The Battle of the Gorge. After a week-long quarantine, the Eagles struggled in the opening set to find their rhythm. “We were obviously not at our best to start the match,” said Hood River Coach Courtney Harvey. “The slow start had a lot to do with the lack of practice time and the fact that we didn’t have our full complement of players tonight.”
With the Eagles' slow start, the Riverhawks were able to build the confidence they needed on the defensive end that had not been there during their previous two matches. The Eagles found their footing in the second set as they started defending the net much better. After going up 14-8 the Riverhawks were forced to call timeout. They came out swinging and went on a 7-2 run to climb back into the set. But the Eagles shut the door with a quick, six-point run of their own and tied the match at a set apiece.
The third set started off shaky for the Eagles but eventually became the turning point of the match. After going down 0-2 with two balls hit straight into the net it looked like the Eagles’ struggles at the net had returned. But an eight-point run quickly turned the set around and ended up being the most lopsided score of the night.
“One of the major differences between the first couple sets vs. the last couple, was that our libero Kayla Sheasby sat a lot early in the match,” said Harvey. “Not only did she have some incredible points throughout the night, but as our rock in the middle she brings the energy of the girls up with her play and her attitude.”
With the Eagles flying high, it looked like the fourth set might be more of the same as they jumped on the Riverhawks early. Sheasby was clearly the MVP for the Eagles, as she flew around the court saving point after point when it looked like the Riverhawks might go on a run. In a back-and-forth set that saw multiple ties and lead changes, neither team was able to take more than a three-point lead. Every time the Eagles looked like they separated themselves, the Riverhawks fought back with some of the best defense they’ve played all season. But unfortunately, three straight unforced errors did the Riverhawks in, as the Eagles took the set in one of the more exciting matches this season. “After everything we’ve gone through the past week, I’m incredibly proud of our team and how we handled the situation,” Harvey said. “We could’ve easily packed it in and decided this match was a lost cause. But we continued to fight for every ball and the girls fed off each other’s energy with every point won.”
HRV's Eagles lost a doubleheader in straight sets to Sisters and Ridgeview on Saturday. They host a non-league contest with Redmond on March 20. The Riverhawks lost 0-3 on Saturday to Redmond. They play next at Pendleton on March 18 and host Pendleton Saturday.
Commented