The defending Tri-Valley Conference Champion The Dalles High Riverhawks got off to a great start to their volleyball schedule by winning a non-league contest at La Grande on Aug. 29.
The Riverhawks played their final game with former head Coach Julie Summers, who retired. Interim head Coach Teresa Morris, who was an assistant coach under Summers, will now guide the Riverhawks for the remainder of the season.
“That’s a hard way to start your season with a one-way, three-hour road trip for your first game,” Morris said, who was the Dufur coach from 2019-2021.
“I’ve been a head coach before, so this isn’t anything new for me. I know the girls and they know me, so it’s kind of an easier transition than having somebody who they don’t know coming into the program.”
The Riverhawks showed some of the resiliency that helped them reach the Class 4A state semifinals last year. The Riverhawks won the opening set, 25-18, but then lost the next two, 25-21 and 25-18.
“I’m super proud of the girls for not giving up,” Morris said. “These girls honestly play with all their heart, and they come to practice every day and they work super hard every single day at practice.”
Senior outside hitter Zoe LeBreton led the Riverhawks in kills (19) and digs (18) and sparked a 25-23 fourth-set win.
“In the fourth and fifth set, we started to get the middle hitters more involved in the play and Laci Hoylman came alive, and she had multiple kills in both of those sets and that helped us tremendously,” Morris said. “Jeilane Stewart also stepped up and had a strong game,”
Hoylman (eight kills) and Stewart (11 kills, 12 digs, nine assists) paced the Riverhawks to a 15-7 win in the deciding set. Senior setter Kaleyah Crichton-Tunai had 37 assists and 14 digs, and senior outside hitter Lilly Adams had 10 digs.
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