The Dalles High Riverhawks, with a 10-2 overall record and 2-1 Tri-Valley Conference mark, have won eight straight matches en route to a No. 5 Class 4A ranking.
The Riverhawks, guided by head Coach Julie Summers and assistant Coach Teresa Morris, have a win streak that includes their first Tri-Valley Conference victory at home 3-0 over the Estacada High Rangers (2-1 TVC, 6-4 overall) Sept. 21 in a Homecoming contest at The Dalles High School’s Kurtz Gym.
“We’re proud of our team and they definitely had some great moments against Estacada,” said Summers. “We’re hoping that being a top team we need to make sure that we play at a higher level against our opponents. We don’t want to play to their level and that’s something that we’re learning how to do. We’re pushing ourselves and just coming out strong in every match.”
The Dalles plays its next game Wednesday at home at 6 p.m. versus the Molalla High Indians (1-2 TVC, 6-6 overall).
“We should be a state contender for sure this season,” said Morris, who played on The Dalles’ volleyball team that won a Tri-Valley Conference title in 1998. “We’ve barely lost any sets and we have a very powerful team. I think we’re capable of finishing near the top of our league. I definitely think we’re capable of winning all six of our remaining league games. I think we even have a good chance to even win the Tri-Valley Conference championship.”
The Dalles started the week tied for second place with Estacada in the conference standings as both are behind league leading Crook County (3-0 TVC, 7-4 overall).
The Dalles won the first set, 25-14, over Estacada and their momentum continued in the second set. The Riverhawks jumped in front 14-6 when senior libero Lydia DiGennero served an ace. The Rangers fought back, but the Riverhawks won the set with a scoring hit by senior outside hitter Kennedy Abbas (11 kills, 17-for-19 serving, six aces) followed by a game-winning kill by sophomore middle blocker Laci Hoylman.
Estacada made a stronger effort in the next set, which included six ties and two lead changes and built a 5-3 early lead. The match was later tied, 11-11, and at 14-all. The Dalles then went on a 5-2 run for a 19-16 advantage, forcing an Estacada timeout. A kill by junior outside hitter Zoe LeBreton (nine kills, 9-for-11 serving, ace) made it 21-18. An ace by DiGennaro and a kill by Abbas was followed by consecutive Ranger hitting errors and the The Dalles won, 25-22.
Senior middle blocker Zoe Dunn (four kills, three blocks) and junior setter Jeilane Stewart (11-for-11 serving, 21 assists, 12 digs) also made key contributions for the Riverhawks.
“It feels awesome to get our first league win and we’re doing a lot better than we did last year and I feel like we’ve improved a lot,” said Dunn. “It feels pretty good to be ranked No. 5 in the state. I think moving to the 4A level has helped us and it’s nice to be seeing new teams this year. I felt like we were in kind of in a hopeless situation last year while facing other, stronger teams. We always felt like things really wouldn’t go so well for us and that really affected the way we played. It’s nice to have a change. I think we can make it to the state playoffs this year.”
The last time The Dalles advanced to the state playoffs was in 2015.
“I feel really good about the fact that we’ve had such a great season so far and I’m very excited for what’s coming up for us,” said Stewart. “As long as we work together and keep on practicing hard, then I think we’ll accomplish our goal.”
Playing on back-to-back days for the only time this season, the Riverhawks followed with another 3-0 win over the struggling Madras High White Buffaloes (0-3 TVC, 0-8 overall) Sept. 22 at Madras High School.
DiGennaro served 21-for-23 with seven aces and 10 digs. Ahnikah Rubio was a perfect 17-for-17 in serving, with three aces, four digs and two kills. Abbas served 7-for-9, with three aces, six digs and nine kills. LeBreton served 6-for-7, with an ace, four digs and a team-high 14 kills. Stewart served 8-for-9, with an ace, eight digs and 27 assists. Dunn had four kills, a block and three digs.
The Riverhawks competed in a 16-team tournament at North Marion High School on Sept. 24. The Dalles won 2-0 over the Pendleton High Buckaroos (3-6), which marked the Riverhawks’ third win this year over their former Class 5A Intermountain Conference rival. Both schools dropped down to 4A this year. The Riverhawks also won 2-0 over the Astoria High Fishermen and 2-0 over No. 7-ranked Tillamook.
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