THE DALLES - The Dalles High Riverhawks took a 6-3 record and OSAA Class 4A No. 3 statewide ranking into the start of league volleyball play this week.
The Riverhawks swept visiting Pendleton, 3-0, on Sept. 15 as a prelude to this week’s first two Tri-Valley matches – at home vs. Gladstone on Sept. 21 and at Madras on Sept. 23. The defending Tri-Valley Conference champion Riverhawks, coached by Teresa Morris, are seeking the school’s fifth consecutive trip to the 4A state tournament.
As is usually the case, The Dalles and Pendleton (5-9) played a competitive match, although the Riverhawks won all three sets, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21. The first set was tied numerous times, the last time at 12-12. It was 14-13 The Dalles when the Riverhawks went on a six-point scoring run to take control.
A perfect Taylor Tuia set was put away by Jazlynn Morris-Holmes for a winner, and – arguably - an even better Tuia jump set, enabled Evelyn Rogers to show off her hitting prowess for another Riverhawk point.
A Pendleton timeout only delayed the inevitable. Rogers tapped a winner down the left sideline for set point, 24-16, and Morris-Holmes finished off the set with a back row spike deep left.
The second set was more of the same. Just when The Dalles would get a two- or three-point cushion, Pendleton would battle back. The Riverhawks got the margin they needed behind Edie May. She served an ace, set up Morris-Holmes for winner, and then delivered another ace. Pendleton fought off one set point before a mistake at the net gave The Dalles a 2-0 set advantage.
Pendleton led 18-14 in the third set before the Riverhawks unleashed a steady diet of Morris-Holmes. Her spike pulled The Dalles within 18-16 and it was 19-18 on Makenna Liberidhs’ ace. After a service error gave Pendleton a 20-18 lead, Morris-Holmes delivered three successive kill shots and The Dalles would not trail again.
She had a winner at 22-21, teammate Katelyn Dewey added a stuff block and a Pendleton error led to set point. As if on cue, Morris-Holmes hit a back row spike to close out the match.
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