Coming off a successful 2014 season that saw a district championship and a second-place outcome at state last weekend in Redmond, the Dufur Rangers celebrated the accomplishments of first-team Big Sky Conference winners Taylor Darden, Montana Ferres and Tianna Ellis.
Along with the Ranger trio picking up recognition, head coach Kelly Darden was awarded the West side Coach of the Year and Big Sky Coach of the Year for leading Dufur to a 28-4 overall record and a 6-0 mark in league play.
Rather than speak of her own body of work, coach Darden lauded her veteran players for their contributions.
Taylor Darden and Ferres are seniors, Ellis, a junior, has one more year of eligibility remaining.
“All my players are all-stars in my mind,” coach Darden said. “They have really come together and they truly inspire each other and play hard for one another. They are a special group of ladies. I am so blessed to have coached this group. I love coaching them.”
In her final season, Ferres put up her best numbers, sparking her team with all-around play.
An outside hitter and one of three team captains, Ferres completed 95.5 percent of her serves with a team-high 75 aces.
She added 177 kills, five assists and a team-leading 247 digs.
“She has been a steady force for us in all areas of the game,” coach Darden said. “She is a tough server, getting us the most points from the service line. I think the best thing she does for us is play defense. She can read the hitters so well and has great instincts on the court.”
Ellis burst onto the varsity scene last season as a sophomore and her steady progress continued this fall.
Even with a switch of positions, Ellis maintained her edge on the court, adding a powerful swing from the right side.
The junior notched 67 aces on an 88.7 percent serve-success rate and chipped in 67 digs.
Offensively, she finished third on the team with 70 kills.
“Adding a force to our attack from the right side really helped our offensive scheme,” coach Darden said. “Tianna also has a tough serve. She gets us many points on her serve alone.”
Taylor Darden completed her illustrious volleyball career with another first-team selection, her fourth.
During Taylor’s career, the Lady Rangers went 104-22-1 overall and posted an unblemished 30-0 standing in league play.
This season, the Ranger senior led her squad with 335 kills and a hit percentage of .300.
She also converted 95.9 percent of her serves and tacked on 55 aces from the line.
Taylor had a team-high 27 blocks and finished fifth on the team with her 120 digs.
Those statistics were far and away her best through four years of varsity volleyball action.
“I think the biggest improvement has been in her leadership role,” Darden added.
“She took on a more vocal role as a team leader, filling the shoes of last year’s seniors. She is always positive and encouraging to her teammates, ‘doing and saying’ things to make people better. She loves to compete.”
Sherman duo on first team
Looking at the numbers, the Sherman volleyball team surpassed its numbers from 2013 and had two major cogs leading the way.
Senior hitters Makenzie Blaylock and Janet Guzman paced the Huskies to six wins and helped the Huskies nearly double their total games won, from 12 in 2013 to 22 this year.
For that effort, Blaylock and Guzman were named as first-team all-league representatives.
After scoring honorable mention last season, coach Carrie Danchok said Guzman was on a mission to earn a first team spot.
Overall, Guzman had a swing percentage of .187 and she served at an efficient 98 percent.
“A great net presence allowed Janet to make positive contributions in both the outside and middle positions,” Danchok said. “She was one of our better passers and was very scrappy on floor defense. She was also one of our most efficient servers.”
Sherman was able to secure a tie for second place in the Big Sky Conference with two victories over Horizon Christian and one over South Wasco County.
The Huskies also added wins to Mitchell-Spray and Arlington.
Joining the team after a year, Blaylock did not miss a beat from her outside hitter slot.
Danchok was happy to have Blaylock on board this season, as one of the senior leaders.
“Makenzie was an integral part of our team’s success this season,” the Sherman coach said.
“Her kills/match tallied between five and 10,” Danchok added. “On defense, she was a steady passer and proved to be a good transition hitter.”
Foreaker nabs a spot on 1st team
South Wasco County senior Molly Foreaker was the lone member of the Redsides to earn a first team nod.
On the year, she notched 112 kills with a .220 efficiency rate on 286 attempts.
She also completed 244 of 269 serve tries with 33 aces, and went 104 of 122 on serve-receive.
Foreaker offered hitting, serving and setting skills on a nightly basis and garnered several votes.
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