Dufur scores second in Big Sky

With the win over SWC, the Rangers scored the No. 2 seed and host a state sub-round match at 6 p.m. tonight against Damascus Christian.

“Knowing that we will get one more home game and I get to play in that gym one more time, feels so good,” said Dufur’s Sydney Reed. “I think we are hitting our peak at the perfect time. It is just a good feeling knowing that we played well in a big moment.”

Against South Wasco County, Chloe Beeson had 14 kills, six aces and two digs, and Kalie Ellis added three kills, four aces, three assists and three digs, as the Rangers won the opening set by a 25-15 margin.

Dufur maintained its edge in the second set for a 25-20 win, and then put the finishing touches on the sweep with a close 26-24 output to vault into the finals.

Mikayla Kelly added two kills and three blocks, Sydnee Byers went for six aces and two digs, and Sydney Reed dished off 14 assists, had a dig and a kill.

“Kalie Eilis really stepped up with some great hits today, Mikayla had some blocks and some good hits as well, and Byers did really well on defense and with her serves,” said Dufur coach Jody Weaver. “And then of course, we have Sydney Reed, who has been our steadfast and has helped us out and played consistently. Chloe has been good player for us. We have the older ones that continue to play well and the younger ones, who continually step it up and make contributions to the team, so I am proud of them.”

In the championship, Arlington and Dufur played for three sets and Arlington secured a sweep, but only by an average margin of four points per set, including a 25-23 win in the third and a 25-22 victory in the first set.

Beeson totaled eight kills, two aces, a block and eight digs, and Alexus Outlaw followed up with five kills.

Ellis had two kills and two digs, Kelly added two kills and a block, and Byers tallied five aces, a kill and three digs.

Reed dished off 14 assists to go with her two kills.

“I was confident they would perform and it shows with how well they played today,” Weaver said. “Even though we didn’t win the district championship, we gave Arlington a run for their money in two of out of the three sets there. I am really proud of how they did and I am excited to move on to state. Hopefully, they will keep performing well and better and better every day.”

For Reed and fellow senior Emily Grande-DePriest, this is their final go-around in the postseason, leading the No. 12 Lady Rangers.

Reed said she was thankful that the season wasn’t over, as volleyball has been a staple in her life since the fifth grade.

She couldn’t imagine playing with any other group of players.

“This was a special moment to share this with this team,” Reed said. “We know the girls, we know what the goal is, we know where we want to go, so now it is just up to us to finish this. We know we can be one of the best teams in the state, it is all about our mindset. It is in our heads. We can go to state. We just have to find it in our minds.”

Byers said the bond between the players has been unbreakable.

Dufur enjoyed a 14-12 overall record and defeated some quality teams along the way.

The matches will only get tougher and the pressure much greater, the deeper they go into October and November.

“We are happy to be here, but we want to go further,” Byers said. “We want to get to the state tournament for our seniors because they have given so much to this team over the years. So, we are hoping that the last thing we can do for them is to play our best and give them a chance to play one more time in Redmond.”