DUFUR teammates Chloe Beeson, Emily DePriest and Tianna Ellis play defense against a hit by Powder Valley’s Ashlyn Calloway during Saturday’s OSAA state volleyball match played in North Powder. The Lady Rangers were eliminated from postseason play after a five-set loss.
DUFUR teammates Chloe Beeson, Emily DePriest and Tianna Ellis play defense against a hit by Powder Valley’s Ashlyn Calloway during Saturday’s OSAA state volleyball match played in North Powder. The Lady Rangers were eliminated from postseason play after a five-set loss.
With a chance to punch a ticket to Redmond, two volleyball powerhouses, Dufur and Powder Valley, gave it every ounce of energy they could muster for five sets.
Both teams traded set wins through the first four sets, but in the finale, the No. 5-ranked Lady Badgers inched away for a 15-12 win to take the victory Saturday in an OSAA/U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires 1A Volleyball State first-round match in North Powder.
“Saturday’s game against Powder Valley was a hard-fought game,” said Dufur coach Jody Weaver. “Both teams showed a lot of heart from beginning to end and it was one of the best matches my girls have played all season.”
Powder Valley took the opening set by a 25-21 margin, but the No. 11 Lady Rangers bounced back in the second set to ratchet up a 25-16, and even things up at 1-apiece.
Just when it appeared as though Dufur was about to take control of matters, Powder Valley answered the bell in the third set with its most dominant effort of the match with a 25-15 decision.
Like any heavyweight match, the Rangers took Powder’s best blows and came back stronger in the fourth set for a 25-21 win to send the match into a decisive fifth set.
This battle had to go to 15 points for either one to make another move ahead in the playoff picture.
In the end, Powder (22-7 overall) was three points better, taking a 15-12 triumph in the final set to earn a trip to state tournament action this weekend at Ridgeview High School.
For the match, the Rangers posted eight aces, but committed 12 errors for an 87.8 percent conversion rate.
On swings, Dufur had 47 kills and committed 25 hitting miscues.
Senior Tianna Ellis, in her final match of her high school career, had a team-high 23 kills, added three aces and three digs.
Chloe Beeson tacked on nine kills, four aces and three digs, Emily DePriest went for five kills, and Karaline Johnson had four kills, two blocks and six digs.
Kayla Bailey added an ace and two digs, Sydnee Byers notched three digs and Sydney Reed was good for six kills, 40 assists and nine digs.
Dufur started the season 4-3, but then lost five of six matches, until going on an 11-match winning streak from Sept. 26 to Oct. 17 with seven of those wins coming in sweep fashion.
The Lady Rangers (18-12, 13-1 league) defeated South Wasco County in its district opener 3-2, but then lost in the district championship in five games to earn the No. 2 state seed.
The Rangers dropped Echo 3-1 in a state sub-round match on Oct. 28 in Dufur to set up Saturday’s match.
Given the loss of several seniors over the past three seasons, the Rangers fielded a group of seven underclassmen, four freshmen, two juniors and one senior this year for Weaver’s first campaign.
“I was extremely proud of the girls and the growth they had throughout the season,” Weaver said. “They have improved their skills, consistency, and confidence.”
Weaver wants to fast-forward the calendar to next season with this group to see how well they will improve upon this season’s accomplishments.
Dufur has some upcoming freshmen, along with this young core and a first-team all-league setter to make up the roster.
“I am sad the season is over, but with only one graduating senior, I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish next year,” Weaver said. “This team made it a great first year as head coach, teaching me something new every day.”
Ellis, a perennial all-league winner, stepped to the forefront in a leadership capacity, but hands the baton off to a Dufur program that is looking to get back to a higher level down the road.
She offered some nuggets of advice to this young squad.
“We need to have the right mindset. People that do not come out with the right mindset tend to lose because they think they can do whatever and they end up not doing much of anything,” Ellis said.
“If you come out with the right mindset and play how you know how to play, then you can be successful,” she added.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.