DUFUR – When Mikayla Kelly is standing tall at the net, she has an ability to make momentum-changing blocks, change shots and frustrate opposing hitters.
The 6-foot sophomore logged a career-high 10 blocks and the team totaled 17 for the match in No. 18 Dufur’s four-set home victory over No. 5 South Wasco County Thursday on senior night in Dufur.
“She is such a hard worker. She will stay after practice for 15-to-20 minutes every night, just hitting and blocking, and so it was really fun to see it start to click for her,” said Dufur head coach Kristin Whitley. “The look on her face makes me really happy because she deserves it. She puts in so much work.”
The Lady Rangers came out swinging in the first two sets with Chloe Beeson dropping four kills to lead her team to a 25-18 first-set victory.
Kelly added five blocks, and the trio of Beeson, Kelly and Kalie Ellis tacked on two kills each in Dufur’s 25-17 second-set win to go ahead 2-0.
In the third set, Jada Myers had a kill and a block, Madisen Davis added two kills, Kyrsten Sprouse served two aces and tacked a kill and Jacqueline Noland led SWC with four kills in the Redsides’ 25-11 win.
Last time these two teams played, the match lasted five sets, which wound up being a South Wasco County win.
The Rangers jumped ahead by scores of 4-2, 6-3, 11-6 and 15-12, until the Redsides battled back for a 6-4 run to make it a 19-18 deficit.
Following a Dufur timeout, South Wasco County committed three straight errors, Sydnee Byers laced home one of her five fourth-set kills, and then the final two points came on a violation and a hitting error, giving the Rangers a 25-18 victory and the match.
Kelly also had two aces, three kills and a dig to go with her 10 blocks, and Beeson chipped in seven kills, four blocks, two digs and an ace.
Byers posted eight kills, three aces and two digs, Trinity Blake had a kill, a block and four digs, Kalie Ellis added four kills and two blocks, and Alexus Outlaw tallied six kills, three aces, two digs and a block.
“I think it is hard for us to lose that match, but it was good for us to play a team that can challenge us,” said SWC senior Ana Popchock. “I think this can be considered a good loss because they are a very good team and we fought hard. It is not like we played really badly, we need to learn from this and move ahead. We are all motivated. We really want it. We need to take that final step. Maybe this match will get us where we need to go.”
South Wasco County (20-8 overall, 6-1 league) drops to No. 8 in the 1A rankings after the loss. The Lady Redsides host Dayville-Monument and Trinity Lutheran for a double dual starting at 11 a.m. Saturday in Maupin.
No. 18 Dufur (11-9, 6-1) has the week off until the Big Sky Conference Tournament next Saturday in Moro.
The district tournament was originally scheduled to be played in The Dalles, but has since been moved to Sherman High School with matches at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
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