Below are scores and recaps from today’s OSAA volleyball playoff matches. We will add more highlights as we receive them.
1A
No. 1 Crane 3, No. 17 South Wasco County 0 -- Fast starts in the first two sets propelled the defending champions to the sweep. Crane served tough and sided out efficiently, which prevented the Redsides from sustaining any momentum-changing runs.
No. 5 St. Paul 3, No. 21 Elgin 1 -- St. Paul rallied against a determined Elgin team. After splitting the first two sets, solid passing and consistent serving paved the way for a Buckaroos win.
No. 3 Union 3, No. 14 Powers 0
No. 7 Powder Valley 3, No. 10 Prairie City / Burnt River 0 -- Very strong serving and exceptional defense carried the Badgers to the win. "We are excited to be returning to Redmond and look forward to making great memories there!" exclaimed coach Marji Lind.
No. 8 Central Christian 3, No. 9 North Clackamas Christian 2 -- Both teams came to play in this thriller that could have gone either way. The victorious Tigers caught fire on offense late in the third set and rode the momentum to victory. Stella Adams and Tabitha Terry were particularly potent on attack.
No. 4 Imbler 3, No. 13 Cove 0 – Imbler got 21 kills and strong serving from Rachael Stirewalt and 33 assists from the duo of Whitney Haddock and Olivia Haddock to sweep to the State eight for the first time since 2016. The Panthers finished the year undefeated on their home court.
No. 11 North Lake 3, No. 6 North Douglas 0 -- North Lake will be making its second appearance at the state tournament in the 32-year history of the school, and first since 2010, after strong and consistent attacks from everyone in the front row helped fuel the upset.
No. 2 Umpqua Valley Christian 3, No. 15 Ione / Arlington 0 -- Team play characterized UVC's win over scrappy Ione. The Monarchs were stellar on defense and terminated with great success.
2A
No. 1 Crosshill Christian 3, No. 16 Bandon 0 -- Crosshill protected its house versus Bandon with tough serving by Sierra Poush and strong hitting by OH Ellie Bartel and MB Ryland Minnick. The top-seeded Eagles also anticipated well on defense and ran down numerous attacks.
No. 12 Weston-McEwen 3, No. 6 Trinity Lutheran 0 -- Everyone played and everyone contributed to a great road win for the TigerScots, who served strong and minimized errors. Mya Bryan had 16 assists and was one of three players with 14 or more digs. Kylie Kramer contributed 17 digs. Charlotte Hansell and Delaynee Angell combined for 18 kills and 22 digs. "The energy the girls brought to the game was so electric and fun!" said coach Marie Cain. "The girls deserved this win and we are ready to head to the tournament next weekend."
No. 3 Western Christian 3, No. 14 East Linn Christian 0
No. 10 Heppner 3, No. 7 Santiam 1 -- Middles Hallee Hisler and Isa Payne combined for 28 kills and 10 solo stuffs in the match. "After we got past our playoff jitters, the girls settled in and took charge," said coach Mindy Wilson. "We battled at the net as Santiam was tough on defense, but were able to find the holes and put the ball down."
No. 9 Clatskanie 3, No. 8 Myrtle Point 1 -- A long road trip for Clatskanie for the second straight year yielded different results for the Tigers, who won in four sets. Sophomore Addy Compton presided over a balanced offense that saw middles Lacey Willis and Natalie Baker terminate a dozen times each. OH Joey Sizemore led the way for the victors with 13 kills.
No. 4 Stanfield 3, No. 13 Lowell 0 -- Losing last year in this round was motivation enough for Stanfield."I'm proud of how these young ladies have individually given themselves to our team concept and come together," said coach Blaine Ganvoa. "I'm excited to for them to get to experience the state tournament atmosphere next week."
No. 6 Portland Christian 3, No. 11 Monroe 0 -- Alyssa Baird and Finley Marine combined for 21 kills and Payton Becker contributed 22 assist for the victors. "The team is finally starting to lock in, and focus as a team," said coach Denetia Chimuku.
No. 2 Salem Academy 3, No. 15 Vernonia 0 -- The Crusaders had many standout performers in the sweep. Emma Brewer led with powerful attacks that kept Vernonia on its heels, while Jordyn Copeland set up her teammates with precision. In the middle, Bella McGraw capitalized on those sets, delivering key hits at crucial moments. Karalee Fridley added to the offense with multiple kills from the right side, rounding out a strong team effort that secured the win.
3A
No. 1 Pleasant Hill 3, No. 17 Sisters 0 – The Billies ousted the defending state champions in a rematch of last year’s final match. It was a great team win, said coach Jessica Crawford, as solid defense and passing by senior libero Emily Krauss supported a balanced Billies’ offense led by senior setter Claire Crawford, senior outside Cheyenne Green, and senior middle Ruby Jackson.
No. 5 Burns 3, No. 12 Yamhill-Carlton 0 -- Burns yielded the first four points of the match to Yamhill-Carlton but dominated thereafter for the impressive win. Senior Akylah Kaino ended the match with 20 kills and no errors. The Hilanders hit .458 as a team. Libero Bailey Temple recorded 16 digs and six aces.
No. 3 Santiam Christian 3, No. 19 Vale 0 -- Joya Euhus had 27 kills and hit a season-high .453 for the Eagles. who got a breakout performance from sophomore Brynna Worden. Worden had her highest hitting percentage of .444 and put up blocks that were crucial to team success. "Moving forward I am so impressed with how far this group of girls has come since we started this season," said Santiam Christian coach Kelli Fitzpatrick. "Having only two seniors and four underclassmen as our starting line up, they have had to work extra hard to find their rhythm. But once they did, no amount of obstacles has derailed them from getting better every time they step on the court together." Vale's defense. led by libero Elise Seals; worked hard and Ella Nieskins (hitting) and Avery Schiemer (setting) distinguished themselves on the offensive end for Vale in the loss.
No. 7 Coquille 3, No. 10 Catlin Gabel 0 -- Senior RS Holli Vigue amassed 19 kills, 11 digs and two aces and Kaitlyn Johnson, Cadence Little and Olivia Brophy teamed for 12 more aces in the impressive win.
No. 9 Westside Christian 3, No. 8 Cascade Christian 0 -- Coach Kristina Thom said that Saturday's result is what happens when all 13 members of the varsity compete like crazy in the practices leading up to the match. Thom lauded JoJo Christiansen for her all-around play; Kyler Hildenbrand, too, with her big swings and amazing digs. Sydney Coleman brought the fire every time she stepped on the court, as did the "game changers on the bench" when Coleman was out. "There is no stat for that, but there should be," she said.
No. 4 Dayton 3, No. 13 Amity 0 -- Said Dayton coach Megan Webster: "Our primary emphasis as the season comes to a close has been on mental focus and stability. Last night's game certainly put that to the test, and the girls have truly honed in on strategies to overcome challenges."
No. 6 Corbett 3, No. 11 Scio 0 -- Senior middle Ursula Harrington had 16 kills and six blocks in the Cardinals' dominating win. “This year has been everything I ever wanted,” Harrington told a local media outlt. “I can’t wait to see where we go and how my teammates keep growing.” “I am so happy we were able to pull that out, because we worked really hard this whole week for this moment,” added senior setter Greta Miller.
No. 2 Valley Catholic 3, No. 18 St. Mary’s, Medford 0 -- Valley Catholic's offense was humming in the sweep. Addie Emerson had 12 kills to lead the way, but middles Maeve Albert and Willa Kayfes combined for 17 more and pins Taina Pinheiro and Madison Sherby teamed for 11 more still. The offense was jump started by freshman libero Hadley Entizne, who also had 21 digs; and sophomore setter Jaya McGregor, who compiled 36 assists. "A lot of teams may have 1 or 2 strong hitters," said Valiant coach Becky Kemper. "We have five strong, consistent hitters, making it a challenge for the defense to decide who to focus on. That really showed in our match."
4A
No. 1 Marshfield 3, No. 16 La Grande 1 – Marshfield eliminated La Grande in this round for the second straight year behind a very balanced team effort. The Pirates dropped Game 3, 30-28, but came out hot in the fourth set and left no doubt. Tatum Montiel led the way with 20 kills and 27 digs, Ava Ainsworth averaged more than 10 assists per set and Mackenzie Fitzgerald Thornton had her best attacking performance of the season with eight kills. Senior setter Aubrey Bisenius led La Grande with 16 digs, eight kills and eight assists. She was instrumental in the Tigers' Game 3 win.
No. 12 Stayton 3, No. 5 North Bend 0
No. 3 Crook County 3, No. 14 Philomath 0 – Host Crook County served well and hit great shots in the win. Philomath played gamely but yielded to the Cowgirls’ diverse offense. Paige Wood, Lilliemae Brumble and Kendall Martinez were three from Crook County to play with distinction.
No. 7 Henley 3, No. 10 Cottage Grove 1 -- Junior RS Kahlia Cage was effective for the Hornets, who got much-needed contributions from most of their rotation.
No. 9 Cascade 3, No. 8 Astoria 2 – Cascade made it to State for the fourth year in a row, but needed five sets on the road to get it done. “Defense and key moments of scrappy play helped Cascade take the five-set match,” said coach Cristina Williams. Kamryn Sande, the team’s lone senior, delivered the final two kills for the victors, who got key blocks from middle Hailey Abundiz to help slow Astoria’s prize freshman, Kyah Gohr.
No. 4 Pendleton 3, No. 13 Estacada 0
No. 6 The Dalles 3, No. 11 Scappoose 1 -- The Dalles lost Game 3 to Scappoose, but a rally from down five to make it close gave the Riverhawks the momentum to close out the match in four sets. Senior MB Laci Hoylman was a wall at the net for the victors and freshman OH Jazlynn Morris-Holmes came through with big kills at crucial times.
No. 2 Marist Catholic 3, No. 15 Klamath Union 0 -- Four Marist hitters hit over .300 and the Spartans had 11 blocks as a team in the sweep. Giana Elgarico had 11 kills to lead the way. Kimmy Spurlock had five kills and was responsible for a long serving run.
5A
No. 1 South Albany 3, No. 16 La Salle Prep 0 -- Strong play from Klaire Bitter, Taylor Donaldson and Taelyn Bentley kept South Albany undefeated on the year. "The team came out focused and determined to get the win and advance to the next round," said coach Kaela Wehrman.
No. 5 Crater 3, No. 12 Summit 2 – Crater won the first two sets, then re-grouped after Summit answered with the next two, to win in five, 15-10. Three Comets reached double figure kill totals: Alexa Gugliotta with 14, Addison Benson had 11 and Callie Aplin contributed 10. Lanie Snow had a big match with eight kills and six blocks. Kendall Stidham dished out 45 assists.
No. 3 Churchill 3, No. 14 Mountain View 1 -- Losing the first set, "playing timid and quiet" according to coach Bre Gibbons, fired up the Lancers, who played with purpose and determination the rest of the way. Strong serving and 40 Lubna Ward assists paved the way for big hitting nights from Nyah Mitchell (17 kills, 4 aces and 11 digs) and Rylee Bones (11 kills, 3 aces and 15 digs). Rhianna Lane and Kiera Penland also posted double digit kill totals.
No. 7 Caldera 3, No. 10 North Eugene 2 -- The Wolfpack needed five sets to make their first-ever state tournament. After dropping the fourth set, the fifth and deciding sprint to 15 points was neck and neck before a serving run from Kaia Kelly closed out the match. Aubrey Walker and Ava Kailey teamed for 15 kills for Caldera. Avary Arment had 13 digs.
No. 9 Corvallis 3, No. 8 Centennial 1 -- After winning Game 3 behind a strong middle attack, Centennial took a 9-3 Game 4 lead. Corvallis, which won the first two sets thanks to strong serving, used key serving runs from Daisy Collins and Addie Copeland to rally to the lead and never looked back. Alexa Schnell's 16th kill of the match was the clincher. Malique Sweet terminated 19 times for the victorious Spartans. Naiya Whitinger led the defense with 20 digs.
No. 4 Bend 3, No. 13 West Albany 0 – The Lava Bears won in all phases to get back to State. The defense was led by libero Brooke Braude, who had 20 digs. The team passed a 2.3 as a whole and had 37 kills (hitting .275) and eight aces.
No. 6 Wilsonville 3, No. 11 Silverton 1 – Wilsonville struggled to put the ball away against a very good, battle tested Foxes team, but ultimately prevailed, as Lana Gillas had a fantastic match on the right for the Wildcats and was a difference maker.
No. 2 Crescent Valley 3, No. 15 Canby 0 -- Kamden Mitchell did a great job for the two-time defending champion Raiders with set location and choice, and the team as a whole attacked aggressively and served with precision to earn the right to defend again.
6A
No. 1 Jesuit 3, No. 17 South Eugene 0 -- The Crusaders will defend their 2024 title after sweeping the Axe thanks to tremendous setting from Jackie Carle and Hayden McGehee. Jesuit's back row of Addy Azavedo, Julia Paulson and Kiana Johnson also was stellar and Iman Foster hit an amazing .526. She, Jada Johnson and Sadie Ross combined for 33 kills in the win.
No. 5 West Linn 3, No. 12 South Medford 0 -- West Linn dominated a young, talented Panther team at home behind brilliant setting from Allie Hawk, freshman libero Audrina Peia's best match of the season and a team-high 13 kills from Alexa Cornell. "We were ready tonight, the key to our win was our serving, passing and blocking," coach Kathy Walker said. "I have loved coaching this team! They are all working so hard, executing well, and have such great team chemistry. We are definitely peaking at the right time!"
No. 3 Sprague 3, No. 14 West Salem 0 – Defense was the key in Sprague’s sweep. Charlotte Ponier was “incredible,” said coach Anne Olsen, and finished with 26 digs and two aces. Evie Morrissette had 36 assists to pace an efficient, balanced offensive attack.
No. 7 Westview 3, No. 10 Central Catholic 0 -- Westview overcame traditional power Central Catholic in three on the strength of brilliant passing from libero Mady Lebeck, senior setter Aya Pantel's double-double and huge games in the middle from Ashlyn Pedersen (nine kills; eight aces) and Steel Sinal (seven kills; seven blocks).
No. 8 Grant 3, No. 9 Sheldon 2 -- The Generals beat the 2022 state champions in a thriller to make the state tournament for the first time in program history. After being down two sets to one, Grant won the last two, 28-26, 15-13. Senior setter/OH Maggie McCarthy was immense down the stretch and finished with 12 kills, 25 assists and 23 digs. Senior middle An Roseinger and freshman outside Osa Olsgaard had 11 kills each and junior libero Macy Davis finished with 35 digs.
No. 4 Nelson 3, No. 13 North Medford 0 -- Gabby Hill had 14 kills, including the clincher; and Madi Andrews added 14 kills of her own, plus four aces; for the Hawks, who overcame a slow start to win in three. Senior setter Kaitlin Boring also excelled with 35 assists and strong defense.
No. 6 South Salem 3, No. 11 Barlow 0 – The Saxons and Bruins battled point for point over the first two sets. A five-point South Salem run to end Game 2, 25-22 in the Saxons’ favor, gave Matt Leichty’s team that momentum to pull away in Game 3 for the sweep. “We knew we didn't play the way we wanted to on Wednesday and the team did a great job refocusing the last few days of practice to make sure we executed the way we needed to against a really tough Barlow team today and it paid off,” Leichty said. Briella Mathis had 18 kills, Kamree Orizotti contribute 35 assists and Nadiah Luna had 12 digs for the victors.
No. 2 Oregon City 3, No. 15 Forest Grove 0 -- Paige Thies had 20 of Oregon City's 43 kills in the sweep over a game Forest Grove squad. The Pioneers also had 10 aces, led by three from Phoebe Hyland, who also dished out 25 assists. OC is made the "State 8" for the fourth straight year.
johnt@osaa.org
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