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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 2019)
SPORTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE OBSERVER — 7A Bobcats shake off loss for best finish since 2007 season By Ronald Bond The Observer The Union Bobcats shook off a match that saw them impacted by nerves to rebound for one of the best fi nishes in UHS volleyball history. After a loss to Vernonia in the state quarterfi nals Friday, Union took down Blue Mountain Conference foes Weston-McEwen in four sets and Grant Union in three sets Saturday to win the consolation bracket at the Class 2A state tourna- ment in Redmond and place fourth in state — the program’s highest placing since taking fourth in 2006 and 2007. “All I can say is how proud I am of coming back from losing to Vernonia,” sopho- more setter Callie Glenn said. “We didn’t play our game that game, and then playing Weston and Grant Union from our league was pretty cool. We were familiar with them and knew how to play against them, so that helped.” The Bobcats’ fi nish at state is among the best in program history, bested only by a state championship in 2002 and runner-up efforts in 1995 and 2004. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” head coach Karly Knapp said. “Bouncing back from yesterday was defi nite- ly a worry of everyone, but we bounced back and (I’m) super proud of them. They played the way we played all season to get here, and that’s all we could ask for.” In the fourth-place match Ronald Bond/The Observer Union’s Kylie Marriott had 17 kills during the fourth-place match against Grant Union Saturday. The Bobcats won the match for their highest fi nish at state since 2007. Ronald Bond/The Observer Union’s Autumn Daggett reaches out for a dig during the fourth-place match Saturday. against Grant Union, which the Bobcats won 25-19, 25- 15, 25-17, Union (24-4 over- all) received a major boost from Kylie Marriott, who had 17 kills in the match, in- cluding nine in the fi rst set. The junior had three kills, and Autumn Daggett added two aces during an impor- tant 10-2 run in the fi rst set to help Union take a 14-10 lead. A block later by Glenn and Sydney Antoine broke a 17-17 tie and started an 8-2 run to end the set. Marriott had three more kills in the rally. “I wouldn’t expect any- thing less of her,” Knapp said of Marriott’s effort in the fi nal match. “She’s been there all season, is a great team player, a great leader Mounties take second, third Observer staff Both Michelle Herbes and Megan Boals cracked into the top 10, leading the No. 12 Eastern Oregon women’s cross country team to a third-place fi nish at the Cas- cade Collegiate Conference championship meet Friday at Cottage Grove. “Herbes and Boals did an excellent job of engaging with the lead back early and racking hard to stay up front, giving us two low point scor- ers,” head coach Ben Welch said. Herbes came in second with a time of 17:47.1, trail- ing only freshman phenom Amelia Pullen of Warner Pacifi c, who fi nished in 17:35.7. The two were the only runners to break the tape in less than 18 minutes. Herbes’ time was also the second best ever at EOU, Welch said. “Getting second individu- ally was a big accomplish- ment for me,” Herbes said. “Two of the goals I set at the beginning of the season were to place in the top fi ve at con- ference and go sub 18 (min- utes). As for the team getting third overall, I thought that everyone worked really hard to get us there.” Boals posted a time of 18:16.8 to take 10th overall. The effort garnered all- conference recognition for Herbes and Boals as both fi nished in the top 12. Lisa Megargee fi nished the race in 20th place with a time of 18:48.5, while fresh- man MacKenzie Trainer continued her solid fi nish to the season with a 28th-place fi nish and a time of 19:04.8. Stormy Bullard, who posted a time of 19:28.2, took 33rd to round out Eastern’s top fi ve. The Mountaineers edged Oregon Tech for fourth place. EOU scored 88 points as a team, while OIT had 94. College of Idaho was the top team with 55 points and a pair of top-fi ve fi nishers. Southern Oregon (70 points) was second. The 23rd-ranked EOU men scored 110 points to take fourth overall behind a top-fi ve fi nish from all-CCC runner Alex Navarro. Navarro came in third overall, posting a time of 25:21.5 to fi nish just six seconds behind race leader Riley Sine of Northwest (Washington). “Alex Navarro continued his superb season of excel- lent racing,” Welch said. Travis Running fi nished one spot out of all-conference recognition, taking 13th with a time of 25:53.7. Hunter Nichols and Braxton Wilson fi nished together in 34th and 35th. The freshman Nichols crossed the line in 26:57.6, and Wilson followed just 0.1 seconds later. Weyekin Wild Bill was 41st in a time of 27:07.5 to complete Eastern’s top fi ve. College of Idaho, like on the women’s side, won to complete the team sweep, scoring 43 points. Southern Oregon (59) was second, and Oregon Tech (84) placed third. Eastern now waits to see its fate for the NAIA national championship meet, which will take place Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Washington. LHS soccer bows out in quarters and shows up (when she’s needed).” Marriott came up big again during the second set, with four kills during a 9-1 run that gave Union a 20-12 lead. Glenn had two kills and an ace during the run. “I love playing against them,” Marriott said of the matchups against both Grant Union and Weston- McEwen. “I knew I had to play for our seniors and our last game together and go all out.” Daggett, who had just two kills through the fi rst two sets, came out strong in the third with fi ve kills, includ- ing back-to-back kills late for a 20-13 lead. Union fi nished the match on back-to-back kills from Marriott to lock up the fourth-place trophy. “Our goal was to at least go out with a bang,” senior li- bero Brianna Kohr said. “We did that with getting fourth place. It’s been a long time since we’ve done this well in high school volleyball.” The Bobcats admitted they were off their game in Friday’s quarterfi nal loss to Vernonia, a 26-24, 25-18, 23- 25, 25-23 setback. “We had so many nerves. We sat all day, we got a lot of anticipation coming through,” Glenn said. “I think we sat too long, and all the nerves came out in that game.” The Bobcats won Satur- day morning’s elimination match against Weston- McEwen in four sets, 25-15, 25-16, 21-25, 25-21, beating the TigerScots for the third time this season — a point the team discussed heading into the match. “Everyone always says it’s hard to beat a team three times, so that’s in the back of everybody’s minds, but I told the girls if we can show up and play our side (of the net), play our game, we should be able to pull through,” Knapp said. “I have to give it to Weston and Grant Union. They give us great games. It’s fun to play. It’s fun to have all three of us down in the tournament.” Kohr, who along with Taylar Daggett and Autumn Daggett was one of three seniors playing their fi nal match, said it meant a lot for the team to not only get to state but fi nish the way it did. “I love my team like they’re my sisters. To be here has been one of my dreams,” she said. “They helped me accomplish it, and it means a whole lot. I want to thank my coaches and my team- mates for making my last season the best season.” Knapp guided Union to its best fi nish in more than a decade in her fi rst year as head coach, but gave the players praise for their effort. “My biggest goal was to teach the girls to love the game of volleyball,” she said. “Through that they had fun, through that they started winning and kept winning, and ended up in fourth place at state. I give all the credit to the kids I have. They are awesome kids, fun (and) make me appreciate volley- ball even more.” TREASURE VALLEY STEEL, INC. 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