Keizertimes., March 26, 2021, Page 24, Image 24

PAGE A24, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 26, 2021
the match, DeMello was able to get
many of her younger and more inexpe-
rienced players some more extensive
varsity minutes.
“Seventy percent of your season is
spent in training and in practice but
game time is just naturally faster. You
have your adrenaline pumping. For
them to learn how to control their emo-
tions and out their skill and technique
into play is huge,” DeMello said. “To
execute everything they have been try-
ing to do, but to do it in a game setting
is a completely diff erent mindset. I'm
happy with them. They are excelling in
the experience.
Kills from Maddox Snider and
Trinity Kampstra, as well as four aces
from Taylor Ebbs gave the Celtics a 9-0
Celts dominate in victory
over Corvallis
Volleyball
ABOVE: Maddox Snider prepares to serve.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Corvallis proved to be no match
for the McNary volleyball team on
Thursday, March 18 as the Celtics
defeated the Spartans 25-7, 25-14, 25-7.
The win over Corvallis not only
marked a 5-0 start to the season, but
also a 15-set win streak for the Celtics.
Seventy percent of
your season is spent
in training and in
practice but game time
is just naturally faster.
You have your
adrenaline pumping.
“They are just tak-
ing advantage of the
opportunity. They
are hungry. They
— CRYSTAL DeMELLO
have been off the
Head Coach, McNARY VOLLEYBALL
court for so long,”
McNary head coach
Crystal
DeMello
said. “They all love the
game so much and I couldn't be more lead in game three.
DeMello commented on how her
proud of how they are coming out and
just taking care of the ball. It is good to team's ability to serve at a high level
gives them a big advantage over
see.”
After winning the fi rst set handily, opponents.
“Serving is the name of the game.
McNary continued their domination in
the following game, scoring 20 of the That is how we get our runs and how
fi rst 24 points. Corvallis made a come- we get momentum. Serving well drives
back to make the score a little more an entire piece of the game and it really
respectable, but Maddison Corpe and paid off for us tonight,” DeMello said.
A mini rally from Corvallis helped
Eliana Dean fi nished the set with kills
them cut the lead to 11-4 in the third set,
to seal the game two victory.
With such a large lead for much of but the Celtics responded emphatically.
BLANKED,
Continued from page A21
was capped off by a seven-yard score
from Bullock.
“Defensively, we hung around for
the most part, but they really wore us
down in that second half. They were
just gassed. They were completely
exhausted,” Auvinen said. “The defense
was probably on the fi eld 75 percent of
the time. That was a challenge that really
tested us.”
The McNary off ense tried to give their
defense some reprieve, but went three-
and-out in both of their third quarter pos-
sessions as the physicality of Sprague
was too much for the Celts to handle —
McNary went three-and-out fi ve times in
the fi rst three quarters.
“They were really good and really
physical. They won the battle up front
and we couldn't get much going off en-
sively,” Auvinen said. “When you are not
owning the line-of-scrimmage it's really
tough to move the ball unless you throw
it really well, and we didn't throw or catch
really well tonight.”
McNary quarterback Jack McCarty
found Gunner Smedema on a screen
pass for a 27-yard gain — which was the
Celtics longest play of the night — on
third-and-19, but McNary was still forced
to punt. Bullock soon followed with his
third touchdown run of the night to give
Sprague the four-score lead.
The Celtics got into the red zone for
the fi rst time late in the fourth quarter
but they were turned away when McCarty
was picked off for the second time.
McNary’s next task won’t be any eas-
ier as they get set to travel to undefeated
West Salem for a 7:30 p.m. game on
Friday, March 26, but Auvinen believes
that his team is up for the challenge.
“We have played really well against
them the last few years. It's a game where
we should come in feeling confi dent, but
we've got to get better from this one,”
Auvinen said.