A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018
Herald Sports
HERMISTON FINISHES SEASON
ONE WIN FROM STATE TOURNAMENT
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By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
A
t the start of the season, the
Hermiston volleyball team was
in over its head in the highly
competitive Mid-Columbia Con-
ference. By the end of the season, they
were one win away from going to the
state tournament.
The Bulldogs (8-12) swept Kami-
akin, then dropped a three-set match
to Southridge (18-10) on Saturday at
the Region 5/8 tournament in Ken-
newick. They came into Saturday
after a win on Thursday, when Sophia
Streeter had seven kills, and Ireland
McDonough had eight aces and 13
digs to lead the Bulldogs (7-11) to a
25-15, 25-20, 25-23 victory over visit-
ing Shadle Park.
“I think most people thought com-
ing into the league that we would
be at the bottom,” Hermiston coach
Amy Dyck said. “No reason we can’t
believe we can fight for a berth to
state. We far exceeded expectations. I
am so proud of them.”
Hermiston opened play Saturday
with a 25-20, 26-24, 25-23 victory
over Kamiakin in a loser-out match,
beating the Braves for the first time
this season.
Sophia Streeter led the attack with
seven kills and three blocks, while
Scout Reagan added seven kills and
four digs.
“For us to take Kamiakin in three,
and finish the match the way we
wanted to play is huge for us,” Dyck
said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for
our seniors.”
Tied at 6-6 in the first set, Ireland
McDonough reeled off eight consecu-
tive points for a 14-7 lead.
The Braves chipped away at the lead
until they forged an 18-18 tie. Hermis-
ton led 21-20 when McDonough took
her turn at the service line for the sec-
ond time.
Kamiakin’s Delaney Frame hit
the ball out of bounds, Avery Tread-
well had a kill for the Bulldogs, and
Kendall Dowdy and Reagan blocked
Autumn Zilar for a 24-20 lead. A tip
by Reagan found an empty hole on the
other side of the net for the win.
Streeter had five of her kills in the
second set, which was controlled by
Kamiakin until the Bulldogs tied the
score at 14-14.
The Braves led 9-3 early on, but
another strong performance at the ser-
vice line by McDonough, and a couple
of points by Dowdy, had the Bullodgs
in contention.
Tied at 22-22, Halee Stubbs gave
the Bulldogs a 24-22 lead. The Braves
tied the match at 24-all. A kill off a
block gave Hermiston a 25-24 lead,
and a kill by Dowdy gave the Bull-
dogs a 2-0 lead.
Hermiston took control of the third
Above: The
Hermiston
Bulldogs
celebrate
their 3-0
win against
Shadle Park
on Thursday
in Hermiston.
Left:
Hermiston’s
Ireland
McDonough
digs the
ball in the
Bulldogs’ 3-0
win against
Shadle Park
on Thursday
in Hermiston.
STAFF PHOTOS
BY E.J. HARRIS
set after a 7-7 tie. The Bulldogs led
19-13, then had to hold off the Braves
down the stretch, finishing the match
with a kill by McDonough.
Dowdy handed out 18 assists, along
with five kills and seven digs, while
McDonough had four aces and 18
digs, and Stubbs 24 digs.
“I’m just waiting for them to finally
believe they are capable of this,” Dyck
said. “We just have to go out, play our
butts off and take care of our side of
the net.”
The Bulldogs did not fare as well
against Southridge. The Suns swept
Hermiston 25-8, 25-18, 25-12 to
punch their ticket to state.
Hermiston started the match one
player short as Reagan injured her left
ankle in warmups and was unable to
play. In the third set, Streeter injured
her foot and had to come off the court.
“Having that injury right before
the match, then Sophia going down,
things were stacked against us,” Dyck
said. “It would have been easy to bail,
but they didn’t. That shows what type
of program we are building, and what
we will have in the future.”
Streeter had seven kills before
she went down. Stubbs added 11
digs, while Dowdy had 11 assists,
McDonough four kills and eight digs,
and Haylee Hamilton three aces and
four digs.
Sophia Sumner led the Suns with
14 kills, while Ashlyn Dupuis added
10 kills and four aces, Bobbi New-
ton seven kills and four aces, and Ken-
nedy Conrad 15 assists.
“They definitely earned it,” South-
ridge coach Emily Otto said of her
team’s berth to state. “I am so excited
and proud of them. They have over-
come a lot and they wanted it. They
have worked their tails off. All of them
are able to play a lot of positions, and
they take care of the ball.”
Timberwolves off to regional tournament Irrigon’s Collins named
MVP of EOL for volleyball
By BRETT KANE
STAFF WRITER
Blue Mountian celebrated their
conference-closing home match
with a swift three-set victory over
the Columbia Basin Hawks on Fri-
day night.
The Timberwolves downed the
Hawks 25-10, 25-14, and 25-7 to
secure the No. 3 spot in the east
region standings and a trip to
the Northwest Athletic Confer-
ence tournament, where they last
claimed the title in 2015. They’ll
face the south’s No. 2-ranked
Chemeketa in Tacoma on Nov. 15
to kick off the tournament.
“Our team was confident offen-
sively tonight, and had fun,” said
head coach Jessica Humphreys.
“We’re looking to bring that into
the NWACs.”
Blue Mountain played patient
and assured on Friday, while the
Hawks’ greatest vice was their lack
of control. Columbia Basin hit five
balls out of bounds in the first set
alone. The Timberwolves pulled
ahead with a 10-point lead twice.
Blue Mountain setter Grace
Roko injured her knee on a dig in
the first set and spent the remain-
der of the game getting treatment.
STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY
The Timberwolves’ Erin Kelly (18)
and Ella Renzelman-Catt (15), of
Columbia Basin College, battle at
the net Friday at BMCC.
She will be absent from this week’s
tournament.
The Hawks got the first two
points in the second set before Tim-
berwolves middle blocker Sydney
Neuman strung together three kills
and a block to regain dominance.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore was a
threat in the attack zone, record-
ing eight kills with just one error
and hitting .438 for her final home
match.
“That takes a lot of experience,”
Humphreys said of Neuman’s per-
formance. “She’s very methodi-
cal and precise. It was nice to see
her tee off on a couple of those sets
tonight.”
Columbia scored five points in
set three before the Timberwolves
pounded away with 14 consecu-
tive scores to take a 19-5 lead. The
Hawks recorded two more points,
but Neuman and outside hitters
Erin Kelly and Mariah Multon put
the finishing touches on the Blue
Mountain win.
Brianna Cathers had nine kills
and 20 digs, and setter Sophia
Casarez had 23 assists for the
match.
“It was a great way to end our
season with the rest of our soph-
omores,” Neuman said. “We’re
mentally stronger and know how to
read the court better than (Colum-
bia). If we keep it up, the NWACs
will be a breeze.”
the second team, while River-
side middle Megan Hegar was
selected to the honorable men-
The Irrigon Knights made tion team.
school history this season with
The Knights finished third in
their first trip to the 3A state vol- the EOL standings, but finished
leyball tournament.
second at district to qualify for
state, where they were
The honors keep roll-
ing in for the team as
swept by South Umpqua
sophomore libero MaK-
in the first round.
enna Collins was named
Irrigon also received
the Sportsmanship Award
the Eastern Oregon
from the Blue Moun-
League Player of the
tain Conference Officials
Year.
Association, and had the
Collins finished league
highest GPA in the state
play with 220 digs, and MaKenna
among 3A volleyball
served at 94 percent with Collins
teams at 3.91.
11 aces.
Collins was joined on the first
Eastern Oregon League
team by teammate Haley White,
Player of the Year: MaKenna Collins, so., Irrigon.
a junior outside hitter. White had
of the Year: Paula Toney, Burns.
119 kills on the season, along Coach
First team: MaKenna Collins, so., libero, Irrigon;
Kaiden Raif, so., setter, Burns; Haley White, jr.,
with 25 blocks and 12 aces. She outside hitter, Irrigon; Emmy Johnson, so., middle,
Vale; Jaymo Jensen, fr., outside hitter, Vale; Allie
served at 84 percent.
Hueckman, so., outside hitter, Burns.
On the honorable men-
Second team: Mariah Atencio, jr., middle, Burns;
Schaffeld, sr., outside hitter, Vale; Jenna
tion team, the Knights had set- Lexi
Garner, jr., outside hitter, Burns; Sierra Cleaver, sr.,
hitter, Vale; Syriah Trujillo, jr., libero, Nyssa;
ter Emma Mueller, outside hitter outside
Charlene Alvarez, sr., outside hitter, Umatilla.
Myka Davis and opposite hitter
Honorable mention team: Lacy Singhose, sr.,
opposite hitter, Burns; Emma Mueller, so., setter,
Nikki Phillips.
Irrigon; Myka Davis, sr., outside hitter, Irrigon;
Phillips, sr., opposite hitter, Irrigon; Maycee
Umatilla outside hitter Char- Nikki
Delong, jr., setter, Vale; DeMiah Hardin, jr., outside
lene Alvarez was named to hitter, Vale; Megan Hegar, jr., middle, Riverside.
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER