The Baker and Powder Valley volleyball teams wrote a thrilling chapter in the schools’ Interstate 84 rivalry Thursday night, Sept. 7 in the Baker gym.

After spotting the Bulldogs the first two sets, the undefeated Badgers rallied to win the next two sets, then came back from an early deficit in the deciding fifth set to win 15-13.

Baker won first two sets, 25-21 and 25-23. Powder won the third set 25-13 and the fourth 25-19.

Baker opened Thursday’s three-team round robin event by getting its first win of the season, sweeping New Plymouth, Idaho, 25-14, 26-24, 25-18.

“That was pretty exciting to make it a sweep,” Baker coach Ali Abrego said. “It was really hot in the first game, kind of had a nailbiter in the second set, and then we were able to finish strong.

“Teams like that, that push us out of our comfort zone and make us adapt really benefit us,” she said. “Moving into the Powder match, we knew it was going to be really tough and we played them well.”

Powder Valley also swept New Plymouth.

Baker vs. Powder Valley

The Badgers, ranked sixth in Class 1A, had dropped only one set in their first six matches.

In the opening set against Baker, the Badgers led 15-12 before the Bulldogs rallied.

Baker tied it at 17 on Olivia Jacoby’s ace serve, then went ahead 18-17.

The score was tied at 18, 19 and 20. Baker then scored four straight points, the last, a kill by Lexi Rupel, giving Baker a set point at 24-20. Baker closed out the set, 25-21.

Powder led early in the second set at 10-8, but Baker took the lead for good, at 11-10, on Ashlyn Dalton’s ace.

The Badgers tied it at 17 but Baker responded with three straight points.

Powder rallied again, staving off two set points after Baker led 24-21. But a kill by Jacoby ended the set, 25-23.

The Badgers dominated the third set. They led 11-1, and Baker never got closer than six points as Powder won the set 25-13.

The fourth set was much closer.

After Powder led 8-4, Baker went on a 10-3 run to lead 14-11. The Badgers battled back to tie it at 15. Baker scored two straight but Powder tied it again, at 17, then took the lead for good at 18-17.

In the deciding fifth set, Baker led 3-0 early on two ace serves and a kill by Sofia Hanson.

The rest of the set was tense and exciting.

Powder scored five straight points on Jacey Anderson’s serve to lead 6-4.

After a Baker timeout, the Bulldogs forged ahead, 9-8.

The score was tied at 9 and 10.

Powder scored three straight to get within two points of the win, but Baker scored two straight.

The Bulldogs staved off one match point to get to within 14-13, but Baker couldn’t handle a ball that skipped off the top of the net toward the Bulldog bench, and the Badger fans on the east side of the gym celebrated.

“It’s really hard to come out and win two and finish it on the third, and in the third we just tapered off a little bit, that is definitely hard to rebound from,” Abrego said. “But I thought we did a nice job in the fourth set and fifth set.

“I talk about leaving here happy about how you did,” she said. “The worst feeling is playing with regret, like ‘I wish I would have done this or that’. But I’m super proud, they emptied their tanks for sure and did a lot of good things.”

Powder Valley coach Marji Lind was “really, really proud” of how her team responded after losing the first two sets.

“This is a group of girls that, when they have to turn a switch on, they can flip that switch,” Lind said. “It was much more a mental test at that point than a physical one.”

The come-from-behind win over Baker will pay dividends for the Badgers this season, Lind said.

She said the Badgers always enjoy playing Baker.

“There’s just a fun, friendly rivalry between the two towns,” she said. “The kids get along, and it’s fun for everyone.”

Lind also credited the dozens of Powder Valley fans who attended Thursday’s match.

“Our supporting crowd was a big boost for the girls,” she said.

Baker vs. New Plymouth

The Bulldogs, coming off losses to Class 3A ranked teams Burns and Sisters on Aug. 31 at Burns, dominated the first set against the Pilgrims from Idaho.

Hanson served an ace for the first point, and Sydney Penning had two kills and Kaydence Thomas one as Baker raced to a 9-1 lead.

The lead remained in double digits as Baker won the opening set 25-14.

The second set was quite different.

New Plymouth led 4-1 early, prompting Abrego to call timeout. The Pilgrims maintained their lead, extending it to 20-15 and forcing another Baker timeout. New Plymouth led 23-19 but Baker scored four straight to tie it at 23.

After another tie at 24, Penning and Dalton had consecutive kills to close out the set.

The third set was close most of the way.

Baker led 10-5 but New Plymouth rallied to lead by as much as 18-15.

But Baker scored the final 10 points, nine on Jacoby’s serve, including an ace to get to match point.

Abrego said the Bulldogs, who are now 1-5 on the season, have improved considerably since opening the season with a four-set loss to Vale on Aug. 29.

“It’s only upward from here,” she said.

Abrego said Baker’s defensive specialists, Jayden Whitford and Lilly Wilson, did a “phenomenal job” against New Plymouth and Powder Valley.

“Offensively, Lexi Rupel swung well, Olivia Jacoby swung well,” Abrego said. “We had some really key blocks. Powder has some big hitters, Sky Nesser and Jacey Anderson, their middles are pretty lethal when they get on a roll. I thought we did a pretty good job of adapting to that and getting to where we needed to be.”

Baker JV and JV2

Both teams also played New Plymouth and Powder Valley Thursday in the Baker gym.

The Baker JV won the first two sets against New Plymouth, 25-22 and 25-18, but dropped the final three, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-4. Baker swept Powder Valley, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-18.

Baker’s JV2 team lost to New Plymouth, 25-13, 25-8, and lost to Powder Valley in three sets, 9-25, 25-22, 15-11.

Baker now has two weeks off before opening Greater Oregon League play at Pendleton on Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

“Pendleton are on the bigger side of the 4A class, we’re on the smaller side, they dropped down last year from 5A,” Abrego said. “They have a pretty good program, so it’ll be nice to start with a fair matchup.”

Powder Valley traveled to Burns for a tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9, then heads to Imbler for an Old Oregon League match Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. The Badgers will host the East-West Classic on Friday, Sept. 15, playing Crosshill Christian at 2 p.m. and Damascus Christian at 5 p.m.