BAKER VOLLEYBALL, BOYS SOCCER: Baker boys beat Four Rivers, 6-1; Bulldogs fall in tough four-set match to Pendleton

Published 5:30 pm Thursday, September 19, 2024

The Baker volleyball team returned to its home court for the first time in two weeks to open its Greater Oregon League scheduled against Pendleton Thursday, Sept. 19.

Baker won the JV match in four sets, 25-27, 25-17, 25-21, 25-15.

Varsity match

First set

Baker battled back from a slow start to make for an exciting set. Pendleton led 6-1 but Baker rallied to stay close. Baker got to within 16-14 on Lexi Rupel’s ace service. Baker got to 19-18 on Sydney Penning’s block, and the Bulldogs took their first lead, 20-19, on Raegan Gulick’s kill. Baker led 22-21 on Penning’s kill, but Pendleton scored four of the last five points to take the set, 25-23.

Second set

This was the reverse of the first set, with Baker taking an early lead that extended to 10-1. The Bucks rallied to tie it at 12, and took the lead at 14-13. The score was tied at 14, 15 and 18. Pendleton regained the lead at 20-18, but Baker battled back to tie it at 21 and then take the lead at 23-21, prompting a Pendleton timeout. The Buckaroos scored two straight to tie it at 23, but Baker scored the final two points, on kills by Gulick and Jaxyn Ramos, to take the set, 25-23.

Third set

Baker appeared poised to take a 2-1 set lead, with a 22-18 advantage after Olivia Jacoby’s two ace serves. But Pendleton scored five straight to lead 23-22. The Bulldogs didn’t wilt, fighting off a set point to tie it at 24-24 and taking a 25-24 lead, on Penning’s block. But the Bucks shrugged off a set point as well, scoring the final two points to take the set, 27-25, and a 2-1 set lead.

Fourth set

After a 2-2 tie, Pendleton scored three straight points and seemed on the verge of running away with the set and match, leading by as much as 18-10. The Bucks still led 22-15 when Taylor Churchfield took the serve. Baker scored seven straight points, including two blocks by Penning and Churchfield’s ace serve, to tie it at 22. After Pendleton took a 23-22 lead, Penning’s kill tied it at 23. But The Bucks scored the final two points to win the set, 25-23, and claim the match in four games.

Despite the loss, Baker coach Ali Woodward said she was encouraged by the Bulldogs’ performance, including their resilience in battling back to nearly win the fourth set.

“They have so much talent, but you can only tell them that, they have to start believing it themselves,” Woodward said. “We just have to put all the pieces together.”

Woodward said she felt Baker made significant progress in a three-set loss at Melba, Idaho, on Tuesday, Sept. 17. 

That carried over against Pendleton, she said.

The Bulldogs also need to learn how to hold a lead late in a set, she said. Baker was just three points from winning the third set and putting considerable pressure on Pendleton.

Woodward said she was especially happy with Baker’s blocking. Penning had several blocks, including key plays in the fourth set as Baker rallied from the 22-15 deficit.

Woodward was also impressed with Baker’s ability to adjust to Pendleton’s offense, which relied heavily on tipping the ball at the net. The strategy worked in the first set, but later in the match the Bulldogs anticipated the tips and were in position to dig the ball.

Reading the tips was an emphasis during timeouts, Woodward said.

“I’m happy that we were making adjustments,” she said.

Baker returns to the road this weekend, traveling to North Marion on Saturday, Sept. 21, for a tournament.

In other local volleyball action Thursday, Huntington lost in three sets to Pilot Rock/Ukiah, 25-18, 26-24, 25-14.

Prairie City/Burnt River swept Dayville/Monument/Long Creek, 25-4, 25-14, 25-12.

In 6-man football, Prairie City/Burnt River blanked Dayville/Monument/Long Creek, 56-0.

Boys soccer

Baker’s boys soccer team was also on its home field Thursday evening, playing Four Rivers.

The Bulldogs won 6-1. Kane Hellberg had three goals for Baker in the first half. Alan Bedolla, Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Ludin all had goals for the Bulldogs in the second half.