BAKER VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs advance to semifinals at North Marion tournament
Published 7:57 am Saturday, September 21, 2024
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The Baker volleyball team beat a higher ranked team in Astoria to advance to the semifinals at the North Marion tournament on Saturday, Sept. 21.
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The Bulldogs lost to The Dalles in the semifinals.
Earlier, in pool play, Baker swept North Marion in three sets and won one of three sets against Cottage Grove.
Vs. North Marion
Baker dominated the first set, 25-11. The Bulldogs jumped to a 12-1 lead, scoring several points in a row during Ashlyn Dalton’s serve.
The Bulldogs won the second set in similar fashion, leading from the start. Dalton had consecutive ace serves, and Lexi Rupel had three kills as Baker won the set, 25-7.
The third set was closer early, with North Marion leading 9-8. But Baker pulled away for a 25-15 win to take the match.
Vs. Cottage Grove
Baker led 4-0 early in the first set but Cottage Grove rallied to lead 12-10. Baker regained the lead at 17-16 on Olivia Jacoby’s kill and extended the advantage to 21-16 as Dalton had two ace serves. But Cottage Grove rallied to win the set 25-23. It appeared that two of Baker’s points earlier in the set weren’t counted.
Cottage Grove dominated the second set, taking advantage in particular of its serving, to win 25-12.
Baker led 7-2 in the third set but Cottage Grove rallied to lead 9-8. It was their only lead, though as Baker regained the momentum and, unlike in the first set, didn’t give it up, winning the set 25-15.
Bracket play — vs. Astoria
Baker rallied from an 11-7 deficit to win the first set, 25-23.
The set was close most of the way, with ties at 4, 5, 7 and 13. Baker took the lead for good at 14-13 on Rupel’s kill set up by a dig from libero Lilly Wilson. Sydney Penning and Kathryn Gentry combined on a block to give Baker a 22-16 lead, and Penning had a kill to make it 23-16. Astoria rallied to get within 24-23, but a serve sailed long and Baker won the set, 25-23.
The second set was tight again, with ties at 3, 5, 8, 13 and 14, before Baker pulled away with a 3-0 run capped by Sofia Hanson’s kill on a perfectly placed bump. Jayden Whitford had a diving save early in the set that led to a Baker point, and Whitford and Wilson had multiple digs on Astoria’s flat-trajectory serves that resulted in Baker points.
Wilson had a diving dig on the set’s final point as Baker won 25-17.
Baker coach Ali Woodward said Baker’s win over the Fishermen was the Bulldogs’ best overall performance of the season. Astoria is ranked 14th in Class 4A, while Baker is 17th. The win should help improve Baker’s playoff positions if the Bulldogs qualify for the post-season.
Woodward said Baker’s back row players, including Wilson, Whitford and Dalton, adjusted to Astoria’s serving and were instrumental in the second set win.
Vs. The Dalles
The Riverhawks never trailed in the first set, although Baker tied it at 4 early on Dalton’s ace and then, after trailing by as many as seven points, closed to within 15-11 on Hanson’s ace. But The Dalles pulled away late to win 25-14.
The Dalles raced out to a 7-1 lead in the second set, but Baker rallied to tie it at 12 on Penning’s kill. After three straight points by The Dalles, Raegan Gulick had a kill to get Baker to within 16-15. Baker got within one point one more time, at 18-17, but the Riverhawks scored five straight points to take control. The Dalles won the set, and the match, 25-19.
Woodward said she was happy with Baker’s response to a relatively sluggish first set and bad start to the second against The Dalles, which has two players taller than anyone on Baker’s roster.
“We have the ability to compete with teams that outsize us just because of the effort we put in,” Woodward said.
Although Baker continues at times to maintain leads late in sets, as with the first set against Astoria, Woodward said the Bulldogs have improved quite a lot since opening the season Aug. 30.
“I don’t think our record (3-9) reflects our abilities,” Woodward said. “We are making so much progress, we are getting better every time we play.”
Up next
Baker has another busy week, playing host to Nyssa on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m., then traveling to La Grande on Thursday, Sept. 26, for a critical 6:30 p.m. Greater Oregon League match against the Tigers.
“We always have this rivalry mentality against La Grande,” Woodward said.
Beating La Grande will be crucial in Baker’s bid to either win, or finish second, in the league.
Spectators at Tuesday’s home match against Nyssa are encouraged to wear green in honor of Abel Bain, the 7-year-old Baker City boy who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Abel’s older sister, Lexi Rupel, is a senior on the Baker volleyball team.
Baker JV at home tournament
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Baker JV volleyball team advanced to the finals in a tournament at BHS. The Bulldogs lost to Grant Union in the finals, 21-25, 27-25, 15-10.
Baker advanced to the finals by beating Pendleton, 25-22, 17-25, 16-14. In pool play, Baker beat Enterprise, 25-18, 25-12, beat Elgin, 25-15, 25-18, and lost to Grant Union, 27-25, 25-16.
“The girls played great,” Baker coach Sonny Gulick said.
Other local volleyball
Friday, Sept. 20
• Joseph beat Pine Eagle, 22-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-22
• Elgin beat Pine Eagle, 25-17, 25-13, 25-22
• Harper Charter beat Huntington, 25-18, 13-25, 25-21, 25-18
Saturday, Sept. 21
• Prairie City/Burnt River beat Adrian, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23
• Crane beat Huntington, 25-9, 25-11, 25-13