BAKER VOLLEYBALL: Powder Valley edges Bulldogs in four sets

Published 10:12 am Saturday, October 19, 2024

Baker and Powder Valley renewed their volleyball rivalry at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in a nonleague match in the Powder gym.

Baker won the first set but the Badgers won the next three to claim the match.

Baker coach Ali Woodward is a Powder Valley graduate and former all-state player for the Badgers.

First set

Baker played one of its best sets of the season, winning 25-16. Powder scored the first point but Baker led the rest of the way. Ashlyn Dalton had two ace serves. Lilly Wilson dug consecutive hits from Powder’s powerful hitter, Sky Nesser. 

Baker had a 5-0 run to lead 12-5, and the Badgers never scored more than three straight points. After Powder scored two straight to make it 18-13, Baker scored four in a row, including a kill by Raegan Gulick, and Lexi Rupel had a kill to give Baker a set point.

Second set

Powder Valley dominated from the start, scoring the first three points and then going on an 8-0 run, powered by Janie Bingham’s serves, to lead 13-6. The Badgers won the set, 25-9.

Third set

This one was close throughout, with ties at 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12. Baker went ahead 18-14, but the Badgers then scored 10 straight points and went on to win the set, 25-20, on Marli Lind’s kill.

Wilson and Jayden Whitford each had tough digs, and Jaxyn Ramos had two kills.

Fourth set

This was a nailbiter, with both teams fending off set points. The Badgers finally ended it, 28-26, on Lind’s kill. After ties at 13, 14 and 18, Powder led 22-20. Rupel had two kills to tie it at 22, and Baker had a set point at 24-23 on Dalton’s kill. Taylor Churchfield had a kill to give Baker another set point, and Raegan Gulick’s kill turned back Powder’s set point to tie it at 26.

Up nextBaker plays host to Class 3A Vale in a nonleague match Monday, Oct. 21, at 5:30 p.m.