POWDER VALLEY VOLLEYBALL: Badgers fall to Umpqua Valley Christian in four sets at Class 1A state tournament

Published 9:55 am Friday, November 8, 2024

The Powder Valley volleyball team dropped into the consolation bracket with a four-set loss to Umpqua Valley Christian in a quarterfinal match at the Class 1A state tournament Friday morning at Ridgeview High School in Redmond.

The Badgers battled back from a 2-0 set deficit to win the third, but the Monarchs closed out the match, 25-22, 27-25, 19-25, 25-18.

Powder Valley is the seventh seed in the eight-team tournament. Umpqua Valley is the second seed.

The Badgers will play North Lake Saturday at 8 a.m. North Lake was swept by Union, Powder’s Old Oregon League foe, in a quarterfinal Friday morning.

First set

Neither team was dominant early. Powder Valley maintained a slim lead, scoring two straight points to lead 8-4. But the Monarchs scored five straight to take their first lead at 9-8.

The Badgers responded with three straight, including two kills by Sky Nesser. Powder Valley led 14-11, prompting a timeout by Umpqua Valley. The Monarchs scored six straight to regain the lead at 17-14. 

The Badgers got as close as 21-20, but the Monarchs scored three straight, the last on a spike that hit the net but rolled onto the Badgers’ side of the court, for a set point at 24-20. Powder Valley fought off two set points but Umpqua Valley closed the set with a kill to win 25-22.

Second set

The Monarchs maintained their momentum into the second set, leading 11-3. Umpqua Valley continued to lead, but the Badgers chipped away at the deficit, getting to within 20-19 and prompting a timeout by the Monarchs. Powder then tied it at 20.

Umpqua Valley scored two straight to lead 22-20. Kellee Dixon had a kill to make it 22-21, and the teams exchanged points. A serve error gave the Monarchs a set point at 24-22. Marli Lind’s kill staved off the first set point, and a hitting error tied it at 24. Another service error gave the Monarchs another set point at 25-24, but Nesser’s kill tied it again. Umpqua Valley earned its fourth set point at 26-25, and this time the Monarchs took advantage with a set-winning kill.

Third set

Powder had a better start, leading 8-3. But the Monarchs rallied to tie it at 10, prompting a Powder timeout.

The Badgers then scored six straight to lead 19-13. Nesser had two kills to boost the Badgers’ lead to 22-15. Nesser had another kill to give Powder a set point at 24-16. Powder finished off the set 25-19 on yet another kill by Nesser on an assist from Marli Lind.

Fourth set

The Monarchs led 7-4 but the Badgers scored three straight, capped by Nesser’s kill from the back row, to tie it at 7. After ties at 8, 9 and 10, the Monarchs scored five straight to lead 15-10. After a Powder timeout, Marli Lind had an ace serve to cut the lead to 15-12.

Powder stayed close. Consecutive kills by Dixon and Lind cut the lead to 19-17.

The Badgers couldn’t maintain any extended scoring runs, though, and the Monarchs scored three of the next four points to lead 22-18 and prompt a Powder timeout. The Monarchs then wrapped up the match with the final three points to win 25-18.