By Keeghan Gittins
For The New Era
Sweet Home’s volleyball team wrapped up its 2025 season on the road with two tough matchups against Top-10-ranked opponents Stayton and Cascade.
The Huskies showed grit in both contests, forcing the league leaders to work for every point.
Despite being ranked 15th in the state, the Huskies sit fourth in the Oregon West Conference, and a postseason berth, “…doesn’t seem to be going in our favor, unfortunately…” said Head Coach Katie Dargis.
Sweet Home finished the season 10-12 overall and 3-7 in league play after a year of growth and determination that Dargis described as a, “…building block for more successful years ahead.”
Stayton 3, Sweet Home 1
The Huskies opened their final week on the road at No. 10 Stayton, where they competed well against one of the league’s best, taking the first set before ultimately falling 23-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-12.
“We did compete better against Stayton this time than we did the first, we even took a set from them,” Dargis said. “I’m happy with how the girls competed, especially at Stayton. We struggled to get our block up in time on their quick and lower sets, but still a lot of positives came from that game.”
Sweet Home’s defense was a bright spot. Karissa Jewell and Miley Smith led the team with 17 and 15 digs, respectively, followed by Kaitlyn Kennedy (14), Trinity Victor (11), and Aubrey Newberry (10). “Even though our block didn’t do so great, we dug up a lot of balls to keep rallies going,” Dargis said.
Serving was another area of success as Jewell went a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. Offensively, Kennedy recorded 14 kills, Newberry added eight, and Victor tallied 27 assists to pace the Husky attack.
Cascade 3, Sweet Home 1
Sweet Home closed out its season Thursday, Oct. 24, at No. 2 Cascade, battling hard and taking one set from the Cougars to finish 25-20, 19-25, 25-10, 25-16.
“They competed really well against Cascade,” Dargis said. “I was happy that we made them have to work to get their points. We played better than the first time, and our block came out a bit stronger tonight too.”
The Huskies were sharp at the service line. Kennedy led with six aces, while Jewell went 15-for-15, Tori Victor 9-for-9 with one ace, and Trinity Victor 8-for-8 with one ace. Jewell also anchored the serve receive game, earning praise from Dargis for her consistency and accuracy.
Kennedy paced the offense again with nine kills, while Trinity Victor handed out 46 assists and Jewell notched 12 digs.
“One thing that hurt us overall was overpasses when we passed those digs too high, Cascade took advantage,” Dargis said. “But I’m just happy they put up a good fight, treated each other well, and finished off our season strong.”
Sweet Home’s four seniors Aubrey Newberry, Keira Johnson, Miley Smith, and Trinity Victor helped lead the Huskies to a competitive and much-improved season.