The Sweet Home High School’s volleyball team (4-15) ended its season last week with two tough losses, first to Stayton (13-9) on Oct. 22 and then to Cascade (12-7) on Oct. 24.
In the 3-0 defeat to Stayton, Head Coach Katie Dargis praised her team’s performance despite the outcome. “We played a great game against Stayton. We still lost, but I was really happy with the girls’ performance,” Dargis said.
The Huskies demonstrated strong serving accuracy, with Karissa Jewel (10-for-10), Natalie Smith (5-for-5), Kiera Johnson (11-for-11), Trinity Victor (15-for-15), and Kaitlyn Kennedy (11-for-11) all serving at 100%. Dargis noted, “That’s five girls who served 100% of their serves in bounds. That was excellent.”
The team also played aggressively at the net, recording approximately 129 attacks, with Kennedy leading with nine kills, followed by Johnson with seven, and Aubrey Newberry with five. Coach Dargis expressed pride in her team’s improvement and overall aggressiveness in play.
The Huskies then faced Cascade in their final match of the season, held on senior night Oct. 24. The team which was celebrating seniors Tiara Reynolds and Sophia Stock, ended with another 3-0 loss. Two major injuries early in the match contributed to this—Victor injured her chest and abdomen, and Miley Smith hurt her hip—Sweet Home continued to adjust its lineup, with Victor returning for the third set.
Reflecting on the night, Dargis commended her seniors: “They have both been such a joy to be able to coach. We’ll be sad to see them go.”
Johnson and Brown led in kills with seven and six, respectively. Regardless of the challenges, Sweet Home showed resilience through the end of the season.
The Huskies now look forward to building on the skills and unity they fostered this year, as they prepare for the next season.