One of the best Sweet Home volleyball seasons in recent memory ended abruptly Saturday night at Crook County as the Huskies fell in the first round of the 4A tournament, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22.
The loss ends Sweet Home’s hopes for a deep run into the playoffs, the final eight teams of which will face off Friday at Forest Grove High School.
Coach Mary Hutchins was clearly disappointed with the way things ended for her team.
“I believe we are one of the top four teams in the 4A Division,” she said. “It’s really bittersweet to not be standing there next weekend, when these girls absolutely deserve to be.”
The Cowboys were ranked 11th with a 14-10 record going into the match, but all but two of those losses had come at the hands of 5A and 6A teams. Because OSAA does not credit teams that play higher-division teams in its rankings, Crook County was rated much lower than it should have been and that’s why the two teams met in the first round.
The Cowboys won seven straight 5A Division championships between 2006 and 2012 and has made the final eight in the 4A tournament each year since, taking second to Sisters last year.
Hutchins said multiple coaches throughout the division told her they were surprised at Sweet Home’s tough draw.
“We knew going in that they were a worthy opponent,” she said. “They have beaten several top-five 5A teams and they are moving back up to 5A next year.
“We needed to beat Crook County and, unfortunately, we fell short.”
That leaves the Huskies out, while teams they’ve beaten handily – Cottage Grove and Scappoose – are both in the final eight.
“It’s hard to see teams that we’ve beaten several times make it in due to the ranking system and the draw, when we did not get that opportunity,” Hutchins said.
Saturday night, the Cowboys led 18-11 in the first set before Sweet Home closed to 20-19, with most of that run coming with freshman libero Graci Zanona serving, before Crook County closed it out 25-23.
The second set was a tight battle all the way, with 13 ties and neither team ever leading by more than three. Sweet Home tied the set 22-22 before Crook County scored the final three points, the final two on aces by Anna Woodward.
The third set was more of the same, again with 13 ties, Crook County took the lead for good at 19-18 on a kill by Cassidy Dill, and finished things out, 25-22.
“We could absolutely have beaten them,” Hutchins said. “There were a few big points we did not convert and a few missed opportunities that we were not able to take advantage of. We fought the whole time. I’m so proud of my team.”
Kayley Lopez led the Huskies with 14 kills, and Ally Tow added 12.
Tow and Lopez each had two kill blocks, and Tow and Graci Zanona each served an ace.
For Crook County, Raegan Wilkins finished with 20 kills, Dill nine and Kerigan Waibel eight.
“It’s kind of like bittersweet because, of course, we want to keep playing and all, but we had a really great season,” Lopez said. “We were just such a team together and I really wouldn’t change this for anything. Yeah, this is definitely my best year for volleyball ever. I think next year we are going to come back even stronger. I love my team.”
Sweet Home finishes 15-5 overall after an 8-2 league run to second place, behind No. 1-ranked Sisters, to whom the Huskies lost by two points in a five-game match in their last meeting. They have been the only 4A Division team to take Sisters to five games this year – and they did it twice. Crook County will meet Sisters Friday.
Tow said the Huskies “really got along with each other and our team chemistry was awesome. We were all friends, there was no drama and that was one of the reasons that we did so well this season.
“We had four freshmen come in and help us out and the senior class, we all have been together for a really long time and we all just worked really well together.”
Hutchins and Tow expressed appreciation for the team’s fans.
“We may not have been the flashiest team but everyone loved each other and we all got along really well,” Tow said. “Our fans and our town and our supporters are everything, like before every game you see people around school and everyone would be saying ‘good luck’ and everybody wanted to come to the games and our student sections are usually three times that big.
“Just that the support from our town and our school, it really means a lot.”
Hutchins said she particularly appreciated fans who made the trip Saturday.
“All the people who traveled to Crook County to support us and the student section – they outdid themselves this year. The team appreciated each and every one of them.”