Sweet Home’s volleyball team kept its playoff hopes alive last week with wins on the road over Cottage Grove and Elmira.
Though those two teams are at the bottom of the league standings, Coach Alicia Meier said she was proud of her team for getting the job done, particularly in five games against the Lions, who took Sweet Home to five games.
The Huskies, 9-12 overall and 4-5 in league, are tied for third with Junction City going into their final league match at home Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Sweet Home 3, Cottage Grove 2
The Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead, 25-21 and 25-22 Tuesday evening, Oct. 21,, before Cottage Grove evened the score 25-20 and 25-21, but Sweet Home held out in a tight final to win 15-13.
“It was good to see them come from behind, push through and pull out a win,” Meier said of her team. “It was just one of those consistency things we struggle with. I was really proud of them, pulling through on that.”
Freshman Ally Tow led the team with six kills, with Jordan Miller adding five. Molly Fisher provided stability in the back row with some quality serve receiving, Meier said.
From the service line, Madi Barringer and McKenzie Cochran both served 100 percent.
“When those two get on in serving, they can get us a lot of points,” Meier said.
She said that Sweet Home’s most consistent line-up seems to be when Cochran is setting, in a 5-1 formation.
“We’re keeping her in there even when she rotates up against taller players. She just provides stability.”
Sweet Home 3, Elmira 0
Against the Falcons, the Huskies got right down to business Thursday, Oct. 23, winning 25-18, 25-14, 25-18.
Meier said she was able to put some of her players who haven’t gotten a lot of time on the court into the game.
Barringer finished with eight kills, while Josie Knight had seven.
“It was a good night for our middles,” Meier said.
Fisher served three aces in 17 attempts and Cochran had two in 18 serves, neither with any errors. Lola Wingo added two more aces in 12 serves, finishing with 83 percent.
“Lola has stepped in an played pretty good for us in the back row,” Meier said.
Corbett Tournament
The Huskies played in the 12-team Corbett Tournament Saturday, Oct. 18, making the finals.
In pool play, they lost to sixth-ranked Madras 25-9, 25-9 and 25-10, 25-21 to Catlin-Gabel before beating Willamina 25-17, 25-23.
That was good enough to give them eighth place coming out of the morning’s matches and the final berth in the winners bracket, where they met Madras again, losting 25-13, 25-11.
“Madras is an amazing team,” Meier said, noting that some of the White Buffaloes “look like college players.”
Despite the score, she said, the Huskies played hard the entire afternoon match and made Madras work for it, even leading 7-5 at one points.
“They were playing really well, digging their balls,” Meier said. “It was nice to see, even though we ended up losing. We had a lot of side-out points and we didn’t let them have any big runs until the end.”
Although the Huskies lost badly to Sutherlin (7-2, 16-5 coming into this week) on the Bulldogs’ home court, Tuesday is senior night for Sweet Home and Meier said she hoped her team would come to play.
“I would like to see the season go a little longer, she said, noting that a play-in game is a distant possibility if the Huskies lose. “That would be good, especially for the younger girls. It’s been three years since we have gone to state. I just want them to have a good final game.”