WINNEMUCCA -The Lowry High School varsity volleyball team closed out its preseason tournament schedule with four wins in seven matches at the Yerington Invitational this past weekend in Yerington.
The Lady Bucks won all three matches in their pool on Friday, Sept. 6, defeating Sparks, Silver Stage and Coleville, Calif.
"It was a great boost to our confidence mentally wise," said LHS head coach Megan Allen. "We played well and didn't play to the level of our competition. We came out and won each match in two sets and got a bunch of girls playing time."
In the sweep of Sparks, a Division I-A North foe that beat Lowry a year ago, Ere Higbee led the Lady Bucks with eight assists and Sierra Thiede and Juliana Velasco had three aces and one ace, respectively. Thiede and Velasco were a perfect 22-for-22 from the service line.
"I thought Ere played well the entire weekend," Allen said. "She was all over the floor going after balls and did a good job of setting. She showed great senior leadership."
Rachel Sigurdson was a force at the net in the matchup with Silver Stage, with seven kills. Fellow senior Carly Bell added three aces and Velasco had one ace.
Against Coleville, a member of the Division IV West, Velasco proved tough to stop at the net. The sophomore had six kills and six blocks. Higbee had 11 assists, Darion Iturriaga 20 digs and Charlotte Bernard one assist.
The three victories on the first day of tournament slotted Lowry into the Gold Bracket. The Lady Bucks started out with a two-set sweep of Smith Valley, but lost its last three matches to Bishop Union, Calif., Dayton and Douglas.
"We got into more competitive matches and I was pleased with the way we played," added the coach. "The match with Bishop Union was fun, even though we lost. It was a back and forth match the entire way. Dayton and Douglas have quality programs."
The Lady Bucks showed their strong presence at the net against Smith Valley, with Payton Naveran, Auri Criddle and Velasco each recording three blocks. Higbee finished with eight assists and Sigurdson and Thiede had one kill and one ace, respectively.
In the loss to Bishop Union, Albright led the Lady Bucks with five kills and Velasco contributed four blocks. Higbee was a perfect 14-of-14 from the service line and did not miss a set in 26 opportunities to finish with seven assists. Iturriaga recorded a team-high 12 assists.
The Lowry youth stepped up against Dayton, with Albright finishing with six assists. Naveran had three blocks and two kills. Both players are sophomores. Sigurdson, a senior, ended the match with three kills.
Lowry closed out the tournament against Douglas, a member of the Division I North. Iturriaga and Thiede led the Lady Bucks defensively with 10 and five digs, respectively. Sigurdson had three kills and Velasco four blocks.
"We talked as a group after the tournament about how it is just the preseason right now," Allen said. "I have seen great potential in a number of areas of our game. We are still trying to put everything together. We have some experience, yet we are still very young."
Lowry opens Division I-A North action this weekend. The Lady Bucks host Dayton tonight at 6 p.m. and travel to Fernley on Saturday for an 11 a.m. match.
"It will be a strong test for us right off the bat," Allen said. "I think the match with Fernley will come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes and plays consistent volleyball."
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