MCDERMITT - After spending a month on the roads of northern Nevada, the McDermitt High School volleyball team was back on its home floor this past Saturday to play Eureka.
The Lady Bulldogs (6-4 Division IV East) were looking to split the season series, but the Vandals came away with a 25-17, 25-16 and 25-19 win.
Eureka raced out to a 6-1 advantage in the first set, with the lone point for McDermitt coming on a kill by Lydia Northrup. The Lady Bulldogs closed the gap to 8-7 on an ace by Adrie Smart, but the Vandals answered with a 9-0 run to take a 17-8 lead.
Northrup stopped the spurt with a kill and added an ace along with a kill by Va Draunidalo to close the gap to eight points at 22-14. Draunidalo used two more kills to keep the score 24-17, but the Vandals won the set on the next point.
McDermitt led briefly at 2-1 in the second set, only to see Eureka go on an 8-1 run, before seeing the rally end with a serving error. Northrup followed with a kill on the next point but the Lady Bulldogs could not keep the momentum going.
The Vandals led by seven points, 12-5 midway through the set, but the Lady Bulldogs closed the margin to 18-14 on a kill by Krissy Long. That was as close as McDermitt got, with Eureka scoring the next points to take a double-digit lead at 24-14.
The two schools traded points in the beginning part of the third set, when McDermitt took a 9-6 lead on three consecutive kills by Andrea Smart. Both teams missed a number of serves in the next few points and Eureka took its first lead at 14-13 on ace.
The Lady Bulldogs tied the set at 15-15 after the Vandals served the ball in the net, when Eureka scored two of the next three points to lead 17-16. A block by Northrup tied the match at 17-17, but Eureka scored the next six points when that run was stopped by a tip by Dacey Horn. However, the Vandals were able to close out the match three points later.
McDermitt closes out the regular season Thursday at Owyhee with a doubleheader at 11 a.m.
The Division IV Regional Championships get underway at Elko High School on Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov.8, The top four teams from the East Division and top four teams from the West advance.
Wells, Eureka, Owyhee and McDermitt have clinched the four spots in the East Division.
Smith Valley is undefeated and leads the West Division. Virginia City and Sierra Lutheran have also clinched playoff berths. Whittell and Coleville are battling for the final spot in the playoffs.
The top two teams advance to the NIAA State Tournament in Reno on Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15.[[In-content Ad]]
