MCDERMITT — Is it possible to make improvement in just 11 days? The McDermitt High School volleyball team showed that it is.
On, Friday, Sept. 11, the Lady Bulldogs traveled to Jordan Valley and lost in three sets to the Mustangs. This past Tuesday, the Mustangs made the return trip to McDermitt, with a much different result.
In a match that had a number of momentum shifts, McDermitt pulled out a thrilling 23-25, 25-21, 26-24, 22-25 and 17-15 win to improve to 3-3 on the season.
“It was an exciting match,” said MHS coach Danielle Wilson. “I am proud of the girls and they are working hard. They really wanted to win this one.”
Both squads shared the lead in the first, with Jordan Valley holding a 10-6 advantage. That gap closed after a kill by Va Draunidalo and an ace by Megan Sam. The Lady Bulldogs rallied to go in front 13-12, only to see Jordan Valley answer with six consecutive points. The Mustangs slowly pulled away to lead 22-17 and seemingly had control of the set. However, the Lady Bulldogs came back with six straight points of their own to go in front 23-22. That is where the momentum stopped, as Jordan Valley came back with the final three points to win the set.
McDermitt raced out to a big lead in the second set, scoring 10 of the first 13 points, aided by a tip by Draunidalo. Jordan Valley battled back to tie the set at 15-15, but quickly fell behind again after an ace by Lydia Northrup and a kill by Precious Masters. The set was tied once more at 17-17, but a serve in the net by Jordan Valley allowed McDermitt to take over from there. A kill by Draunidalo and an ace by Adrie Smart helped the Lady Bulldogs finish the set on an 8-4 run.
A handful of missed serves by McDermitt allowed Jordan Valley to take an early advantage in the third set. An ace by Northrup and a kill by Andrea Smart allowed the Lady Bulldogs to tie the set on two occasions, but Jordan Valley pulled away to a comfortable lead again.
Back-to-back aces by Sam closed the gap to 18-17, only to see the Mustangs use a 5-1 run to seemingly have control of the set. However, Jordan Valley scored just one more point as McDermitt fought back behind kills from Masters and Andrea Smart and a stretch of four service points, including two aces from Northrup to win the set.
Leading 18-12 in the fourth set, Jordan Valley saw its lead disappear, as McDermitt went on an 8-2 run to tie set at 20-20. During that run, Andrea Smart had an ace and Draunidalo a kill. The only points Jordan Valley scored were off service errors. The Lady Bulldogs pulled in front 22-20 after a kill by Northrup, but the Mustangs used back-to-back aces as part of a 5-0 run to the end the set.
The fifth set provided more thrills, with McDermitt leading 12-9 after a pair of kills by Northrup and a tip by Draunidalo. The Lady Bulldogs at match point on two occasions, when the Mustangs came back to tie the set at 14-14 on an ace and go in front 15-14. Jordan Valley could not close out the match as well, with Northrup notching a kill to tie it up at 15-15. After scoring the next point, the Lady Bulldogs claimed the win on a kill by Northrup.
“It was one of those matches where we were giving it away and taking it back,” Wilson said. “I wanted the girls to keep running the offense. We adjusted our cover in the back row from the last time. If we can get the ball to our hitters, we will be OK. Dacey (Horn) has taken over the setter position and is doing a good job of getting the ball to our hitters.”
McDermitt sweeps Jackpot
McDermitt hosted Jackpot in a Division IV East match-up on Friday, Sept. 18, and came away with a three-set sweep. The Lady Bulldogs had little trouble in the 25-17, 25-14 and 25-22 win.
Lady Bulldogs fall to Wells
A day later, McDermitt was on the road to Wells for another league contest. The Leopards handed the Lady Bulldogs their first league loss with a 25-13, 23-25, 25-17 and 25-12 win. McDermitt stands at 2-1 in the Division IV East.
“Wells is a good team and we learned some things,” Wilson said. “Right now, we are improving and we are where we need to be. We need to take it and go to the next level.”
Owyhee travels to Owyhee today for a 5:30 p.m. start and will be in Crane, Ore., on Saturday for a tournament.
