Volleyball closes league with win over Cottage Grove

The Lady Outlaws dominated Cottage Grove in their last league match of the season and swept the Lions with scores of 25-16, 25-13 and 25-23 on Tuesday, October 23.

Before the match, the eight seniors on the team were honored and the emotional prelude to the game was marked by lots of tears.

"We needed a mop and a bucket," said Coach Miki McFadden. "It was a very special night for the seniors. I was hoping the emotions would help us on the court and not be a distraction."

The tears weren't a hindrance, and the Outlaws walked off the court with a win and a perfect 10-0 league record.

Sisters did trail in the third set at 21-18 but battled back to earn the win.

Duree Standley led the team with 14 kills. Megan Minke followed with 11 and Nila Lukens added nine.

Shelbi Thompson played libero and tallied 20 digs on the night, and Savannah Spear contributed six digs. Shannon Fouts dished out 39 assists.

A day earlier, the Outlaws added a game into their schedule and played at home against Madras. Sisters defeated the White Buffaloes in four sets with scores of 25-18, 25-15, 16-25, and 25-15.

McFadden explained why they added in the extra game against Madras.

"We are working to get a good seed at state, and we need a good percentage of wins and losses," stated McFadden. "We needed another match against a tough team because seeding is also based on the strength of your opponents. It's very complicated, but hopefully when we get there we won't have to play a tough team at the start. Madras is a tough team and they had time in their schedule, so it worked out great."

Sisters played very well at the start of the match against the tall, athletic White Buffs and easily won the first two sets.

Madras battled back and won the third set by nine points. The White Buffs were on fire, and front-row player Shelby Maurits took charge and put a lot of balls down.

"We got stuck in a rotation where Maurits was really hitting, and we couldn't return the ball," stated McFadden.

Maurits wasn't as consistent in the fourth set and the Outlaws took back control of the match. Sisters dug the ball better, served better, and cut back on their errors.

Standley led the team with 13 kills and Minke added nine.

"Duree and Megan have really come on strong in the last couple of matches," said McFadden. "They are both powerful hitters."

Fouts recorded 35 assists and 10 digs. Allie Spear tallied seven digs, five kills and two aces; and Kristina Johns posted five digs, three kills and one ace.

"Allie and Kristina don't get a lot of recognition, but they are both great players," said McFadden. "They are good passers and pick up a lot of balls on defense and are really key in our serve receive. They're not flashy, but they're solid. They're the workhorses of the team."

Libero Savannah Spear tallied 15 digs on the night.

Spear told The Nugget that this year's team is very tight.

"We're all super close this year, and we're just like family," said Spear. "We have great chemistry and drive and determination on the court. We stay calm and supportive of each other. As we head into the playoffs we're going to focus on one play, one set, one match at a time; and each of us will focus on our individual jobs. We want to make sure we stay supportive and if we miss a point to just stay positive and not get down."

As the Outlaws prepare for the playoffs, McFadden said they will go back to the basics.

"We're going to go back and work on our fundamentals and our technique," said McFadden. "We'll be doing training and competition drills. It will be fun, but very focused."

Sisters is currently 18-2 overall. The Outlaws will host the first round of the state playoffs on Saturday, November 3, but their opponent is yet to be determined.