Lady Outlaws place third at Clearwater Classic

The Lady Outlaws tied with Crook County for a third-place finish at the Clearwater Classic on Saturday, October 8. Eleven of the top 4A, 5A, and 6A teams from around the state were in attendance and fans enjoyed high-caliber play throughout the tourney.

Sisters started out slow against St. Mary's in the first game of pool play, but rallied to win both games. They also won both their games against South Medford.

The Outlaws finished pool play with split games against 6A No. 2-ranked West Salem. The squad came out on fire in their first game against the Titans and took the first game 25-14. Sophomore Kendra Sitz went down at the end of the first game with a knee injury and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament, and freshman Sam Silva stepped in to fill the spot. Sisters fell 16-25 in the second game against the top-ranked Titans.

At the close of pool play, the Outlaws had more points than West Salem, and earned the first-place spot as teams headed into bracket play.

"People knew when we beat West Salem in that first game that our kids had turned a corner," said Jones. "They proved that they can play with anybody."

In the quarterfinals, the Lady Outlaws faced 6A No. 10-ranked South Salem and defeated the Saxons with scores of 25-22, and 25-20.

Coach Rod Jones had to put in a new line-up, and the Outlaws played hard to earn the win.

In the semi-finals, Sisters matched up against 6A state runner-up Central Catholic. The Outlaws gave the Rams a run for their money but lost both games 25-22, 25-18.

Hawley Harrer had a great day for the Outlaws. Harrer stayed on the floor the entire time and did it all; set the ball, hit the ball, and blocked the ball, all in top-notch fashion. Middles Emma Houck and Brooke Knirk blocked well all day long, and their efficiency was excellent.

The Outlaws were happy to have Ashlynn Cantwell back after being out due to illness. Alex Hartford did a good job setting the ball, and Coach Jones commented that his entire team worked together and played great.

"It was faster and bigger competition today," said Jones. "The kids figured that out right out of the chute and made the adjustments. They played through line-up changes, and never gave up or quit. They played awesome and played their hearts out all day long."

The Outlaws will wait for MRI results on Kendra Sitz' knee injury and are hoping for the best.

Earlier in the week, Sisters tallied two more Sky-Em League victories.

On Tuesday, the Outlaws defeated Cottage Grove (CG) on the road in four sets with scores of 25-14, 24-26, 25-8, and 25-14.

Sisters came out strong in the first set, but in the second set they didn't pass the ball or communicate well, which resulted in a second-set loss. In the third set, the Outlaws bounced back with beautiful volleyball play and went on to earn the win in the fourth set.

"They (CG) had a crazy crowd and the kids really got lost in it," said Jones. "Much of the time the kids played flat, were slow and a half a step behind."

On Thursday, the Outlaws played on the road at Sutherlin. The team came out with more energy and played well. The Outlaws defeated the Bulldogs 25-18, 25-12, and 25-14.

Hawley Harrer commented on the match.

"I think we played well as a team," said Harrer. "We had some good plays connecting, which is good because we are all eager to start playing at a higher level."

Ashlynn Cantwell was unable to play due to illness, and freshman Sam Silva stepped in and did a great job.

"We made some mistakes, but really controlled the match," said Jones. "We passed the ball much better than we did on Tuesday. It was a long drive and the kids are tired and sick. We'll see if we have anything left for Saturday's tournament."

Sisters was to play at home against Sweet Home on Tuesday, October 11. On Thursday, October 13, the Outlaws will play at Elmira.