Outlaws face off with top teams in state

The Lady Outlaws volleyball squad won the Silver Bracket at the annual Bend Clearwater Classic held on Saturday, October 8, where they faced some of the top 5A and 6A teams in the state.

At home two days earlier, Sisters swept Harrisburg with scores of 25-12, 25-19, and 25-11.

Pool play for the Clearwater Classic was held at Summit High School, and Sisters faced off against strong, talented teams from 6A West Linn, 6A South Salem, and 5A Redmond. The Outlaws went 2-4 in the morning pool play, which placed them in the Silver Bracket for the afternoon as the lowest-ranked team in that bracket.

Throughout the season the Lady Outlaws have relied on statistical leaders Gracie Vohs, Gracelyn Myhre, Bailey Robertson, and Mia Monaghan, but Coach Rory Rush told The Nugget that with the very competitive morning she knew the depth of her team was going to be tested.

They were tested indeed and came through with flying colors, as the afternoon bracket play was highlighted by a group that Coach Rush calls her “stellar sophomores.”

Rush said, “I was incredibly proud of the emotional push we got from our stellar sophomores. They had the energy in the afternoon, and really were the difference makers in every match.”

The emotional energy Rush mentioned was evident all afternoon. Kathryn Scholl and Molly Meyer were dominant at the net with countless blocks and kills for the Outlaws. In addition, the serving and setting of Holly Davis led to multiple long runs. When the team needed a boost for their tiring defense, Jordyn Monaghan came in and anchored a defensive effort that absorbed every attack that came her way.

These talented underclassmen led the statistical charge and the Lady Outlaws fired on all cylinders. They buzzed through opponents 5A Dallas (25-21, 23-25, 15-13), 5A West Albany (25-12, 27-26) and 6A West Salem (25-10,25-17) to win the Silver Bracket Championship. Sisters got better and better with each match and their depth was on full display.

Rush said “The Clearwater Classic has been a high-level tournament put on by Bend High School with some of the best volleyball teams in the state coming to play for an invite-only tournament. Even though we dropped down to a 3A classification, we weren’t about to break the tradition of attending this tournament. It’s a tradition for Sisters volleyball, and a championship in the tournament made it even sweeter.”

Earlier in the week, and due to a lack of officials, the Lady Outlaws’ match against Harrisburg was moved from Wednesday to Thursday night. After seven days off without a game, the Outlaws were ready to play and jumped right back into conference play. The Eagles came into the match with something to prove, but the Outlaws outlasted every run they made.

In the second set Hannah Fendall went on a seven-point run to put the Outlaws on top 16-9. Later in the set, the Outlaws lost their focus and Harrisburg went on a six-point run to pull to within two, 20-18. The Eagles didn’t score again except for a side out point due to an Outlaw error.

Gracie Vohs finished the match with 19 kills and three aces, and Gracelyn Myhre tallied 15 kills and three aces. Fendall dished out 29 assists and Mia Monaghan recorded 16 digs.

Rush said, “I thought they played us tough. They had us scrambling a few times and tested our team’s communication, but I was very pleased how the girls moved to the flight of the ball and battled through those series of runs by them.”

The No. 1 ranked Outlaws were scheduled to play at No. 5-ranked Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, October 11. They will play at home against Creswell on Thursday, October 13.