Rough Week for Lady Falcons Volleyball Ends with Improvement

After losing 6 consecutive sets last week,  the Elmira Volleyball team finally righted the ship as they hosted 5 other teams at their own tournament on Saturday September 22 at Elmira High School.  After splitting four sets with Mazama and North Marion in pool play, the Falcons came off the deck to sweep away Gladstone 2-0 (25-5, 25-16).  The win moved the Lady Falcons into the championship bracket where they fell 2-1 to Phoenix, 15-25, 28-26, and 12-15.

Cheyanne White fires a shot in a game earlier this season for the Lady Falcons volleyball team.  Photo: Kimberly Lillie

The week started ominously at Junction City, where a power failure at the Tigers gymnasium caused a 45 minute delay.  Their reward for their patience was a 3-0 loss to Junction City (17-25, 11-25, and 7-25) despite 6 blocks by Maranda Hanson.  The three set drubbing was amplified by a rash of two hit and net violations, many of which left Lady Falcon players mystified.  The calls were incongruously distributed with Elmira getting tagged with 19 violations to only 3 for Junction City.  The Lady Falcons were then swept aside 3-0 by Cottage Grove on Thursday, September 20.    They also fell 2-0 to Newport in their tournament consolation round.  Three of the Lady Falcons' victories this year have over Gladstone.

The week left Elmira at 5-6 (0-3 in the 4A Sky-Em League) for the season.

Lady Falcons Volleyball Moves to 4-1 to Start Season

The Lady Falcons Volleyball team traveled north and came off a second set loss to rally to a 3-1 victory over Gladstone.  The victory pushed Elmira's record to 3-1 on the young season.

"We were trying a new rotation and had people in different spots, then kept it close the last two sets to come back for the win," commented head coach Sarah Wartenbee.  "Consistent serving is our biggest challenge right now.  We have given up too many points for it not to be something to work on."

Brianna Mills rises to challenge a Madras hitter's shot in a 3-2 loss earlier this season.  Photo:  Kimberly Lillie

The Lady Falcons were back on the court for the second half of a home and home series with visiting Gladstone on Thursday September 6 at Elmira High School.  Despite a close call in the third game, Elmira finished off Gladstone in an hour and 15 minutes, sweeping the Lady Glads 3-0 and allowing the Lady Falcons' record to swell to 4-1 on the young season.