The Creswell Bulldogs volleyball team celebrate a successful rally during the second set of the Creswell vs Coquille matchup on Sept. 20. The Creswell Bulldogs lost to the Coquille Red Devils 1-3 and have a current season record of 5-4. CHRISTIOPHER PALANUK/THE CRESWELL CHRONICLE
A 3 to 0 win over the host La Pine Hawks on Sept. 18 opened league volleyball play right for the Creswell Lady Bulldogs, who later fell 1 to 3 to the visiting Coquille Red Devils in non league action on Sept. 20.
Former league rival Coquille is currently ranked fourth in 2A, while Creswell is ranked 10th in 3A.
Breanna Dapron’s 19 kills led the Lady Dawgs past La Pine, 25 to 15, 25 to 20 and 25 to 17. Bailey Howell added nine kills and five digs, Jenessa Mallory had four aces and Karlie Harris had four stuff blocks.
The girls made the trip to La Pine with Creswell’s boys’ soccer team, who played earlier in the afternoon, and the two teams were able to support each other.
”It was great having a cheering squad there for us and went out and cheered them on for a while too,” said Creswell Head Coach Anna Baltrusch.
Dapron paced the Lady Dawgs with 15 kills and 14 digs in their 18 to 25, 25 to 18, 18 to 25 and 22 to 25 loss to Coquille.
Howell added nine kills, 14 digs and provided 13 assists. ”She played great defense and was really starting to hit hard,” Baltrusch said.
Mallory had three aces and provided 25 assists. ”She was serving really well all week,” Baltrusch said.
Harris added four stuff blocks.
”It was a great game; Coquille is always good competition,” Baltrusch said. ”There was a lot of back-and-forth.”
The Lady Dawgs also competed in the annual Salem Academy Tournament on Sept. 22, where they opened by downing Scio 25 to 20, 25 to 26 and 25 to 19.
”They were a pretty good team,” Baltrusch said.
Dapron paced Creswell with nine kills, 11 digs and three aces; Howell added six kills, 11 digs and four aces; Kylee Whitson had four kills; Sarah Lanz had four aces; and Mallory had three aces.
Creswell next defeated third-ranked Horizon Christian, 25 to 23, 25 to 23 and 20 to 25.
”They were a good team, but the girls played really well against them,” Baltrusch said.
Howell led with 18 kills, while Dapron had 14 kills and scooped 22 digs. Harris had four stuff blocks, Whitson had three stuff blocks, and Lanz added 12 digs.
The Lady Dawgs were eliminated from the tournament after falling 25 to 23, 23 to 25 and 13 to 15 to Portland Christian, the seventh-ranked 2A team.
”The kids were really disappointed, but they were a solid team with no weak spots and they played great defense,” Baltrusch said of Portland Christian. ”They dug a lot of our fantastic hits that were going down with everybody else.”
Dapron led with 15 kills, six digs and two stuff blocks. Howell added seven kills and four aces, and Harris had two stuff blocks.
The Lady Dawgs host Pleasant Hill and travel to second-ranked Santiam Christian as league play continues this week.
