In Class 4A volleyball, Cottage Grove recorded its first Sky-Em League victories last week by beating Junction City and North Bend. The Lions are 2-2 in league standings.
Creswell went 2-0 last week against Harrisburg and Elmira. In its 3-1 win against Harrisburg on Tuesday, Piper Hanson led with 40 kills and 23 digs, Marley Query with 11 kills and 18 digs, and Teighlor Nunez with 51 assists for aces and two blocks. On Thursday, Creswell hosted Elmira and won 3-1. Hanson recorded 22 kills, Query 12 kills and 14 digs, and Rylee Cline had 6 kills and 13 digs. Nunez recorded four assists and six aces. The Bulldogs also recognized Nunez for reaching 1,000 high school career assists and Hanson for reaching 1,000 kills in her high school career.
Pleasant Hill went 0-2 last week in the Mountain Valley Conference against Sisters and La Pine, and then 0-1 at the Pleasant Hill Invitational. Against Sisters on Tuesday, leaders for Pleasant Hill were Anna Crawford with 9 kills and 19 digs and Kyla Knights had 16 digs. Then, the Billies lost a close match against La Pine 3-2 Thursday led by Sari Strinz with 18 kills and 24 digs and Crawford, who added 3 aces, 3 blocks, 14 kills and 32 digs.
JOSIE HEACOCK
In Class 5A, Springfield went 2-0 last week against Churchill and North Eugene in the Midwestern League. The Millers also lost to Taft in the Pleasant Hill Invite on Saturday. The Millers are in 6th place in the Midwestern League. Thurston lost to North Eugene 3-0 in the Midwestern League last Tuesday. The Colts are 2-4 in league play and 5th in the standings.
PREVIEWS
#7 COTTAGE GROVE (9-4)
Setting up: The Lions face their biggest Sky-Em League opponents this week: Marist Catholic and Marshfield. The Lions have a tall task against two opponents who have consistently dominated the Sky-Em league for years.
#13 CRESWELL (10-8)
Setting up: The Bulldogs begin to close out Mountain Valley Conference play as they face rematches against Sisters and Pleasant Hill this week. Earlier in league play, Pleasant Hill beat the Bulldogs. Since that loss, Creswell has been showing signs of fulfilling its preseason expectations.
#22 PLEASANT HILL (8-9)
Setting up: The Billies have rematches against Elmira and Creswell in Mountain Valley Conference play this week. Pleasant Hill sits behind Creswell in the MVC standings, and if it wishes for a No. 3 spot, it needs to sweep the Bulldogs.
#24 SPRINGFIELD (6-10)
Setting up: The Millers play Churchill and Ashland in Midwestern League showdowns this week. The Millers are in 6th place in league standings at 1-5.
#23 THURSTON (4-7)
Setting up: The Colts play Crater and Churchill this week, who are highly ranked in the Midwestern League. Head coach Kayla Devereaux hopes for a winning season to increase the Colts’ confidence, she said, and isn’t focused on league standings in this rebuilding season.
