by David Bruce 

Enterprise was the host school for the BMC District volleyball tournament.  EHS was the #5 seeded team into the tournament and faced their annual District nemesis – Elgin.  The girls had lost a 5 game heartbreaker to Elgin early in league play.  They then were swept by Elgin in a later game – also played on the Huskies court.  Many hoped that a match played on the Outlaws’ home court would provide a springboard for a great match – and maybe earn the girls a spot in the State VB playoffs.  The dream of going to State didn’t come true as the Huskies swept away the Outlaws in three games: 13-25; 13-25; 21-25.

Game # 1: The game started with both teams earning points one at a time.  Foster/Bruce and Despain/Bruce provided kills to help the Outlaws to a 3-4 score.  Then a long series of Outlaw errors let the Huskies run off to a 14-3 lead.  A Despain unassisted point stopped the bleeding.  Despain then served an ace and the team earned a point to make it a 5-16 game.  Foster and Neil hooked up for two consecutive kills on the way to making it a 7-18 score.  Bruce/Neil connected for a 9-20 score, and then Huskies were happy to trade points with the local team.  Foster from Bruce, and Neil from Bruce would make it a 13-21 score – but the Outlaws were done scoring for this game.  Huskies 13-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 14/14  Aces: 1  Attacks:  35/41  Winners:  8  Assists: 7  Receiving: 19/24  Digs: 33/42  Blocks: 1.   

Game #2:  Again, the teams started out evenly.  Neil/Bruce had a winner to tie the game at 2’s. Butterfield/Bruce made it a 3-4 score.  The teams would be tied at 5-5 but then Elgin went on a 3 point run.  The Outlaws answered with a two point rally.  But an Outlaws attack error led to a 7 point Elgin run and the Huskies led 8-15.  The Outlaws gained four more points through Elgin errors – and they earned an offensive point at 13-22 when Bruce registered an unassisted kill from the front line.  But Elgin answered everything that the Outlaws sent their way – and the game ended at 13-25.

Team Stats: Serving: 11/13  Aces: 0  Attacks: 16/24  Winners: 3  Assists: 2  Receiving: 17/21  Digs: 8/15  Blocks: 0. 

Game #3: This game started out badly.  The Outlaws were behind 0-5 before a Foster/Bruce winner put the local team on the scoreboard.  Butterfield immediately followed with a tip of an overpass to make it 2-5.  It was 4-7 after a Butterfield/Bruce combination and Neil/Bruce connected to make it 5-8.  A Foster dig that went flying over the net – for a point – made it 6-8.  The Outlaws were stopped by a service error, but Stangel/Bruce would soon connect to make it a 9-9 game.  Elgin answered quickly with a 4 point rally.  The Outlaws responded with their own four point rally – emphasized with a Butterfield/Neil kill – the game was tied at 13’s.  Enterprise took a two point lead when Bruce had another unassisted kill – the score was 15-13.  The teams traded points to make it 16-14 after a Butterfield/Foster combination.  The Huskies responded with a 4 point run – stopped by a Butterfield/Bruce kill to make it 17-18.  It was the last offensive point the Outlaws would earn during their season.  The Huskies would earn some points – and give points away through some serving and attack errors – but the Outlaws could not get in synch – and attack error by the Outlaws would end the match – and the 2008 season: 21-25.

Team Stats: Serving: 20-22 Aces: 0  Attacks: 36/46  Winners: 10  Assists: 8  Receiving: 21/24 Digs: 23/31  Blocks: 1.   

Writer’s Observations:  It was Heather's Senior season - and it will be a season that I will remember.  The season started with a group of girls that helped each other as they experienced the death of a classmate.  It included some highlights: the first game against Joseph; games won against Union and Weston-McEwen; having Heppner ‘on the ropes’ before an injury helped in turning the match towards the Mustangs.  This group of girls learned what it was to have to play without a star.  They laughed, they were frustrated, they endured bruises, and enjoyed moments of jubilation.  All in all, they had a good year.  This year will not be remembered as a great winning season, but each girl grew because they participated in a sport that they loved.  In the end, isn’t that what we really want for them?  Thanks to Jena, Grace, Tonya, Kayla and Heather for providing us with some great moments.  And to those who will thrill us in the coming years – we’ll be cheering you on!

Congratulations to Kayla on selection to 2nd team for BMC; and to Heather and Sarah for Honorable Mention! 

Match Team Stats: Serving: 45/49  Aces: 1 Attacks: 88/113  Winners: 21  Assists: 17  Receiving: 57/69  Digs: 64/88  Blocks: 2.  

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 8/8, Foster 10/11, Butterfield 6/6, Neil 4/6, Despain 7/7, Stangel 10/10, Donovan 0/1. 

Aces: Despain 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 18/20, Foster 16/21, Butterfield 18/24, Neil 14/20, Despain 13/15, Stangel 9/11, Harbeck 0/1, Donovan 0/1.    

Winners: Bruce 3, Foster 6, Butterfield 6, Neil 3, Despain 2, Stangel 1. 

Assists: Bruce 12, Foster 1, Neil 4. 

Receiving: Bruce 1/1, Foster 13/17, Butterfield 9/11, Neil 4/6, Despain 15/15, Stangel 11/12, Donovan 4/7. 

Digs: Bruce 13/14.5, Foster 9/13, Butterfield 3/4, Neil 10/15.5, Despain 14/19, Stangel 13/18.5, Donovan 2/3.5. 

Blocks: Butterfield 1,  Stangel 1.  

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to Union on the 21^st to play the Bobcats in the last regular league match of the year.  Enterprise knew that they were secure into District play.  This was an opportunity to gain some confidence. It was a ‘mixed night.’ The Outlaws looked really ‘lost’ for the first two games, then came back to earn a victory (1^st time game win against Union in years), and then were easily handled in the last game.  The Outlaws lost in four: 16-25; 17-25; 25-22; 16-25. 

Game # 1:  Bruce started the match with a 3-1 service turn.  Then the Outlaws went through one of their worst ‘receiving series’ of the year.  We just couldn’t get the ball back over the net.  It was 4-9 at the end of the service turn – and 6 of those points EHS recorded receiving errors. The two teams traded points and at 7-13 the Outlaws recorded their first earned point: a Stangel from Bruce winner.  Union gained some points, as the Outlaws could not support their servers and the next three service turns were ‘1 and out.’ Bruce hit a winner from Neil to make it 10-20.  At 12-22 Foster took serve and promptly hit an ace – a rainbow lob that all Bobcats stood and admired – until it hit the gym floor – point EHS! A Union attack error was followed by a Butterfield tip of a Union overpass, and a Bruce ‘push kill’ to the back corner of the Union court.  It was now 16-22.  Union would enjoy 2 straight Reynold’s kills, and a final receiving error ended the game. 

Team Stats: Serving: 16/17  Aces: 1  Attacks:  18/20  Winners: 3  Assists: 3  Receiving: 13/22  Digs: 12/18  Blocks: 2. 

Game #2:  Game # 1 was bad – Game # 2 started out real ugly. The Bobcats enjoyed a 1-7 rally which saw the Outlaws ‘in the net’, shying away from a Union kill, tallying a receiving error, getting blocked, another receiving error, Reynold’s kill, an Outlaws attack error, and then a Union service error ended the rally.  The Outlaws took a point on a Union error – and then came a great moment: We took a serve – and it headed up and back behind the back line – it hit the basketball backboard and bounced quickly back towards the front of the court – Bruce was running to the back – made a quick dig as the ball and player met in the middle – and Neil took the errant dig from out-of-bounds back over the net!  We would lose the point – but it’s a great memory nonetheless!  The tsunami continued – the errors and Union winners would take it to 3-15.  The Outlaws earned their first offensive point at 4-15 with a Despain deflection  of a Neil dig that was headed at Despain’s head.  Donovan came in and served an ace.  After a service error the Bobcats went on a 4 point rally.  Neil took serve and with the help of a Foster/Neil kill, to 12-22.  Despain then began serve – with two aces – followed by a McCarthy tip of a Union overpass – and led the Outlaws to a 16-23 score. The teams then simply traded points until the game was finished with a Bobcat victory at 17-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 16/17  Aces: 3  Attacks: 26/28  Winners: 3  Assists: 2  Receiving: 18/23  Digs: 19/27  Blocks: 2. 

Game #3: Union felt very confident and put in some bench players to start the third game.  The teams were tied at 3-3 when the Bobcats outscored the Outlaws 3-1.  Donovan came in and took the team to an 8-7 lead.  Neil had a tip of an overpass, Stangel had a tip of an overpass, Union was in the net, and also had an attack error.  It was 9-7 after Stangel/Bruce combined for a winner.  Union put back in their regular starters. It was 10-8 when Donovan dove for a dig and Neil hit a winner.  Stangel took serve at 11-10 and earned two points – including an ace.  The teams traded points for a while – until Neil earned a kill off a Bruce assist to make it 18-19.  Neil served, Stangel killed a Union overpass, and after a Union ‘lift’ the score was 22-20.  The next two points were very long – the Outlaws just kept getting the ball back over the net – and finally Union was called for ball handling errors to make it a 24-20 game. The Bobcats earned two points, but a Foster kill would end the game at 25-22.  We had a win against Union! 

Team Stats: Serving: 21/25 Aces: 3  Attacks: 32/36  Winners: 9 Assists: 5  Receiving: 19/20 Digs: 19/25  Blocks: 3. 

Game # 4: Game four began with a Bobcat ‘onslaught’ of the Outlaws.  They enjoyed one offensively earned point – a dig by Foster came quickly to the front and Butterfield readjusted the flight and it turned into a kill! The score was now 3-6. The next earned point was a Despain serving ace to make it 7-15.  Stangel/Neil combined at 8-16.  Butterfield/Neil won a point at 9-17.  It was 9-19 when Butterfield/Bruce hit a winner.  The same two paired up to make it 11-20.  Neil/Bruce connected at 14-22.  The teams traded points to the end – and Union finished the night with a 16-25 victory. 

Team Stats: Serving: 13/16  Aces: 2 Attacks: 28/32  Winners: 6 Assists: 6  Receiving: 21/23 Digs: 16/24  Blocks: 2. 

Writer’s Observations:  A game win to remember.  Yes, we started with the bench players – but we held our own and won against the “A squad.”  (Union really did want the sweep.)  Yet, games 1, 2, and 4 showed that we can be a pretty impotent team when we are not playing to our full capabilities.  We have a shot at the state playoffs. We can beat Elgin – but we must play with intensity and get the most from each player.  It will be interesting to see what happens at District.  Good luck ladies! 

Match Team Stats: Serving: 66/75  Aces: 9 Attacks: 104/116  Winners: 21  Assists: 16  Receiving: 71/88  Digs: 66/94  Blocks: 9.  

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 14/15, Foster 12/13, Butterfield 5/5, Neil 8/11, Despain 15/15, Stangel 6/6, Donovan 6/10. 

Aces: Foster 1, Butterfield 1, Neil 1, Despain 3, Stangel 1, Donovan 2. 

Attacks: Bruce 11/12, Foster 16/19, Butterfield 21/23, Neil 16/20, Despain 12/12, Stangel 19/20, Harbeck 1/1, Donovan 5/6, McCarthy 4/4.  

Winners: Bruce 2, Foster 3, Butterfield 4, Neil 4, Despain 1, Stangel 6, McCarthy 1. 

Assists: Bruce 6, Foster 3, Neil 7. 

Receiving: Bruce 3/3, Foster 11/12, Butterfield 8/10, Neil 3/8, Despain 18/21.5, Stangel 15/18.5, Donovan 13/15. 

Digs: Bruce 14/20, Foster 17/21, Butterfield 4/6, Neil 7/10, Despain 7/12.5, Stangel 11/14.5, Donovan 6/9,Harbeck, 0/1. 

Blocks: Foster 1, Butterfield 4, Despain 2, Stangel 1, McCarthy 1.  

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws faced a difficult task: they needed to play # 1 Weston-McEwen 20 minutes after experiencing a disappointing defeat to Elgin.  It didn’t happen. W-M was coming off their first league loss of the year and they wanted to establish themselves again as the premier league program – they did.  EHS couldn't establish a solid defense - and the offense sputtered as well.  The result was an Outlaws loss in three games: 18-25; 18-25; 12-25.

Game # 1: A Bruce ace began this match. A W-M kill was followed by a Butterfield/Bruce kill. The teams traded points until Neil came to serve an ace. The TigerScots came back and the game was tied at 6-6 after a Bruce/Neil kill. Foster/Neil made it 7-6.  The TigerScots made it an 8-9 game and then enjoyed a run that took it to 9-16 - ended by a Foster/Neil kill.  W-M slowly gained more points and the Outlaws had no offensive plays to answer until it was 16-24 and Foster/Harbeck connected with a winner. Stangel served for a two point rally - including an ace - but the game was ended with a hard kill to make it 18-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 19/19  Aces: 3  Attacks:  24/27  Winners:  5  Assists: 5  Receiving: 18/22  Digs: 15/29  Blocks: 1. 

Game # 2: W-M came out strongly - and the Outlaws could not score an offensive point until it was 5-14 - Stangel/Bruce finally made it through the W-M blockers.  A Despain ace would make it 8-16. A Foster/Neil winner made it 10-18. Butterfield tipped an overpass for a point and made it 13-18.  The teams traded points - but it was 18-22 when the Outlaws gained another attack point - a Butterfield/Bruce connection.  The TigerScots mechanically completed the game at 18-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 17/18  Aces: 2  Attacks: 25/29  Winners: 5  Assists: 5  Receiving: 17/22  Digs: 13/23  Blocks: 2. 

Game # 3: The TigerScots went out to a 0-3 lead - stopped by a 'quick tip' for a winner by Bruce.  This was soon followed by a play that had Neil diving for a dig - and injuring her elbow in the process (quite an 'egg' bump!)  A couple of great defensive digs on Pahl followed by W-M hitting errors brought  the Outlaws to a 4-6 game.  Another 'interesting call' by the refs brought the Outlaw coach off the bench and questioning what was going on - the ref at one point was reaching for her yellow card but couldn't manage to get it out of her shirt pocket  :-}  Play would resume and the Outlaws would enjoy some offensive plays - Graham/Donovan connected at 6-8. Graham had a quick hit to make it 7-10.  Neil/Bruce won a point to make it 8-13.  That was the last recorded offensive point by the Outlaws -- we did earn some points on attack errors by W-M - but we couldn't earn a point on our service turns - and it quickly amounted to a 12-25 game victory.  My note: The Outlaws showed some fun play during this time - as there were some recorded digs on hard hits - and the Outlaws often made the TigerScots play for quite a while before the point was won.  However the result was the same: points won, match over.

Team Stats: Serving: 12/13  Aces: 1  Attacks: 14/18  Winners: 4  Assists: 3  Receiving: 18/23  Digs: 7/16  Blocks: 0.

Observation: W-M is simply a wonderful HS team.  Our girls were 'down' after the Elgin loss - we were frustrated - and for whatever reason some of our girls simply didn't have a good VB day. Oh well, it's off to Union and then host Districts as the # 5 team.    

Team Match Stats: Serving: 48/50 Aces: 6 Attacks: 64/75  Winners: 15  Assists: 13  Receiving: 53/67 Digs: 35/68  Blocks: 3. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 8/8, Foster 4/4, Butterfield 8/8, Neil 6/6, Despain 8/8, Stangel 8/10, Donovan 2/2, Graham 4/4. 

Aces: Bruce 1, Butterfield 1, Neil 1, Stangel 2. 

Attacks: Bruce 9/10, Foster 8/9, Butterfield 16/20, Neil 2/4, Despain 9/10, Stangel 11/12, Harbeck 2/2, Donovan 4/5, Donovan 3/3.   

Winners: Bruce 2, Foster 4, Butterfield 5, Neil 1, Stangel 1, Graham 2. 

Assists: Bruce 4, Neil 5, Despain 1, Harbeck 2, Donovan 1. 

Receiving: Bruce 2/3, Foster 7/9, Butterfield 14/18, Neil 3/3, Despain 15/17, Stangel 6/8, Lathrop 2/2, Donovan  2/4, Graham 3/4. 

Digs: Bruce 7/9, Foster 1/10, Butterfield 3/7, Neil 5/9, Despain 10/11.5, Stangel 5/7.5, Harbeck 1/5, Lathrop 0/2, Donovan 2/3, Graham 1/4. 

Blocks: Butterfield 1, Stangel 2.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to Elgin ‘riding high’ after a great Senior Night match.  They now needed to play two key league matches back-to-back.  They began by playing Elgin.  Elgin has been ‘the nemesis’ of the Outlaws the past two years – with the Outlaws winning during league play – and the Huskies ending our season at District.  The Huskies have a ‘favored schedule’ this year – by playing both matches against Enterprise at home.  The first match was a 5-game nail-biter.  All expected this one to be the same.  It wasn’t to be.  Enterprise didn’t play its best ball – and also experienced some very frustrating reffing – and lost to the Huskies in three straight games: 20-25; 14-25; 23-25.

Game # 1: The game started out well - an immediate side out, a Butterfield/Bruce winner, followed by a Bruce ace. Then we saw what would become a trend - two attack errors in a row. The game was 5-4 when Donovan began serve.  She tallied an ace and worked it to a 7-5 game.  A Stangel/Bruce kill made it 8-6 - followed by an attack error. A Stangel/Neil kill made it 9-8 - followed by two attack errors. The score would be tied at 10's, 11's, 12's, as the teams gave each other points. A Foster/Bruce winner made it 13-12, but the Huskies answered with their own kill and then went on a 3 point run.  Donovan came in and recorded another ace, followed by an attack error and an EHS 'in the net' call. It was 16-19 when Neil began a service turn and she evened the score at 19's with the help of two aces.  But a Elgin kill, a receiving error, and a net serve that barely climbed up over the net for a point would help the Huskies to fend off the Outlaw's comback and take the game to 20-22.  Another attack error and a missed service receive would end the game at 20-25.

Team Stats: Serving: 19/20  Aces: 6  Attacks:  25/35  Winners:  5  Assists: 5  Receiving: 20/24  Digs: 20/26  Blocks: 1. 

Game # 2: The Outlaws began this game confused as to where they should be positioned on the court - it was a 'sign' of what was to come. It was 0-1 when the Outlaws won a point - which was overruled by the ref for an illegal hit.  An attack error followed and the game was 1-3 when Foster began serve.  A side-out was followed by a 6 point run by the Huskies. At 2-10 Donovan began serve.  The Outlaws had a great play - and the ball landed CLEARLY outside of the court - the line judge called it in. The teams traded points - a Bruce/Neil winner made it 4-11; a Stangel/Neil kill made it 5-12.  Then came my highlight of the game: a strong McCarthy block for a point to make it 6-12!  The Huskies would work the game up to 9-17 with the help of the ref continuing to penalize Butterfield for her hitting - and one point where Neil smashed a ball off of Husky blockers - you can see the ball deflected, and hear the ball deflected - the ball landed outside the court - and both refs indicated it was a Husky point. (Mr. Magoo could have made that call!)  Foster served us back to a 12-18 score - including an ace.  After an attack error, a Despain/Bruce play made it 13-19. Elgin then tallied 3 points and the two teams just quietly finished the game: 15-25 

Team Stats: Serving: 14/15  Aces: 1  Attacks: 29/34  Winners: 8  Assists: 7  Receiving: 19/23  Digs: 22/25 Blocks: 1. 

Game # 3: The Outlaws were deflated.  Their play was not crisp - and it seemed, at times, as if they were playing their opponents and the officiating.   Butterfield/Neil began the game with a kill, but the Huskies responded and took the game to 1-3 - including my 'favorite play' of this game.  An Elgin receiver hit the ball with her arms - it carried backwards and then bounced off her head - CLEARLY 'two hits' - no call. (He must have been watching Butterfield for a potential hitting error.)  Butterfield called for an illegal hit at 2-5.  The Outlaws came back to tie the game at 6-6 without any offensively won points. Stangel/Bruce connected at 7-8 and Bruce/Neil followed to tie the game at 8's. A serving error, and then a side out made it 9-9 Stangel took serve at 10's and was helped by a Butterfield/Bruce winner (where Sarah hits and immediately looks at the ref). An ace made it 12-10. Elgin tied it, and then took the lead as our defense faltered - and Sarah was called for another illegal hit at 12-15.  The game then had some hard fought points - including a Despain/Bruce winner, and a Butterfield 'tip kill' of a Husky overpass (she hit it with the tip of her fingers - and immediately looked to the ref waiting for a whistle). It was 16-16. The game would be tied at 17's but the Huskies took a two point advantage stopped by a Stangel winner. An attack error would make it 18-20. A Neil/Bruce winner would make it 19-21 and the Outlaws would accept a Husky error to bring them to within a point at 20-21.  The Outlaws returned the favor and the score went out to 21-23 when we had a service error to give the Huskies a game/match point. Butterfield/Neil won a point, a Bruce serve couldn't be returned and it was now 23-24.  The next point seemed to be won by Elgin on an attack that was long - and as the Outlaws went dejectedly to the back line the ref suddenly gave the sign that there had been a touch!  Tied game!  The Outlaws won the next and led 25-24 - we had game point.  But an Elgin winner was followed by an attack into the net and Elgin had match point again.  On the last play of the game it looked as if Butterfield made a great play for a winner - but then, as she turned, she brushed the net - and the game/match was final. 

Team Stats: Serving: 23/25  Aces: 1  Attacks: 52/59  Winners: 16  Assists: 14  Receiving: 23/26  Digs: 36/44  Blocks: 3.   

Team Match Stats: Serving: 56/60, Aces: 8 Attacks: 78/95  Winners: 26 Assists: 26  Receiving: 62/73 Digs: 78/95  Blocks: 5. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 11/12, Foster 11/11, Butterfield 5/5, Neil 9/11, Despain 7/7, Stangel 6/7, Donovan 7/7. 

Aces: Bruce 1, Foster 1, Neil 2, Stangel 2, Donovan 2. 

Attacks: Bruce 12/14, Foster 16/18, Butterfield 21/25, Neil 11/21, Despain 24/25, Stangel 17/19, Harbeck 2/3, McCarthy 3/3.    

Winners: Bruce 3, Foster 6, Butterfield 6, Neil 3, Despain 5, Stangel 3. 

Assists: Bruce 13, Foster 3, Butterfield 1, Neil 9.   

Receiving: Bruce 2/2, Foster 13/18, Butterfield 5/6, Neil 2/3, Despain 12/13, Stangel 17/19, Harbeck 1/1, Lathrop 1/1, Donovan 9/10. 

Digs: Bruce 19/24, Foster 15/18, Butterfield 7/8, Neil 8/12, Despain 11/11, Stangel 10/11, Harbeck 1/1, Lathrop 1/1, Donovan 6/9. 

Blocks: Foster 1, Butterfield 2, Stangel 1, McCarthy 1.

by David Bruce 

Senior Night! The gym had an ‘electric buzz’ and fans gathered to honor Andrea Schaefer, Tonya Neil, Jenna Harbeck, Grace Donovan, Kayla Foster, and Heather Bruce for their participation in Outlaws volleyball.  Balloons, posters, flowers, gifts, and lots of cameras turned the gym into a ‘memory maker.’ Even with the emotion and the festivities the Outlaws did not lose sight of the fact that Pilot Rock came into the match with a mathematical chance of taking the # 5 spot for District play.  It was a magical night for the Outlaws as all lifted their games – had a lot of fun – and dispatched the Rockets in three straight games: 25-11; 25-17; 25-12. 

Game # 1: All Seniors – plus Sarah Butterfield – started the game.  A Butterfield/Bruce kill ignited the crowd, but the Rockets came right back to tie the score, then take the lead.  A Foster/Bruce winner would make it a 2-3 game.  PR then enjoyed their largest run of the night – 4 points – and the score was 7-2.  But a Butterfield/Bruce kill stopped the run. Donovan/Bruce had a kill, Bruce had an unassisted kill as the Outlaws cut into the PR lead.  A Bruce/Neil combination tied that game at 8-8 and a Donovan/Neil kill would take the lead. The score was 10-9 when Bruce muffed a serve, but Foster ran fast and kept the ball alive just before the gym wall.  Bruce managed a backwards, overhead save – a great moment – but the Outlaws would end up losing the point!  Despain served the Outlaws to 16-11 – enjoying a Foster/Bruce kill down the line. Donovan began serve at 17-11 – and opened with an ace. Foster/Neil followed with a fan approving kill. At 20-11 a point was won when Butterfield had two blocks of PR attacks and then tipped the ball for a winner on a PR overpass! (A great point to watch!)  Donovan added another ace to make it 24-11 and a PR mistake would end the game. 

Team Stats: Serving: 22/24  Aces: 3  Attacks:  26/28  Winners: 9 Assists: 8  Receiving: 10/10  Digs: 18/20  Blocks: 5. 

Game #2:  The Outlaws lost the first point – then the team traded service errors until it was 2-2. A Harbeck/Bruce kill gave EHS the lead and Donovan/Bruce would make it a 5-2 game.  Neil began serve and found the weak spot of the PR defense and served up 3 straight aces on route to making it a 9-5 game.  Harbeck had a 3-point serving rally.  A Neil/Bruce combination made it 17-8.  At 21-11 Stangel took a service turn and started with an ace. It was followed by another Neil/Bruce kill. It was 22-12 when PR put together a 5 point rally – stopped by a Donovan/Neil kill. Bruce took a Neil assist and made it 24-17. Neil didn’t need any help to finish the game – as she served up an ace for the last point! 

Team Stats: Serving: 22/25  Aces: 2  Attacks: 24/26  Winners: 9  Assists: 9  Receiving: 8/10  Digs: 18/21 Blocks: 2. 

Game #3: The Outlaws started quickly behind a Bruce serving turn – including an ace – to make it a 4-1 game. The Rockets had some mistakes, and then a Harbeck/Bruce winner made it 8-2. PR made a 5 point run to make it 9-7. Neil came up to serve and the Outlaws supported her to a 4 point rally – with Neil helping herself with her sixth ace of the night!  Donovan had a ‘dig kill’ at 14-8, had a stuff-block for point at 16-8, and an ace to make it 18-10. Despain/Bruce connected at 19-11.  Bruce took serve at 20-11 and served back to back aces – and then assisted a Neil kill. The teams then traded side outs.  A final serve by Foster with an accompanying muff by PR ended the game and match.   

Team Stats: Serving: 22/25 Aces: 3  Attacks: 15/15  Winners: 5 Assists: 4  Receiving: 8/10 Digs: 10/13  Blocks: 1. 

Writer’s Observations:  Seniors and their parents would be hard-pressed to hope of a better night than tonight. The whole night – from beginning to end – was more like a celebration of this team’s talents than a sad farewell.  Each and every Senior played at a high level.  It was great to see the fun they had as they expressed it on their faces – and in their hand and back slapping encouragements of each other.  I also want to go on record as saying that the underclassmen showed great class tonight.  They let the Seniors enjoy the night – and they seemed to revel in watching the event unfold. There wasn’t any sign of being upset that the Seniors got the minutes.  I watched and thought of how this season began – with a team that was in emotional disarray at the death of a schoolmate.  In the two months that have followed I have seen these girls come together and volleyball has helped them through a difficult time.  They have learned the value of T-E-A-M.  I also was greatly impressed by the support of the students at this game.  They were an inspiration to the gals.  There are three tough games ahead – and then we’ll play in District.  Quoting a familiar line from Angels in the Outfield:  “It could happen!” 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 64/72, Aces: 8 Attacks: 66/70  Winners: 23 Assists: 21  Receiving: 26/30 Digs: 46/54  Blocks: 8. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 13/14, Foster 2/5, Butterfield 6/8, Neil 14/14, Despain 6/6, Stangel 5/6, Harbeck 7/8, Donovan 11/11. 

Aces: Bruce 3, Neil 6, Stangel 1, Donovan 4. 

Attacks: Bruce 17/17, Foster 8/9, Butterfield 8/9, Neil 8/8, Despain 4/4, Stangel 3/3, Harbeck 6/7, Donovan 12/13.  

Winners: Bruce 4, Foster 5, Butterfield 2, Neil 3, Despain 1, Stangel 1, Harbeck 2, Donovan 4. 

Assists: Bruce 12, Foster 1, Neil 7, Despain 1. 

Receiving: Bruce 2/2, Foster 4/5, Butterfield 0/0, Neil 4/4, Despain 1/2, Stangel 4/5, Donovan 8/9, Harbeck 3/3. 

Digs: Bruce 14/15, Foster 9/9, Butterfield 5/5, Neil 6/7, Despain 3/4, Stangel 4/4, Donovan 2/5, Harbeck, 3/5. 

Blocks: Foster 2, Butterfield 4, Donovan 2.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to Irrigon for the second time this season.  The Knights are a much improved team and were looking for their first league win.  They tested the Outlaws in many ways, but Enterprise recorded a four game victory: 29-27, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21. 

Game # 1: The Outlaws experienced ‘bus lag’ for much of this game.  The began with three unforced errors, and then were overjoyed at a McCarthy kill.  The Outlaws would work their way back to an 8-8 tie, and then a 9-8 lead with back to back Stangel unassisted kills.  The rest of the game was a point-for-point contest.  The Knights enjoyed a short rally to make it a 16-20 game, but the Outlaws fought back and would come back to a one point deficit when Stangel/Neil enjoyed a winner.  Foster/Neil would make it 22-22. Two points by the Knights would earn them a “game point,” but it was staved off by a play that included at least 5 digs – some of heroic stature!  The next play was won on a Bruce pushed ball to the corner to make it 23-24.  Bruce then served and the Knights couldn’t return the serve – tie game at 24-24. An unassisted Butterfield kill would give the Outlaws a game point.  Irrigon responded by winning the next two points. Game point Irrigon. Their server put the serve into the net – tie game at 26’s.  We were called for a ‘double hit,’ – game point Irrigon. Another service error – tie game.  Butterfield served to the middle and Irrigon had a ball handling error.  Game point Outlaws.  The game was won by a Stangel/Bruce kill.  Final score 29-27.  The fans had been through a mill during the last five minutes of this game!   

Team Stats: Serving: 26/29  Aces: 1  Attacks:  43/46  Winners: 11 Assists: 7  Receiving: 17/22  Digs: 34/39  Blocks: 2 

Game #2:   The two teams again fought evenly for a majority of this game.  Foster recorded an ace to take the team to a 5-3 lead.   Foster/Stangel connected on a kill to make it 10-9.  Foster received a set from Neil to make it a 12-13 game.  Bruce followed with an ace to tie the game. It was 15-15 when Donovan began a service turn.  She would record 3 aces and lead the Outlaws in a 5-1 rally.  It was 20-16. At 21-18 Graham took a Bruce serve for a winner.  It was the last point the Outlaws would record this game.  Five unforced errors, and a Knight ace, followed by a Knight winner finished the game at 22-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 21/22  Aces: 5  Attacks: 25/33  Winners: 9  Assists: 8  Receiving: 19/25  Digs: 15/19 Blocks: 3. 

Game #3:  The Outlaws came out and asserted themselves throughout this game.  At 4-4 Neil began serve. By the time her serve ended it was 11-5.  She enjoyed two aces, a Foster ‘dig kill,’ a Stangel unassisted kill, and a Stangel/Neil winner.  At 13-6 Donovan scored an ace and earned a second point. It was 17-11 when Foster lead a 5-point rally.  Highlights included a Foster ace – and a great Graham block!  Graham would follow with a left-handed kill from a Bruce assist.  The Knights came back with a four point run, but they were stopped by a Despain/Bruce kill.  The game would end with an Irrigon ball handling error: 25-17. 

Team Stats: Serving: 22/25 Aces: 3  Attacks: 33/37  Winners: 8 Assists: 6  Receiving: 13/16 Digs: 21/23  Blocks: 1 

Game #4: This game started with a bang!  The pass was off, Bruce dove to make a diving save towards Donovan, who quickly sent it into the top of the net.  It hit, and then worked its way across and dropped on the Knights floor.  1-0 Outlaws!  Donovan enjoyed an ace serve. At 4-4 Harbeck tallied a kill from a Bruce set.  Harbeck followed with a serving ace. It was 10-9 when Karli McCarthy scored a kill from a Harbeck set.  The Outlaws went out ahead of the Knights, but the Knights put together a good rally to even the score at 15’s.  The game was tied at 16’s and 17’s.  Donovan served a four point rally – including an ace – to make it a 21-18 game.  Despain/Bruce combined for a 22-18 lead.  The rest of the game was a trading of points – until a ‘lift’ was called on the Knights which ended the game at 25-21.  

Team Stats: Serving: 22/24  Aces: 3  Attacks: 31/37  Winners: 5 Assists: 5  Receiving: 15/19 Digs: 20/25  Blocks: 0 

Reflections: There were lots of player combinations tried this match.  All of the girls received good time – and we hope it will be valuable time as we approach the last games of league – and face a District competition.  We played some sloppy ball. We played some inspired ball.  We played some ball where we were flat on our heels.  We played some points that included some long rallies and some fantastic digs.  It was a good day. 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 91/100 Aces: 12 Attacks: 132/153  Winners: 33 Assists: 26  Receiving: 64/82 Digs: 90/106  Blocks: 6. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 16/18, Foster 8/10, Butterfield 2/2, Neil 12/13, Despain 6/7, Stangel 9/9, Lathrop 3/3, Donovan 10/10, Graham 1/1. 

Aces: Bruce 1, Foster 2, Neil 2, Harbeck 1,  Donovan 6. 

Attacks: Bruce 18/18, Foster 21/27, Butterfield 24/30, Neil 8/10, Despain 22/23, Stangel 13/14, Harbeck 5/7, Donovan 6/8, McCarthy 12/12, Graham 3/4. 

Winners: Bruce 3, Foster 7, Butterfield 7, Neil 0, Despain 3, Stangel 7, Harbeck 1, Donovan 1, McCarthy 2, Graham 2. 

Assists: Bruce 10, Foster 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 7, Stangel 3,  Harbeck 3. 

Receiving: Bruce 3/3, Foster 11/14, Butterfield 7/11, Neil 4/5, Despain 18/19, Stangel 8/10, Harbeck 2/3 Lathrop 5/8, Donovan 6/7,  Graham 0/2. 

Digs: Bruce 20/22, Foster 11/11, Butterfield 9/11, Neil 13/15, Despain 19/20, Stangel 3/6, Harbeck 2/2, Lathrop 5/9, Donovan 4/7, McCarthy 1/1, Graham 3/3. 

Blocks: Foster 1, Butterfield 4, Graham 1.

by David Bruce 

This match was our Homecoming volleyball match.  The team had enjoyed Homecoming week – including a wonderful VB skit at the community rally the night before.  This would be the second time in a week that these two teams would play each other.  The Outlaws seemed anxious to get through the match, shower down, and get to the football game and the crowning of the homecoming royalty!  They beat the Tigers in three games: 25-26, 25-21, and 25-13. 

Game # 1: Bruce started the Outlaws on the right foot with a 5-1 rally, but the Tigers came back.  It was 10-7 when a memorable play took place: Bruce dove for a dig, and the ball shot at Foster, who managed to give it more altitude where Stangel hit it across the net for a winner. Foster/Neil teamed up for a kill at 14-9.  At 17-9 Butterfield earned a point with an emphatic block!  Neil added a point with a dig that crossed the net into the center of the amazed Tiger players.  At 19-10 Despain took an over-pass and tipped it down for a point.  The Tigers came back to enjoy a 5 point rally, but The Outlaws would regain serve and earned the last two points with Despain winners: the first from Bruce, the second from Neil.  

Team Stats: Serving: 22/24  Aces: 5  Attacks:  19/27  Winners: 8 Assists: 7  Receiving: 11/15  Digs: 17/18  Blocks: 2 

Game #2:  The Tigers earned the first point of the game, and then had an unforced error to make it a 1-1 game.  It would be the last the game was tied until 17-17 – and the Tigers lead during all the time in-between!  They enjoyed a 4 point rally to make it 2-5 after a Neil/Bruce combination. The game stayed pretty even up to a Stangel serving ace that made it 9-12.  The Outlaws rallied behind Stangel and tok it to a 12-13 game.  Then the points came with difficulty.  Butterfield/Bruce connected at 14-15.  Stangel/Harbeck took it to 15-16.  McCarthy had a great hit – and then ‘walked the tightwire of avoiding the net as she paralleled it for 3-4 steps!  A Foster/Neil kill made it 18-19. Butterfield took a Neil set and made it 19-20.  A Foster/Bruce winner made it 20-21.  Foster began serve and served out the game behind a Butterfield/Bruce kill, a serving ace, and a couple of Tiger errors. 

Team Stats: Serving: 22/25  Aces: 2  Attacks: 24/29  Winners: 10  Assists: 9  Receiving: 15/18  Digs: 12/17 Blocks: 0. 

Game #3: Butterfield/Neil began the game with a deftly placed kill.  Donovan would serve the team to a 7-3 lead.  She enjoyed an ace, a Butterfield unassisted kill, a Butterfield/Neil winner, and a kill by Despain.  At 7-4 it was Butterfield/Bruce; the next point was a Stangel Bruce winner.  At 11-7 Neil enjoyed a tip of a Tiger overpass for a point.  Neil then served a 4-point rally.  The Outlaws continued to work up their lead – and a great moment was a McCarthy unassisted kill to make it 19-11.  Stangel served an ace, and the teams traded points with each other until a Graham/Harbeck kill would take it to 24-13.  A final ball-handling error would give the victory to the Outlaws. 

Team Stats: Serving: 23/24 Aces: 3  Attacks: 28/31  Winners: 9 Assists: 8  Receiving: 12/14 Digs: 18/23  Blocks: 3 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 67/73 Aces: 10 Attacks: 67/73  Winners: 27 Assists: 24  Receiving: 38/46 Digs: 47/58  Blocks: 5. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 16/18, Foster 8/10, Butterfield 2/2, Neil 12/13, Despain 6/7, Stangel 9/9, Lathrop 3/3, Donovan 10/10, Graham 1/1. 

Aces: Bruce 3, Foster 1, Neil 2, Despain 1,Stangel 2, Donovan 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 5/6, Foster 7/8, Butterfield 14/17, Neil 5/11, Despain 11/11, Stangel 14/16, Harbeck 2/3, Donovan 3/4, McCarthy 9/9, Graham 1/1. 

Winners: Bruce 0, Foster 4, Butterfield 9, Neil 3, Despain 4, Stangel 4, Harbeck 0, Donovan 0, McCarthy 2, Graham 1. 

Assists: Bruce 12, Foster 1, Neil 7, Despain 1, Harbeck 3. 

Receiving: Bruce 1/1, Foster 5/8, Butterfield 4/5, Neil 2/4, Despain 6/6, Stangel 8/9, Lathrop 1/1, Donovan 8/9, Harbeck 1/1, Graham 2/2. 

Digs: Bruce 7/8, Foster 7/10, Butterfield 6/7, Neil 6/8, Despain 4/5, Stangel 8/8, Lathrop 0/1, Donovan 5/6Harbeck, 1/2, Graham 3/3 

Blocks: Butterfield 3, Neil 1, Harbeck 1.

by David Bruce 

Many of us Outlaw VB fans have been frustrated at Enterprise-Heppner matches during the past 3 years. We have come very close to beating the Mustangs, but have fallen painfully short.  This match would dredge up all those frustrations again!  The Mustangs, having to play the Outlaws after winning a great 5-game match against Union, managed to find enough energy to beat the Outlaws in 5 games: (25-19; 23-25; 25-19; 18-25; 6-15). 

Game # 1: The Outlaws came out fast.  It was 4-1 after Bruce served – she enjoyed a Neil/Bruce winner and helped herself with an ace.  The Mustangs only had one serve because another Neil/Bruce winner stopped them.  Foster enjoyed a Despain/Stangel winner, and a Butterfield/Neil kill and took the game to 7-1.  (At a timeout: "Where's the Coach?" No problem, Coach Schaefer is talking to them. At the end of the timeout we view the coach running back from the locker room - it was an exciting start to the match 'eh?)  It was 8-4 when Stangel/Neil tallied a kill, and 11-4 when Stangel/Bruce teamed up for a point. Solid Butterfield serving –including an ace and an active Outlaw defense took it to a 14-9 game. Neil scored an ace, and soon it was 16-10. The Mustangs came back to within three points at 19-16, and at 20-17 when an unassisted Butterfield kill helped calm the team down. It was 23-19 after Stangel/Bruce connected for a kill. Neil would come in and serve out the last two points.  The Outlaws ‘defensive tenacity’ rose to the occasion! All were ‘flying to the ball’ and it was great fun to watch this game! 

Game # 1: Team Stats:  Serving: 24/25  Aces: 3  Attacks: 22/30  Kills: 9  Assists: 8  Receiving: 17/19   Digs: 27/34  Blocks: 0 

Game # 2:  Both teams knew that this was an important game.  Points were hard to win!  By the time our girls had worked through one complete service turn – the score was only 12-10!  We had enjoyed a Butterfield/Bruce kill, and a Stangel/Neil winner. A series of three unforced errors would allow the Mustangs to take the lead at 12-13. Foster/Bruce combined to tie the game, but a service error would give the ball back to Heppner. Despain/Bruce would regain control, but a digging error, and a Mustang kill would make it 15-16.  The team supported Neil through a four point rally (Neil helping herself with by digging a hard spiked ball back over the net for a winner!).  A service error, a dig error, and a receiving error would allow the Mustangs to tie the game at 20-20.  It was 21-22, and the Mustangs had the serve when they were called for a ‘delay of game’ – point to the Outlaws and serve too!  It was 22-22. The Mustangs found the ‘hole in the middle’ of our defense, we followed with an attack error.  The match was extended after a Mustang error, but at 23-24 ‘the hole in the middle’ was evident again – and Heppner used it well – 23-25 -- it was a game we ‘coulda/shoulda had.’    

Game # 2: Team Stats: Serving: 21/23  Aces: 0  Attacks: 24/29  Kills: 7  Assists: 6  Receiving: 18/21  Digs: 22/32  Blocks: 0 

Game # 3: Again, the Outlaws came out fast and enjoyed a 7-1 lead. Bruce had an ace, and enjoyed two Butterfield unassisted aces and a Foster/Bruce winner.  Butterfield/Bruce helped us go out to a 9-2 lead. The Mustangs came back, but were stopped with an unassisted Stangel kill.  Neil served an ace and Stangel/Neil had a kill to make it 14-8.  Despain served to 17-9 – with the help of a Foster/Neil kill. It was 20-13 when the Mustangs came back with a mini-rally of three points.  An exchange of side-outs would make it 21-17. The Outlaws tallied three – all by Mustang errors – and then a Stangel/Bruce kill would make it 24-19.  Neil would serve the ball – the Outlaws get the point – and we lead Heppner 2 games to 1. 

Game # 3: Team Stats: Serving: 22/25  Aces: 2 Attacks: 32/38  Kills: 11  Assists: 7  Receiving: 15/16   Digs: 25/28  Blocks: 1 

Game # 4: As game #4 began all eyes were on the sideline where Coach Stangel was hurrying to tape up a jammed thumb of player Stangel!  The Mustangs took advantage of the situation and they enjoyed a quick run up to a 1-6 lead.  A quick time out called by Coach Schaefer to calm the team (and give time for the completion of the wrap job), helped the girls to gain their bearings – and the team fought back to a 7-10 deficit. Then a series of 3 attack errors and a good Mustang kill took it back to a 7 point lead at 7-14.  Again, the Outlaws slowly gained ground, with kills from Butterfield/Bruce, Neil/Bruce, Butterfield/Bruce, and Neil/Bruce.  It was now an 18-19 game!  But . . . that was the last scoring for the Outlaws.  Strong hitting by Heppner took its toll on the Outlaws and the comeback was stalled. 

Game # 4: Team Stats: Serving: 16/18  Aces: 0  Attacks: 22/27  Kills: 9  Assists: 8  Receiving: 19/24  Digs: 15/22  Blocks: 1 

Game # 5: Simply put – the Outlaws were never in this game.  Heppner won the coin flip and took serve. They went out to a 1-5 lead (with a great block by Heppner, and two attack errors on the Outalws). Butterfield/Bruce would connect to make it a 3-6 game. A Bruce ‘second-hit push shot to the corner’ made it a 5-8 game.  But Heppner rose to the occasion and many strong hits took the game away from the Outlaws as they weren’t stopped until the score was 5-14.  We traded side-outs and the match was finished. 

Game # 5: Team Stats: Serving: 6/6  Aces: 0  Attacks: 11/16  Kills: 3  Assists: 3  Receiving: 14/14  Digs: 9/14  Blocks: 0 

Writer’s Reflections: This was a great match for the Outlaws.  Each girl raised the level of their play for this match. I was greatly impressed by the ‘net play’ of Butterfield and Stangel! They were a ‘presence’ at the net in the face of one of the league’s most dominant players.  Our defense was solid for three games, then lapsed a bit – I think the injury to Stangel played a big part of what happened – and we had a few too many unforced errors.  But there was some great playing by our team!  We ought to secure a district playoff slot this coming weekend. And the last three games of the year will decide where we’ll be seeded.  We remain a team that is noted for our defensive scrambling.  We showed why in this match.  Congratulations girls! 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 89/97 (91.8). Aces: 5. Attacks: 111/140 (79.3).  Kills: 39. Assists: 32.  Receiving: 83/94 (88.3).  Digs: 98/129 (76.0). Blocks: 2.  

Individual Match Stats:

Serving: Bruce 23/25, Foster 14/15, Butterfield 20/20, Neil 19/20, Despain 8/9, Stangel 2/4, Donovan 3/4. 

Aces: Bruce 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 2. 

Attacks: Bruce 16/20, Foster 19/26, Butterfield 25/30, Neil 18/23, Despain 15/17, Stangel 18/24.  

Winners: Bruce 2, Foster 6, Butterfield 13, Neil 7, Despain 2, Stangel 9.  

Assists: Bruce 17, Foster 1, Butterfield 1, Neil 11, Despain 1, Stangel 1.   

Receiving: Bruce 2/2, Foster 19/21, Butterfield 18/21, Neil 11/13, Despain 18/21, Stangel 12/14, Lathrop 3/3, Donovan 3/4. 

Digs: Bruce 25/29, Foster 13/16, Butterfield 12/15, Neil 19/23, Despain 12/15, Stangel 12/14, Lathrop 0/1,  Donovan 4/7. 

Blocks:  Butterfield 2.

by David Bruce 

The matches of the day were delayed one hour to allow for some of our players to complete their SAT testing.  Stanfield came to town with the goal of testing our volleyball team – and for much of this match they showed that they were equal to the Outlaws. However, the Outlaws would prevail in four games (25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-18). 

Game # 1: The two teams came out lacking precision.  Each team’s offense was ‘rusty’ and points were generally gained only by the other team’s unforced errors. And each team was ‘equally’ frustrated.  During the game the Outlaws earned 8 points: a Butterfield block for a point, a Despain kill (2-2), a Despain ace serve (8-10), a Foster/Harbeck point (11-11), a Butterfield unassisted kill, a Stangel/Harbeck winner, a second Despain ace, and a game clinching Harbeck kill.   The game was close all the way to 21-20 – and that’s when the Outlaws held together for a 3 point rally. A side-out, and the final Harbeck kill would end the game. It was a good game to get playing time in for a number of our young ladies.  They received game experience to help them develop their timing and team chemistry.  

Game # 1: Team Stats:  Serving: 22/24  Aces: 2  Attacks: 26/33  Kills: 5  Assists: 4  Receiving: 17/20   Digs: 16/22  Blocks: 1 

Game # 2: This game was tied at 2-2 when the Tigers enjoyed a 6-point run. Two benched starters entered the game and the run was stopped at 3-8 with a Butterfield/Bruce kill.  The Tigers moved out to a 4-12 lead aided by a number of Outlaw miscues.  The Outlaws experience a service error and two ‘into the nets’ and the Tigers enjoyed a 6-14 lead. Foster/Neil would stop the run, but the Outlaws could not find their rhythm and the Tigers would extend the score to 9-19.  Butterfield stepped up to get a ‘tip kill,’ recorded an ace serve, and Stangel/Bruce connected for a winner on the way to a 15-19 score.  The Tigers responded but Stangel/Bruce tallied another kill at 16-21. The Outlaws came back to within 4 points at 18-22 and 19-23. But two final errors would seal the victory for the Tigers.  

Game # 2: Team Stats: Serving: 16/20  Aces: 1 Attacks: 34/40  Kills: 9  Assists: 6  Receiving: 17/21  Digs: 23/28  Blocks: 0 

Game # 3: The Tigers seemed buoyed by their win and they were not disheartened at a quick Outlaws 3-1 lead. Bruce made it a 4-2 game with an unassisted kill. The Outlaws took it to a 6-4 game with a Neil/Bruce winner. Then the Tigers enjoyed a 6 point rally.  The Outlaws responded with a good rally of their own – and it was a one point game at 11-12.  Some Outlaws unforced errors allowed the Tigers to take control of the game again – and soon the Outlaws were trailing 17-22.  A Foster unassisted kill gave serve to the Outlaws – and Grace Donovan stepped to the line for her service turn.  She would end the game with a very timely run of 7 for 7 serving – including 5 aces! (4 in a row to tie the game at 22-22).  It will be a comeback to remember! 

Game # 3: Team Stats: Serving: 22/24  Aces: 7  Attacks: 26/36  Kills: 6  Assists: 5   Receiving: 13/14   Digs: 16/19  Blocks: 1 

Game # 4:  Bruce served the Outlaws to a 5-1 lead – aided by a great block from Butterfield! The lead was extended to 10-5 with points from Neil, Butterfield, and Stangel – all from Bruce.  Neil began serving and the Tigers had troubles getting the ball back over the net – and a Stangel/Neil winner also helped take the game to 15-8.  A Butterfield and Foster both took sets from Neil to score winners to make it an 18-11 game. Then the Tigers rallied to a 19-15 score. Bruce took her 2^nd service turn of the game and the team supported her serve – including a memorable play that went: “Great dig by Neil, good set by Bruce, and picture perfect kill by Butterfield” – the Outlaws now led 24-16. A side out and a Tiger serve that was just beyond the back line ended the game at 25-18. 

Game # 4: Team Stats: Serving: 22/25  Aces: 3  Attacks: 26/31  Kills: 10  Assists: 10  Receiving: 15/18  Digs: 17/20  Blocks: 1 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 82/93. Aces: 13. Attacks: 112/140.  Kills: 30. Assists: 25.  Receiving: 64/75.  Digs: 72/89. Blocks: 3. 

Individual Match Stats:

Serving: Bruce 13/14, Foster 12/14, Butterfield 9/10, Neil 8/10, Despain 7/8, Stangel 11/12, Harbeck 3/3, Lathrop 4/6, Donovan 13/14, Graham 2/2.  

Aces: Bruce 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 2, Despain 2, Donovan 6. 

Attacks: Bruce 3/5, Foster 17/23, Butterfield 20/24, Neil 16/21, Despain 17/18, Stangel 21/25, Harbeck 7/9, Lathrop 1/1, Donovan 6/10, McCarthy 1/1, Graham 3/5. 

Winners: Bruce 2, Foster 5, Butterfield 6, Neil 5, Despain 4, Stangel 6, Harbeck 2.  

Assists: Bruce 15, Neil 6, Stangel 1.   

Receiving: Bruce 2/2, Foster 12/15, Butterfield 5/9, Neil 4/8, Despain 16/16, Stangel 10/12, Harbeck 2/2, Lathrop 5/8, Donovan 2/3. 

Digs: Bruce 4/8, Foster 11/12, Butterfield 6/7, Neil 9/11, Despain 10/11, Stangel 10/13, Lathrop 1/2, Harbeck 1/1, Donovan 2/2, Graham 2/2 . 

Blocks:  Butterfield 5, Stangel 1.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws welcomed the Bobcats of Union to Quinn Court on October 3.  Many anticipated this day and had high expectations for the home team.  The Outlaws would fare better against the Bobcats than in recent years, but they still were swept in a three game match (22-25; 20-25; 21-25).  

Game # 1:  The hopes of the Outlaws, and their fans, were great coming into this game.  The play of the Outlaws supported their hopes for two-thirds of this game.  The Outlaws rushed out to an early 7-3 lead with the help of some Bobcat errors and two great winners: Foster/Bruce down the sideline and Despain/Bruce in the middle. Neil registered an ace to make it 8-3. A net serve was followed by a Stangel/Neil winner and Despain began her service turn. The next four serves would not make it back across the net – but only two could be counted as aces. It was 13-5 when the Bobcats stopped the rally. A Foster/Neil winner brought the serve back to the Outlaws and Butterfield/Neil tallied a winner to make it 15-5! We had a double-hit, Union split our backcourt with a serve, and then muffed an attack. It was 16-7. Reynolds scored a firm hit on us, and then we ‘folded.’ The Bobcats would outscore us 11-1 and would take the lead at 17-18. Nine of those points were either Outlaw attack errors, Outlaws touching the net, Outlaw illegal hits, or a net serve. A Butterfield/Bruce winner would tie the game at 18’s. The teams traded points to 19’s.  We had a receiving error, and a missed dig, and then the Bobcats scored a kill to make it 19-22.  Bruce tallied a kill from a Despain dig. Stangel hit a winner off of a Neil assist, and a Bobcat error made it a 22-22 game.  Reynolds won a point, and then the Outlaws had a double-hit called on them, and the Bobcats would hit a strong spike into the back left corner to finalize the comeback victory: 22-25. 

Game #1 Stats: Serving: 19/21; Aces: 3. Attacks: 30/38.  Winners: 10. Assists: 9. Receiving: 20/23. Digs: 20/24. Blocks: 0. 

Game #2:   Union started with a net serve. Neil/Bruce teamed up for a winner. The teams then traded points and Reynolds’ effectiveness at the net became apparent. She altered many of our shots, and scored a handful of touches/blocks. The Outlaws led 5-3 after a Stangel/Bruce combination.  At 8-4 the Outlaws dug a hard hit, Butterfield saved it into the air, and Despain hit a ‘free ball’ across the net – and the Bobcats watched it fall to the floor – a ‘killer-free ball!’  Reynolds had her 3^rd block of the game at 9-7, but Neil from Bruce countered and then Foster scored an ace serve. At 12-9 we had a net serve, but Despain earned an unassisted kill when she quickly hit an off-target Bobcat set that was too near the net.  A Despain/Neil kill would make it a 15-13 game.  Then . . . a minor rush of Outlaw attack errors, receiving muffs, and Bobcat winners made it a 17-22 game.  Butterfield/Foster recorded a point.  The Outlaws enjoyed a 2-point rally to make it 19-23. An EHS attack error was followed by a Bruce kill to the middle, but it was too little, too late. The Bobcats ended the game – 20-25. 

Game # 2 Stats: Serving: 17/19; Aces: 1. Attacks: 33/40.  Winners: 8. Assists: 7. Receiving: 22/24. Digs: 25/30. Blocks: 0. 

Game #3: Two close games. Twice the Outlaws let games slip out of their grasp. Although the third game would often be tantalizingly close, the Outlaws never really had the upper hand in this game. A Bruce ace started it off well. But a successful Bobcat kill made it 1-1.  The Outlaws were called for touching the net, and then had a receiving error. An attack error would help to make it a 2-4 game. The Bobcats experienced some ball handling troubles and the game was tied at 5-5 when Neil/Bruce enjoyed a kill. A service error would give the ball back to Union.  The Bobcats would take it out to a 7-9 game.  Neil would earn assists from Foster and Bruce kills to tie the game at 9-9. The teams traded points and then the Outlaws had another service error. A receiving error, and a missed dig would take it to an 11-13 score. Bruce had another ace but a Reynolds block would regain the ball for Union.  At 12-16 Neil from Foster stopped the Bobcat momentum, and Foster followed with a serving ace. But a Reynolds block would end our run.  At 15-17 the Bobcats enjoyed a 4-point surge – aided by a receiving error and an Outlaw attack error. A Neil from Bruce winner made it 16-21. A serving error gave the ball right back to the Bobcats. The teams traded points, and then Stangel enjoyed a 3-point service run to make it 21-23, but the Outlaws rally ran out of gas and two final Bobcat winners would complete the sweep: 21-25  

It is true that Jessie Reynolds is one of the strongest players in our league. It is obvious that she was a presence at the net – and she often intimidated some of our net play.  But this match was lost not because we were overpowered by the Bobcats. We played evenly with them, but then we would lose our competitive edge and ‘error ourselves’ out of close contests.  The Outlaws showed that they can play with the Bobcats. The Outlaws also showed that they must play efficiently and keep their intensity in order to ‘finish the game.’ We play at Union for our last league game. I know we can match up well – it could be -- it should be interesting! 

Game # 3 Stats: Serving: 19/22; Aces: 3. Attacks: 29/34.  Winners: 7. Assists: 7. Receiving: 15/21. Digs: 25/30.  Blocks: 0. 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 55/62; Aces: 7. Attacks: 92/112.  Winners: 25. Assists: 23. Receiving: 57/68. Digs: 73/89. Blocks: 0. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 14/14, Foster 8/9, Butterfield 4/4, Neil 7/10, Despain 12/12, Stangel 8/9, Lathrop 2/3, Donovan 0/1. 

Aces: Bruce 2, Foster 2, Neil 1, Despain 2. 

Attacks: Bruce 12/13, Foster 19/25, Butterfield 22/28, Neil 17/21, Despain 9/10, McCarthy 1/1. 

Winners: Bruce 4, Foster 3, Butterfield 4, Neil 6, Despain 4, Stangel 3. 

Assists: Bruce 9, Foster 3, Neil 8, Despain 2. 

Receiving: Bruce 7/7, Foster 8/12, Butterfield 5/5, Neil 4/4, Despain 8/9, Stangel 18/21, Lathrop 4/6, Donovan 3/4. 

Digs: Bruce 11/14, Foster 12/15, Butterfield 7/8, Neil 13/16, Despain 12/14, Stangel 13/16, Lathrop 3/4, Donovan 2/2. 

Blocks: A lot of ‘touches’ but we registered no successful blocks.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to the lower valley on September 30 to play the Wallowa Cougars.  They left with a three game sweep – and a season sweep – of their friendly in-County rivals (25-23, 25-23, and 25-16). 

Game # 1:  A ‘lift error’ by Bruce began the match. But a Foster/Bruce kill tied the game at 1’s. The Outlaws took a small lead behind serving by Foster – 4-2. The Cougars battled back to earn a 5-5 tie. A Harbeck/Bruce combination made it a 6-5 game and Harbeck then served to a 9-6 lead – with the help of a Despain unassisted cross court hammer.  Despain would serve to a 12-7 lead – including one ace.  Donovan enjoyed an ace and took the Outlaws to a 14-10 lead.  Foster/Harbeck connected at 15-10 and Bruce earned a couple of serving points with the help of a Butterfield unassisted kill.  The Cougars came back a bit, but the rally was stalled by a Despain/Bruce winner.  At 19-15 the Outlaws had an attack error, two receiving errors, a ‘hole’ in the defense, a side-out, a serving error – and the game was now 20-20! The teams battled for each point with a key play being Lathrop’s ‘dig over the net’ that landed for a point!  A Bruce from Foster point was followed by an Outlaw serving error, a Cougar attack error – and the Outlaws would end the game with a Butterfield from Harbeck kill. 

Team Stats: Serving: 22/25; Aces: 2. Attacks: 24/30.  Winners: 9. Assists: 6. Receiving: 17/21. Digs: 15/18. Blocks: 1. Game #2:   

The Cougars started the game with a serve the split right between two Outlaws receivers, but they countered with a Donovan/Harbeck winner.  This game was a ‘back and forth’ affair – with many side-outs. An Outlaws service error made it 2-2. Sideout. Another service error made it 3-3. The Outlaws had a ‘dig-kill’ from Donovan to make it 7-5.  Graham had an unassisted kill to make it 8-5.  Two Outlaw attack errors enabled a short Cougar rally, but McCarthy and Neil teamed up for a kill to make 9-7.  The Cougars put together a short rally to take an 11-13 game, but a Butterfield/Bruce connection stopped it.  McCarthy/Butterfield enjoyed a kill, Bruce had a kill, McCarthy had an unassisted kill, and Buttefield/Neil combined – yet the Outlaws were tied with the Cougars at 18-18.  Wallowa went up by 2, but a Neil/Bruce point stopped the rally.  The teams would be tied again, at 22’s, after a Despain unassisted kill. A serving error would make it 22-23.  The Outlaws ended the Cougar scoring with a McCarthy kill from a Neil assist. McCarthy added an unassisted kill (her 5^th kill of the game – a career high!) to make it 24-23.  The game was put into the books when Bruce took a Neil set and placed it just behind the Cougar front line – and just inside the sideline! 

Team Stats: Serving: 17/24 ; Aces: 0. Attacks: 35/43.  Winners: 13. Assists: 8. Receiving: 17/21. Digs: 23/26. Blocks: 3. 

Game #3: Bruce started the game with a 5-0 serving run.  Butterfield had an unassisted kill, and a block for a point during the run.  A Foster/Bruce kill made it 6-2. Foster then had a 3 point service run – ending only when she was attempting a running jump serve and it went into the net.  The Outlaws worked up to a 15-8 lead with many Cougar errors – but they did have a Butterfield/Foster kill and a Foster Butterfield kill ‘return the favor’ kill.  The Outlaws kept the serve in the Cougar court and took the game to a 20-14 lead as the Wallowa players had a few offensive breakdowns.  Neil began serve and Bruce/Neil enjoyed a kill, Neil served an ace.  The teams traded side-outs, until Foster set up Bruce for another side-line kill shot to make it 24-16.  Lathrop would end the game, and the match, with a final serving ace. 

Team Stats: Serving: 21/25; Aces: 2. Attacks: 23/31.  Winners: 5. Assists: 5. Receiving: 18/23. Digs: 19/26.  Blocks: 5. 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 60/74; Aces: 4. Attacks: 87/102.  Winners: 30. Assists: 20. Receiving: 45/54. Digs: 60/70. Blocks: 9. 

Individual Match Stats:  Serving: Bruce 13/15, Foster 12/13, Butterfield 7/9, Neil 5/8, Despain 10/12, Harbeck 4/5, Lathrop 3/4, Donovan 4/5, Graham 2/3. 

Aces: Neil 1, Despain 1, Lathrop 1, Donovan 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 11/12, Foster 6/7, Butterfield 17/20, Neil 9/11, Despain 15/16, Harbeck 4/5, Lathrop 5/5, McCarthy 14/16, Donovan 2/4, Graham 4/5. 

Winners: Bruce 5, Foster 5, Butterfield 6, Neil 1, Despain 3, Harbeck 1, Lathrop 1, Donovan 1, McCarthy 5, Graham 2. 

Assists: Bruce 6, Foster 3, Butterfield 3, Neil 5, Harbeck 3. 

Receiving: Bruce 4/5, Foster 7/8, Butterfield 12/18, Neil 6/6, Despain 12/12, Lathrop 6/7, Donovan 8/10,  Harbeck 1/1. 

Digs: Bruce 17/21, Foster 10/13, Butterfield 14/21.5, Neil 6/9.5, Despain 7/8, Lathrop 6/7, Donovan 4/9. 

Blocks: Foster 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 1.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to Heppner - and experienced a disappointing day.

Game # 1:  The Outlaws started out slowly. Maybe a rushed warm up was a problem? Maybe it was playing after a long trip?  The Outlaws had four serving errors for the match – half of them were recorded during the first round through the service rotations.  The girls played to an 11 tie – with only two offensive ‘standout plays’ – a Foster from Bruce winner and a Butterfield from Bruce winner. The Mustangs were not overwhelming the girls, but they went out to a 12-14 lead.  Foster came in, served an ace, and the Outlaws then enjoyed another tie game at 15’s.  Heppner put together a 3 point run – stopped by a Butterfield/Bruce winner.  Calls for players ‘in the net’ kept us from moving forward, and we soon were behind 18-21.  Despain aced a serve to make it 19-21 – but a sideout and three errors let the game end at 19-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 16/19; Aces: 2. Attacks: 18/22.  Winners: 4. Assists: 4. Receiving: 16/20. Digs: 14/21. Blocks: 2. 

Game #2:  The Outlaws again battled evenly with the Mustangs.  The play of both teams was ragged – all girls had taken a turn at serving and the game was tied at 9-9.  Neither the Outlaws nor the Mustangs could mount rallies – and it wasn’t because the teams were playing exceptional defense.  Offensive points won at this time were Foster and Butterfield kills from Bruce.  The Outlaws went out to a 10-9 lead when a Butterfield assist set up a clear winning shot. The Outlaws offense began to come to life with Winners by Neil, Despain, Lathrop all from Bruce, and a Foster/Neil kill.  Yet, the Outlaws could not support their servers and they remained tied with Heppner at 16-16.  Heppner won two points, but a Foster block for a point gave the ball back to the Outlaws – it was 17-18. During the next four serving turns the Outlaws could hold up for only 1 point – a Foster/Bruce kill.  They did enjoy a Butterfield/Bruce winner, and an unassisted winner from Neil – but the game would close out without fanfare at 21-25.  

Team Stats: Serving: 21/22; Aces: 0. Attacks: 37/43.  Winners: 10. Assists: 10. Receiving: 22/24. Digs: 31/42. Blocks: 1. 

Game #3: A Butterfield/Neil winner started this game. The teams traded side-outs when Foster aced her first serve and gained another point to make it a 4-2 game.  The Mustangs scored the next three points and after a side-out the game was tied at 5-5.  Neil from Bruce, and Graham from Neil would help to take it to an 8-8 tie.  The Mustangs rallied for 3 points. The teams then went back to trading points until it was a 14-17 game.  The Outlaws had an ace from Foster, and a Butterfield/Bruce combination to keep pace with Heppner.  Then . . . the Outlaws couldn’t receive the Heppner serve – and Heppner enjoyed a 4 point rally. It was 15-21.  A Heppner error would stop the run.  The Outlaws lost a point on their service turn – and never tallied another.  The final was 15-25.  

Team Stats: Serving: 15/15; Aces: 2. Attacks: 23/31.  Winners: 5. Assists: 5. Receiving: 18/23. Digs: 19/26.  Blocks: 1. 

I couldn’t make the match – had the pleasure of performing a wedding.  Melody taped the match and I was excited to watch it – until I watched it.  It certainly seemed as if we just walked our way through this match – with only a shadow of the intensity that we showed against Weston-McEwen.  Yes, Heppner has the exchange student from the Czech Republic – yes she can hit the ball – but I really believe this is a team that we can match up with well.  It will be interesting to see how we do during the rematch at Quinn Court. I anticipate a much better showing from these talented athletes.We have four matches this week.  I think we can regain our confidence against Wallowa, and then we’ll see how we fare in a key match against Union  Friday afternoon.  I believe this is our year to capture a win against Union – if we play like we did against Weston-McEwen it will be great fun! 

Team Match Stats: Serving: ; Aces: 4. Attacks: 78/96.  Winners: 18. Assists: 19. Receiving: 56/67. Digs: 64/89. Blocks: 4. 

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce 8/8, Foster 14/15, Butterfield 10/10, Neil 6/8, Despain 10/10, Lathrop 1/1 , Donovan 2/3.  

Aces: Foster 3, Despain 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 9/9, Foster 17/22, Butterfield 16/22, Neil 15/16, Despain 10/11, Lathrop 3/3, McCarthy 2/3, Donovan 2/5, Graham 2/3. 

Winners: Foster 5, Butterfield 7, Neil 3, Despain 1, Lathrop 1, Graham 1. 

Assists: Bruce 14, Butterfield 1, Neil 4. 

Receiving: Bruce 4/5, Foster 7/8, Butterfield 12/18, Neil 6/6, Despain 12/12, Lathrop 6/7, Donovan 8/10,  Harbeck 1/1. 

Digs: Bruce 17/21, Foster 10/13, Butterfield 14/21.5, Neil 6/9.5, Despain 7/8, Lathrop 6/7, Donovan 4/9. 

Blocks: Foster 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 1.

by David Bruce 

The TigerScots of Weston-McEwen came to Quinn Court on September 25.  They brought with them a shining history of volleyball success.  They have been to the State Championship Game twice in the past two years.  The Outlaws have not won a game against W-M since we joined the Blue Mountain Conference. The TigerScots would leave with a victory – but the Outlaws, playing some inspired ball, knew the joy of winning a game and winning the respect of their opponents. 

Another dynamic of this match was that the Outlaws were required to play without the services of one of their starters.  Stangel, who is hardly ever taken off the floor, was in Washington, D.C. on an FCCLA trip! Her absence was a handicap to the team. It’s like telling someone in a bowling contest that they only get 9 frames when they opponent gets all 10.  Yet our team rose to the occasion and will enjoy some great memories of this night for years to come.  

Game # 1:  The game began with a W-M serve landing in the middle of the Outlaws – with no-one touching it!  Buttefield/Neil would answer with a kill. Bruce took serve and made it a 5-2 game after a Foster/Bruce winner. W-M found ‘the defensive hole’ and a player in the net helped to make it a 6-6 game. The TigerScots went on a rally and at 6-10 there was a great play: A muffed EHS service receive sent the ball towards the Outlaws fans, Bruce ran, and then dove and just inches above the floor made the dig that sent it back to the Outlaws court. We would lose the point, but it helped fire up our team to play hard. Despain/Bruce enjoyed a winner at 7-11. (Not the store!) W-M could not build on their five point lead and the game was 13-18 after a McCarthy/Bruce winner, and some inspired defensive plays.  Then the TigerScots put together a string of points to put the game away. W-M had four hard kills and a point winning block – and the Outlaws enjoyed another ‘almost great’ defensive moment.  Bruce, from the setter’s ‘just behind the front line’ position, took a hard Presley Paul slam – and dug it back across the net – it would have been good, but it touched the ceiling on the way over! Out of bounds, point to W-M.  But the look on Bruce’s face was a winner!  I digress. At 14-23 Foster had a kill, and the Outlaws enjoyed another point before W-M put the game into the books with a 15-25 win – punctuated by a Paul kill.    

Team Stats: Serving: 12/14; Aces: 0. Attacks: 28/33.  Winners: 7. Assists: 4. Receiving: 21/25. Digs: 21/25. Blocks: 2. 

Game #2: “The Game.”  It began with W-M ‘tattooing’ Bruce with a hard, fast spike! A Neil/Bruce kill would make it a 1-2 game. A Foster service turn would take it to 3-3 – helped by a rotation violation against W-M. A EHS receiving error was evened out by Neil from Bruce #2. W-M won the next point as EHS watched a free ball come across the court – and land between two players without it being touched.  Neil/Bruce #3 would get the ball back into EHS possession.  Neil served, and aided by another W-M rotation error took the game to a Outlaw lead of 9-5.  That’s when another oddity of the night occurred. W-M hammered the ball and Bruce dug it, the return was near the net and Paul slammed it down – and Bruce dove across the middle, got a hand on it and dug it back up to keep the ball alive.  Coach Amy jumped up in a hurry from the bench yelling her approval – and promptly blacked out!  Yes, she fainted back down onto the bench!  The point was won (10-5), and the coach was only a little shaken.  The middle section of this game was tense, tense, tense.  The Outlaws defense shined brilliantly – ALL of the girls making some great plays.  Two things were apparent: The girls had some great play at the net.  They didn’t get many winning blocks, but their hands often tempered the bullets of the W-M hitters and gave time for our defense to make a dig and get the ball back over the net.  Secondly, we had some people playing the back line that must have felt as if they had targets on their foreheads – and they did a great job of getting touches on the ball.  Quite a few went off their hits and out-of-bounds, but a majority in this game kept the ball alive for Outlaw points.  Simply stated: the Outlaws defense either kept the ball alive until there was a W-M mistake, or a W-M power kill earned the point quickly.  I have no Outlaws point being won by an offensive attack until Despain/Bruce earned one at 17-15. The teams continued to trade points, then enjoyed a Foster/Neil winner. As they built the lead to 21-18.  Another Foster/Neil kill would make it 22-19. Foster would take two Bruce assists and earn points – and then a Butterfield point-winning block would seal the game: Outlaws 25, W-M 21! (Despain was right there too – but we judged Butterfield’s hand is the one that ‘moves backward’ a bit – so we gave the credit to her.) 

I want to take a moment to speak to another dynamic of the evening.  The support of the EHS boys for the VB team.  At the end of the first game, and then throughout the match, the boys would kick the bleachers at every winning Outlaw’s point.  The gym was NOISY as they supported their team.  As I taped the game I was near TigerScot fans – one who loudly stated, “This is absolutely unsportsmanlike.”  No it wasn’t. The boys did not make their noise during play – unlike some W-M folks with their “A – B – “See ya Later” chant called out during play as they anticipated a blast from one of their strong hitters!  In fact, the tape shows that the only players having to deal with prolonged noise was some of our servers.  I think the girls loved the support – and I thought it mostly great – even though my ears hurt sometimes! 

Team Stats: Serving: 24/25; Aces: 1. Attacks: 28/30.  Winners: 9. Assists: 8. Receiving: 15/17. Digs: 20/30. Blocks: 2. 

Game #3:  W-M came back strong.  So did EHS. At 3-4 W-M had a strong serve that was heading to the floor fast – Lathrop dove and made the receive.  The next attack was a bullet at Bruce, just behind the front line, and she earned a great dig to keep the point alive.  The next attack was a strong hit back to Lathrop – who made the dig.  An EHS attack error would lose the point – but it was this type of defensive play that marked most of the evening. A Bruce ‘quick attack’ didn’t work, but it forced a W-M defender to make a quick dig that came across the net – and Foster jumped up and made the unassisted kill to make it a 4-5 game. Then Butterfield enjoyed a 3-point rally – highlighted by a Despain/Neil winner. The game was tied at 7-7.  The teams traded points until it was 10-9.  Then, the Outlaws fell into a ‘black hole’ moment.  W-M put together an 12 point run – aided by 8 moments when the Outlaws could not return serve, and two EHS attack errors.  (Only 1 of the 12 points was ‘earned’ by the W-M offense.)  The game was now out-of-reach, but the rally was stopped by a Foster/Neil winner.  Lathrop came back with an ace! The girls kept fighting hard, but the TigerScots would finally end the game with a strong Paul kill: 13-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 12/13; Aces: 1. Attacks: 20/23.  Winners: 4. Assists: 3. Receiving: 15/24. Digs: 13/18.  Blocks: 1. 

Game #4:  An EHS into the net error, was countered with a Butterfield unassisted kill. Foster aced a serve. After a side out, Neil/Bruce enjoyed a kill. A W-M error, followed by a W-M kill made it 4-3.  At 4-5 Bruce was called for a backline player ‘playing over the net’ call – (I loved it!). Bruce had a kill at 8-9. Paul sent one sizzling into our court to make it 8-10.  The TigerScots played strong ball, and the Outlaws continued to match them until it was 9-12.  Then W-M enjoyed a short rally to make it 10-16.  Another short rally would take it to 12-20.  Many teams would have given up – and I was proud to watch our girls stay focused and go for every play. A Neil/Bruce winner would make it 15-22. Then game went back and forth until a Foster/Bruce combination made it a 18-24 game.  One final W-M kill landed just in front of a diving Outlaws defender – 18-25 game and match won by W-M. 

Team Stats: Serving: 18/19; Aces: 1. Attacks: 23/28.  Winners: 7. Assists: 5. Receiving: 20/23. Digs: 20/30.  Blocks: 1. 

Reflections: I noticed many different things about our team this night.  1) Donovan, Lathrop, McCarthy, and Graham all put together good moments in Stangel’s absence.  They got in some valuable time and some great experience; 2) at the end our coaches were ‘high fiving’ all the players for their marvelous efforts; 3) all night long our girls encouraged each other. Each girl was often seen ‘making the move’ to give another a pat on the back, or yell their support of another; and  4) our girls had fun. They really did.  It’s obvious to see smiles and laughter through the match – as opposed to the W-M players who rarely showed a smile or any expression of joy.  Our players seemed to take this match as a real challenge.  It was good to test your game against ‘the best.’  The earned the respect of the W-M players who knew that they had been tested well.  We lost the match, but I couldn’t have been much more proud of how our girls gave it their all, played inspired ball, came together as a team and enjoyed a marvelous night of playing volleyball.  If we keep this up – we’re going to do a little bit of ‘shakin’ up things’ during the remainder of league play! 

Team Match Stats: Serving: 66/71; Aces: 3. Attacks: 99/114.  Winners: 27. Assists: 20. Receiving: 71/89. Digs: 74/93. Blocks: 5.    

Individual Match Stats:  

Serving: Bruce16/16, Foster 11/12, Butterfield 10/11, Neil 10/12, Despain 11/11, Lathrop 7/7, Donovan 1/2.  

Aces: Foster 1, Despain 1, Lathrop 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 12/13, Foster 25/29, Butterfield 19/21, Neil 20/21, Despain 16/19, Lathrop 1/1, McCarthy 1/2, Donovan 1/2, Graham 0/1. 

Winners: Bruce 2, Foster 10, Butterfield 3, Neil 5, Despain 5, Donovan 1. 

Assists: Bruce 11, Foster 1, Neil 7, Despain 1. 

Receiving: Bruce 0/1, Foster 14/15, Butterfield 9/15.5, Neil 8/9, Despain 27/31, Lathrop 6/7, Donovan 7/10.5, McCarthy 0/0, Harbeck 0/0, Graham 0/0. 

Digs: Bruce 14/18, Foster 10/15.5, Butterfield 8/11.5, Neil 15/18, Despain 9/17, Lathrop 9/12, Donovan 8/10,  McCarthy 1/1, Harbeck 0/0, Graham 1/1. 

Blocks: Butterfield 5.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws took on Pilot Rock right after the Irrigon match.  Enterprise had defeated the Rockets earlier in the Weston-McEwen tournament.  This matched was a continuation of play that my brother, who had driven from Walla Walla, characterized as ‘rather dull.’ The Outlaws had some good plays, but there wasn’t a real excitement on the day.  The Outlaws had more than enough for this team, and they seemed to realize that they never were in much jeopardy.   

Game # 1:  The Rockets scored two quick points but a Foster winner would give serve to the Outlaws.  Bruce enjoyed a 5 point rally – two aces and two Neil/Bruce combinations, and a Foster “dig-kill” accounted for the rally.  The Outlaws led 9-6 when Neil served an ace and set up Stangel for a kill.  Then the Outlaws experienced five errors (attack and receiving) in a row to allow the Pilots to tie the game at 12-12.  Despain would register an ace, the Pilots had a rotation violation, and the Outlaws would regain their lead.  There was a powerful kill by Foster from Neil to make it 18-14.  Bruce came in and had two aces in a 4 point run to make it 21-15.  Errors came back into the Outlaws repertoire and the Pilots came close when it was a 22-20 game.  But two Pilot errors followed by a Butterfield ace sealed the game. 

Game # 2:  The Outlaws trailed 3-5 when Neil came in and aced a serve and gained a tie at 5-5.  The teams traded serving errors and Despain took the ball – she scored three straight aces and enjoyed a McCarthy/Foster kill to make it a 10-7 game.  At 13-9 the Pilots enjoyed an outbreak of Outlaw errors and soon tied the match at 13-13.  The teams gave points to each other until it was 20-18 Outlaws.  Bruce came in and the team backed her for four points (one ace), but the run was stopped at 24-20.  A final error by the Pilots made it a 25-20 final score. 

Game # 3: The Outlaws sent all bench players to the floor for some game experience.  The Pilots went out to a 1-4 lead, then increased it to a 3-10 lead.  At 5-13 some regulars came onto the floor.  But it was hard for the girls to get their rhythm again – and they never really dented the Pilots lead.  They did enjoy a Foster kill, a Butterfield kill, and an ace by Foster, but the Outlaws basically limped their way to a 14-25 loss. 

Game # 4:  Foster lead the team to a 4-2 lead behind a Butterfield/Bruce winner.  At 7-4 the Pilots rallied and the Outlaws had some self-inflicted wounds, to allow the game to be knott4ed at 8-8.  The Pilots took the lead at 9-10 and then couldn’t handle an attack and at 10-10 Stangel took serve.  She kept serve until it was an 18-11 game!  Three aces, and a Butterfield block were highlights of this run.  The teams traded points and then at 20-12 Pilot Rock put together a 3 point rally.  After a side-out Foster would serve out the game – with a Butterfield/Bruce winner punctuating the victory. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 78/88. Aces: 20. Attacks: 85/105.  Kills: 22. Assists: 21.  Receiving: 58/75.  Digs: 56/69. Blocks: 6. 

Individual Match Stats:Serving: Bruce 19/21, Foster 14/15, Butterfield 8/10, Neil 9/13, Despain 12/12, Stangel 13/13, Harbeck 1/2, Graham 2/2.  

Aces: Bruce 4, Foster 3, Butterfield 1, Neil 3, Despain 5, Stangel 3, Harbeck 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 4/6, Foster 15/18, Butterfield 26/31, Neil 16/23, Despain 11/11, Stangel 7/7, Harbeck 6/6, Donovan 1/1, McCarthy 3/3, Graham 3/5, Lathrop 0/1. 

Winners: Bruce 1, Foster 5, Butterfield 4, Neil 4, Despain 2, Stangel 4, McCarthy 2.  

Assists: Bruce 12, Foster 4, Neil 5, Despain 1.   

Receiving: Bruce 2/2, Foster 12/15, Butterfield 5/9, Neil 4/8, Despain 16/16, Stangel 10/12, Harbeck 2/2, Lathrop 5/8, Donovan 2/3.

Digs: Bruce 4/8, Foster 11/12, Butterfield 6/7, Neil 9/11, Despain 10/11, Stangel 10/13, Lathrop 1/2, Harbeck 1/1, Donovan 2/2, Graham 2/2 . 

Blocks:  Butterfield 5, Stangel 1.

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws travelled to Irrigon to participate in a 3-way tournament against Irrigon and Pilot Rock. They were first matched up against the Knights of Irrigon.  The Outlaws looked like the “Tin Man” after a brief rain – they looked rusty and ‘out of synch.’ (Maybe the ‘hangover’ from a tough loss the previous night? A late night after the football game? A long bus ride to Irrigon?)  Anyway, the ‘up ref’ was a large dynamic in this match.  She had a penchant for making calls that had not gone against the players in previous matches/tournaments.  Players needed to adjust to her – and to overlook all the times she shook her head at what we did! 

Game # 1: After having only five service errors against Elgin – the Outlaws outdid themselves against Irrigon!  Neither team could get anything going through the first rotation of servers – and the game was 9-10 when Bruce scored an ace, but an attack error would give the ball back to Irrigon.  The teams then traded points – rarely by earning them – but by errors giving the point to the other team – until it was 12-15 Knights.  Neil then began a serving rally – and when she was done the Outlaws enjoyed an 18-16 lead.  Neil had served three aces and kills by Stangel and Despain would help the cause as well.  A quick side out made it 19-16.  Despain then finished the game with a 6-point service run – including three aces!  The final point was scored when Foster blocked an Irrigon attack to win the final point.  

Game # 2: Out of the first 16 points of this game the up-ref blew the whistle 8 times to call passing/setting infractions – she literally controlled the game.  It was 6-8 when Neil came to serve – and the team supported her through a 8 point rally.  Again, she scored three aces in the run.  The Knights gave the ball right back to the Outlaws and Despain once again lead the team on a 7 point rally – including one ace. At 23-14 Butterfield and Neil connected for a winner.  Bruce came into the game and served a game winning ace. 

Game # 3: Bruce started with a 3-1 spurt, but the Knights came back to tie the game at 5-5.  The game stayed close through a 9-9 tie – when Bruce/Harbeck combined for a kill.  Then McCarthy/Harbeck had a winner. Lathrop added a service point.  Bruce took serve at 10-13, enjoyed two aces, and the Outlaws would lead 16-14 at the end of her serves.  But the Knights came back and led 16-18 until a Harbeck/Foster winner stopped their run.  The game was 19-21 when Neil came up to serve – and after enjoying three more aces – which led to a 6 point run – the game and match were completed. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 67/75. Aces: 17. Attacks: 65/78.  Kills: 17. Assists: 13.  Receiving: 42/46.  Digs: 58/63. Blocks: 2. 

Individual Match Stats:

Serving: Bruce 17/17, Foster 3/5, Butterfield 4/4, Neil 22/24, Despain 15/17, Stangel 2/4, Harbeck 1/1, Lathrop 3/3.  

Aces: Bruce 5, Neil 10, Despain 5, Stangel 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 8/8, Foster 10/14, Butterfield 6/9, Neil 7/10, Despain 8/8, Stangel 18/19, Harbeck 3/3, Donovan 2/3, McCarthy 3/4. 

Winners: Bruce 4, Foster 1, Butterfield 1, Neil 2, Despain 1, Stangel 6, Harbeck 1, Donovan 1.  

Assists: Bruce 2, Foster 4, Neil 6, Harbeck 1.  

Receiving: Bruce 3/3, Foster 10/12, Butterfield 6/7, Neil 1/1, Despain 6/6, Stangel 5/6, Harbeck 2/2, Lathrop 7/7, Donovan 1/1, Graham 1/1. 

Digs: Bruce 11/12, Foster 10/11, Butterfield 7/8, Neil 4/5, Despain 3/3, Stangel 11/11, Lathrop 8/8, Harbeck 1/1, Donovan 3/4 . 

Blocks:  Foster 1, McCarthy 1.

by David Bruce 

The Joseph Eagles flew into town and the Outlaws had their guns readied for them.  But the Outlaws didn’t have their guns fully loaded – and the Eagles flew out of town with a satisfying three game victory over their in-County rivals.  Some talk of life in terms of ‘yin and yang,’ or describe people as ‘Jekyll and Hyde,’ well these games could be described in the same way! 

Game # 1: A Foster ace, a Lathrop ace, a Bruce/Foster winner helped the Outlaws to an 8-7 lead.  A Stangel/Neil kill and a DeSpain ace extended the lead to 12-8.  The score was 15-11 when the Outlaws had an unforced error – and then a whole string of ‘near misses’ followed.  Before the bleeding stopped the Outlaws were trailing 15-17.  The teams traded points, and the Outlaws continued to be just out of synch.  Another DeSpain ace would be their only remaining highlight and the Eagles enjoyed a 19-25 victory. 

Team Stats: Serving: 18/20; Aces: 4. Attacks: 22/29.  Winners: 4. Assists: 3. Receiving: 15/17. Digs: 20/25. Blocks: 0. 

Game #2: Déjà vu all over again. A side out and a Butterfield unassisted kill started the game and the Outlaws put together a run to make the game 8-3.  At 10-6 DeSpain and Neil connected for a winner, followed by a Neil ace.  The Outlaws enjoyed a 6-point lead. Then Mr. Hyde came to play again.  The Outlaws had a number of ‘just out of bound attacks, and a few defensive lapses/mistakes – and the Eagles took the Outlaws to 15-15.  The game ended with the Eagles trading 2 points to 1 point service turns – all adding up to another 19-25 loss for the Outlaws. 

Team Stats: Serving: 16/19; Aces: 2. Attacks: 27/35.  Winners: 4. Assists: 3. Receiving: 18/20. Digs: 22/28. Blocks: 1. 

Game #3: The Outlaws came out a bit tense.  A Bruce ace helped to a 2-1 lead. Foster had an ace and the team went to a 6-2 advantage. A Harbeck block took the game to 9-5. A Stangel/Bruce winner made it 10-6.  The Eagles gained some points to tie the game at 13-13.  A Foster/Neil combination gave the ball to the Outlaws and a Bruce serving turn took the Outlaws to 18-14.  A bad serve ended the streak. The Outlaws shot themselves in the foot a few times and the Eagles came back to an 18-16 score.  Then ‘kismet’ took effect.  Two straight net serves tied the game without the Outlaws defense having a chance to touch the ball.  It was 18-18.  A Stangel/Bruce winner and an unforced error by the Eagles helped the Outlaws to a 21-19 lead. Two straight service errors would help to keep the game close – as the Outlaws tried to hold on to a 23-22 lead.  Some miscues on the defensive side, and a strong Eagle hit were enough to end the game at 23-25. 

Team Stats: Serving: 21/24; Aces: 2. Attacks: 31/35.  Winners: 8. Assists: 7. Receiving: 20/24. Digs: 22/29.  Blocks: 2. 

Comments: This match really showed a truth – when we play our game we can do well.  If we are off just a bit – we are vulnerable.  We don’t have the height, or hitting power to overwhelm another team.  Out strength is in scrambling, keeping the ball alive, and out-hustling the other team. Give the Eagles their due – they earned a win – but this match was a ‘tale of Outlaws unforced errors.’  It was a night when we were ‘just off’ offensively and defensively.  We need to play with confidence, and play loose.  In each game tonight we fought against ‘playing not to lose’ and – in my opinion - it took us out of our game. It will be interesting to see how we respond as we now enter into league play. 

Team Stats: Serving: 55/63; Aces: 8. Attacks: 80/99.  Winners: 16. Assists: 13. Receiving: 53/61. Digs: 64/82. Blocks: 2. 

Individual Stats:  Serving: Bruce 11/14, Foster 16/18, Butterfield 5/6, Neil 8/8, DeSpain 8/9, Stangel 2/3, Lathrop 5/5.  

Aces: Bruce 1, Foster 2, Neil 1, DeSpain 3, Lathrop 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 6/7, Foster 14/17, Butterfield 14/18, Neil 11/14, DeSpain 9/11, Stangel 17/20, Lathrop 1/3, McCarthy 1/2, Harbeck 2/2, Graham 5/5. 

Winners: Bruce 3, Foster 3, Butterfield 4, Neil 1, DeSpain 1, Stangel 2, Harbeck 1, Graham 1. 

Assists: Bruce 5, Foster 2, Neil 5, DeSpain 1. 

Receiving: Bruce 2/3, Foster 12/14, Butterfield 7/10, Neil 4/5, DeSpain 8/8, Stangel 14/15, Lathrop 3/3, McCarthy 0/0, Harbeck 2/2, Graham 1/1. 

Digs: Bruce 17/19, Foster 16/21, Butterfield 6/10, Neil 7/10, DeSpain 5/6, Stangel 11/13, Lathrop 1/2, McCarthy 0/0, Harbeck 0/0, Graham 1/1. 

Blocks: Butterfield 2, Harbeck 1. 

(The Outlaws JV team beat Joseph in two games – good job ladies!)

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws traveled to Elgin for their first league match of the year.  This was a GREAT match – and the Outlaws played wonderful ball – and nearly won the match – but they have to be satisfied with a moral victory, because they experienced a 5-game heart-breaking loss (25-18; 17-25; 25-18; 16-25; 12-15).  I want to say at the outset – each and every girl on the team stepped up their game for this match – they played inspired ball.  I was greatly impressed with the defensive action by the Outlaws – receives, digs, and passes don’t often make the ‘highlights’ in my articles – but defense was the foundation of our team’s success tonight.  My hat is off to each young lady who dove, dug, and gained floor burns! 

Game # 1: Bruce started the night out with a bang!  The Outlaws supported her serve to the tune of an 11-point opening rally!  Bruce had one ace, and there was a Neil/Bruce kill, that highlighted the run. The Huskies responded with a 3 point rally – and we saw the power of Tara Ludwig’s power hitting.  Elgin gained ground on short rallies that were both stopped by Butterfield from Bruce winners.  A heart-stopping moment came when Foster was covering the sideline – decided to not go for a ball – and watched it drop just before it hit her on the ankle which was out-of-bounds.  The score was now 16-9.  A Stangel/Neil winner took it to 17-10.  Butterfield gained two points to make it 23-16.  The teams traded points, but a Bruce kill from a Neil set would end the game. 

Game # 2: The teams traded sides – and Game # 2 was a mirror image of Game # 1.  The Huskies had an early run to make it 1-4.  Butterfield/Foster combined to stop the rally.  Elgin made it 1-8 when a Butterfield/Bruce combination stopped the bleeding.  At 4-12 Despain enjoyed a hit that ‘ran along the top of the net’ for quite a ways before deciding to drop on the Huskies side of the net. (There were a lot of hands trying to tip it – but it remained out of reach until it dropped!)  At 8-13 Despain enjoyed a service ace.  Stangel added a kill, and the Outlaws came within three at 10-13.  But the Huskies that would be as close as we could come.  Elgin went on a 5-pint rally, and the Outlaws chances were diminished.  A crowd pleaser came at 12-20 – when an Outlaw dig went awry and the ball head high and back towards the end of the gym.  Foster ran it down and made a backwards over the head hit to keep it alive.  Despain had followed Foster’s lead and with the identical motion – and a Herculean effort – sent the ball all the way across the gym floor – it was a point for Elgin – but the crowed certainly appreciated and applauded the effort!  The Outlaws would celebrate a Stangel kill, but the Huskies would close the game out at 17-25. 

Game # 3: EHS came out and played fundamentally sound ball – and marched their way to a satisfying win.  The teams played very close ball up through a 4-3 Outlaws lead.  Butterfield then served a 4 point rally – including two aces.  After a side out, Stangel had block at the net, which Elgin dug back – and Stangel quickly made a no-assist kill – 9-4.  Stangel took a Neil set and scored a winner and then Bruce took a Neil set for a kill to make it a 12-5 game.  The Outlaws enjoyed a 17-9 lead when a side out gave Elgin the ball and they had a 5-point rally.  A Despain/Bruce winner stopped the rally and the gym was filled with long rallies as both teams gave it their all to earn points.  A Foster/Neil winner made it a 21-18 Outlaws lead.  At 22-18 Neil set Foster, and then Bruce, for winners and the Outlaws would end the game with a 25-18 score. (The crowd thinned out greatly as folks left for Union to go watch the football team play.) 

Game # 4: The teams traded sides – and Elgin came out and powered their way to a 1-6 lead.  Bruce answered with a 3-point service rally – with a solid kill from Neil highlighting the run.  The Outlaws couldn’t gain on the Huskies and a Butterfield from Bruce winner would make it a 6-13 game.  (Interestingly, each of the first four games had 13-6 scores . . . hmmm.)  Kills by Despain and Stangel and Foster and Bruce would get the Outlaws to a 10-17 score.  They did manage to come within four points afer a Foster/Neil winner, but they couldn’t gain any more and the teams traded points until an attack error by the Outlaws ended the game at 16-25. The teams gathered with the officials to flip a coin for serve – and choice of courts.  Elgin won the right to play on the side of the net that had produced all game winning scores – the Outlaws would try to break the trend. 

Game # 5: Stangel made a kill to start the game.  The two teams literally battled for each point – and neither enjoyed more than a two point rally until the game was 8-8.  I am gong to describe a point to give an idea of how the teams battled: “Stangel received a hard service, Neil set Butterfield; Despain passed the ball to Neil who set a Bruce attack; Elgin returned the ball – Neil dug it, Butterfield ‘dinked’ it; Elgin returned it – Bruce had a ‘quick attack;’ Elgin returned it; Despain dug it and Bruce attacked; Elgin returned it – Stangel passed it to Neil who set Foster; Elgin returned it – Bruce passed it to Neil who set Butterfield; Elgin saved it – Butterfield blocked an attack; Elgin saved it – Neil dug it Foster set it and Bruce killed it.  Whew!  That’s the way many points were played during this game/match.  Anyway, Elgin put together a 3-point spurt and a Foster/Bruce winner would make it a 9-11 game.  A Butterfield/Neil kill would bring the Outlaws to within one point at 12-13.  A serving error  made it 12-14.  The ‘the call’ – the teams attacked each other – and then Elgin sent a screamer to the back of the Enterprise court.  The line judge deemed the ball on the line – and the game and match were ended.  (After looking at the tape – when using stop motion I can see all of the line – but have no doubt that from where the line judge stood the ‘overhang’ of the ball would have looked like it touched – it was just that close!) The only ‘down’ about this match was the final score – it was a thrilling HS VB match – and our team should be proud of their playing. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 91/96. Aces: 5. Attacks: 166/189.  Kills: 41. Assists: 39.  Receiving: 80/93.  Digs: 134/156. Blocks: 8. 

Individual Tournament Stats:

Serving: Bruce 28/28, Foster 10/13, Butterfield 18/18, Neil 9/11, Despain 11/11, Stangel 15/15.  

Aces: Bruce 2, Butterfield 2, Despain 1. 

Attacks: Bruce 22/25, Foster 33/36, Butterfield 39/45, Neil 24/31, Despain 23/23, Stangel 24/28, Lathrop 1/1. 

Winners: Bruce 5, Foster 8, Butterfield 11, Neil 5, Despain 4, Stangel 6.  Assists: Bruce 17, Foster 2, Butterfield 1, Neil 18, Despain 1.  

Receiving: Bruce 6/7, Foster 21/26, Butterfield 6/10, Neil 4/6, Despain 20/22, Stangel 19/22, Lathrop 4/4. 

Digs: Bruce 29/33, Foster 17/20, Butterfield 15/19, Neil 13/15, Despain 16/20, Stangel 39/44, Lathrop 5/5. 

Blocks:  Foster 1, Butterfield 4, Stangel 3.

by David Bruce 

The Yakima Sun Dome Volleyball Tournament is a wonderful event.  32 teams scheduled out to play on 8 courts.  Pool Play began at 8:00 and  Enterprise was pooled with teams from Chelan, Cascade Christian, and Wakiakum.   

Yakima Match # 1 – Chelan, WA   Game #1: The Outlaws began the day playing a team that played well-organized ball and showed a lot of athleticism.  Chelan went out to an early 1-4 lead and steadily pulled away from the Outlaws until the final score of 13-25.  EHS could not maintain serve – only twice did we gain points during our serve.  It seemed as if the Outlaws were playing a bit sluggish and Chelan took advantage of it.  Game #2: There was little change in the dynamics of this match – although Bruce had a 3 point service rally and the Outlaws lead 4-1.  But Chelan came back quickly and tied the game at 6-6 and then moved steadily toward a 12-25 victory.

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 28/30. Aces: 1. Attacks: 30/36.  Kills: 10. Assists: 7.  Receiving:  34/45.  Digs: 18/26. Blocks: 0.  

Yakima Match # 2 – Cascade Christian   Game #1: The Outlaws came out with a bit more confidence and played CC close.  The two teams played evenly up through a 15-16 score.  Highlights included Foster, Bruce, and Stangel kills from Neil sets.  Stangel, Foster, and Butterfield kills from Bruce sets – and a lot of scrambling to make good plays on the defensive side.  But Cascade put together a small 4 point run to make it 15-20 and the Outlaws could not close the gap.  Final 18-25.  Game #2: The Outlaw fans were ready for another close contest – what they saw was a complete ‘meltdown.’  Cascade surged to a 0-7 lead.  EHS gained no points on their serve.  Cascade made it 2-10.  EHS gained no points on their serve.  Cascade went to a 3-17 lead. EHS gained no points on their serve. Cascade made it 4-23. We gained no points on our serve. Cascade closed the game at 25-4.  The Outlaws had been given four points (2 ‘in the nets’ and 2 bad serves).  We had earned 0 points.  We showed a glaring weakness at not being able to receive/pass a serve. 13 times we could not get the ball back across the net.  It was a game that we should certainly forget. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 25/26. Aces: 1. Attacks: 35/44.  Kills: 10. Assists: 9.  Receiving:  36/49.  Digs: 28/49. Blocks: 0. 

Yakima Match # 3 – Wakiakum – Game # 1: These two teams were well-matched.  They fought each other evenly up to a score of 11-11.  Then the Outlaws gained control – ever so slightly – and worked their way up to a 25-18 victory.  Highlights included: A four point service rally by Neil. Serving aces by Neil and Stangel, a Butterfield “block kill,” a Foster/Neil winner and a Neil/Bruce kill.  Game # 2: The Outlaws started out strong with two Foster/Bruce winners and a Foster ‘jump serve’ ace! But Wakiakum came back to make it a 5-5 game.  Neil had an ace. Stangel served an ace. Steady play would give the Outlaws their largest lead at 19-14.  Then the Outlaws ran out of ammunition.  Wakiakum went on an 11-1 run – as the Outlaws suffered through some close calls and a number of unforced errors.  Final score: 20-25. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 45/49. Aces: 6. Attacks: 57/71.  Kills: 8. Assists: 8.  Receiving:  37/39.  Digs: 48/57. Blocks: 1. We ‘split’ our games with Wakiakum – but we won a tie-breaker by having beat them by a larger margin (2 points) – so Enterprise was deemed as the 3^rd place team out of pool play.  The Outlaws were seeded as the 7^th strongest team in the 8-team bracket. 

Yakima Match # 4 – Connell – Game # 1: As the two teams greeted each other at the net it was easy to see that Connell had a distinct height advantage.  Bruce started the match with two service aces, but Connell tied the game at 3-3.  They then took advantage of their height and hit their way to a 5-10 lead.  A side out and a Donovan ace would make it 7-10.  But Connell would enjoy a rally that would take the score to 9-17.  The Outlaws defense stiffened and the offense began to support good serves – and the Outlaws slowly made their way back into the game.  Butterfield had an ace and a Neil/Bruce winner would make it 14-22. Quick side-out. Neil would take it to 16-23.  Quick side out. A Donovan ace and a Foster from Bruce kill would make it a 20-23 score. (I know I’m prejudiced, but Bruce enjoyed her first career ‘block at the net’ during this rally – honestly, she did!)  DeSpain served a 2-pont rally to make it 22-24 and a side out and a Stangel serve would tie the game at 24-24.  The Outlaws traded points, and then Connell put together back to back points to win the game at 25-27.  Game #2: The Outlaws played tough and close in this game – and saw knotted scores at 4-4; 5-5; 8-8; 9-9; 12-12; and 13-13.  Then Connell pulled out to a 15-18 lead. That’s the last scoring Connell would enjoy – as DeSpain came to serve and the team supported her while they enjoyed a 10 point service rally!  DeSpain helped her cause with two aces.  The team play was marked with MANY digs, saves, and good solid defensive play.  It set up Game #3: Bruce had an ace and earned another point, Foster had two kills from Bruce to make it a 4-6 game.  Butterfield had two service points and a ‘dig kill’ (took in a smashed ball – and the dig went over the net into an empty zone to score the point!).  Neil began serving at 7-7 and rallied the Outlaws to an 11-8 lead.  Then . . . everything went bad again.  We lost some close calls.  Connell had two ‘net-dribblers’ and they tied the game at 12-12.  We couldn’t maintain serve – and at 12-13 Connell earned a point – and won the match on a ‘net serve’ which didn’t give us a chance to return the serve. Sometimes it’s good to be lucky. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 52/55. Aces: 11. Attacks: 63/78.  Kills: 19. Assists: 16.  Receiving:  39/46.  Digs: 54/75. Blocks: 2. 

Yakima Match # 5 – Natchez Valley – Game # 1: The final match of our day began at 5:10 p.m.  Again, the Outlaws played pretty evenly until the score was 8-10. NVHS went on a small rally – and they kept a 4-6 point lead for the rest of the game.  Highlights included aces by Foster and Butterfield.  Foster/Bruce teamed up for 4 kills – and there was some very solid effort by all the girls on defense.  But . . . we lost 19-25.  Game # 2:  Both teams came out with hustle and fought evenly.  The Outlaws enjoyed a 1 – 2 point advantage until the score was 17-15.  It looked as if Harbeck had scored an ace – but the refs denied the point and waved their arms low a lot – and gave the ball to Natchez. (I don’t know what it was.  No one was under the net. They didn’t call a rotation violation.  They just waved their arms down low a lot.).  Natchez responded with a 4 point rally.  The teams traded points to 20-22 and then an Outlaw ace brought the girls to within 1 point.  It wasn’t to be.  Hard fought points were lost and won – and finally Natchez ended the game with a 23-25 score. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 28/34. Aces: 4. Attacks: 35/47.  Kills: 15. Assists: 13.  Receiving: 28/38.  Digs: 26/41. Blocks: 2. 

A fan’s musings: This day was filled with hope, frustration, some great play, some poor play, LOTS OF HUSTLE, and also some lethargy.  It was a long day for the girls.  The coach tried many different combinations – some worked well, others didn’t.  We showed that when we hustle and play team ball we can match up with some very good teams.  We showed that if we aren’t at 100% other teams can pretty much have their way with us.  It was a good learning experience.  Hopefully it will help us when league play begins. 

Team Tournament Stats:  Serving: 178/194. Aces: 23. Attacks: 220/276.  Kills: 62. Assists: 53.  Receiving:  174/217.  Digs: 174/249. Blocks: 5. 

Individual Tournament Stats:

Serving: Bruce 34/37, Foster 27/28, Butterfield 28-33, Neil 27-30, DeSpain 28-28, Stangel 19-20, Donovan 10-12, McCarthy 2-2, Harbeck 2-3. 

Aces: Bruce 5, Foster 2, Butterfield 4, Neil 4, DeSpain 2, Stangel 2, Donovan 3, McCarthy 0, Harbeck 1, Graham 0. 

Attacks: Bruce 29-29, Foster 55-64, Butterfield 32-41, Neil 26-35, DeSpain 24-28, Stangel 34-41, Donovan 8-15, McCarthy 3-8, Harbeck 3-6, Graham 6-9. 

Winners: Bruce 7, Foster 27, Butterfield 8, Neil 6, DeSpain 2, Stangel 6, Donovan 2, McCarthy 2, Harbeck 1, Graham 1. 

Assists: Bruce 26, Foster 4, Butterfield 2, Neil 16, DeSpain 2, Stangel 1, Harbeck 2.

Receiving: Bruce 6/8, Foster 37/43, Butterfield 15/21, Neil 11/15, DeSpain 43/50, Stangel 35/44, Donovan 22/28; McCarthy 0/1, Harbeck 3/6, Graham 2/3. 

Digs: Bruce 24/30, Foster 32/41, Butterfield 20/32, Neil 24/31, DeSpain 30/41, Stangel 20/38, Donovan 20/29, McCarthy 3/3, Harbeck 1/1, Graham 0/1. 

Blocks: Bruce 1, Foster 1, Butterfield 2, Stangel 1. 

(The J.V. team was without a win in this week’s tournament in Halfway.)

by David Bruce 

The Outlaws volleyball team traveled to Athena on September 5 and enjoyed a sleep-over at the Athena Christian Church.  Why?  Because they were scheduled for the 8:00 a.m. game at the Weston-McEwen Volleyball Tournament. 

Match # 1 – La Grande J.V.   Game #1: LG went out to a quick 1-5 lead that was stopped by a Neil/Bruce combination.  The Outlaws slowly came back with the help of a Stangel/Neil winner and an ace by Lathrop! The score The score was 12-10 when Bruce came to serve and had four points – with two aces. LG couldn’t gain on the Outlaws and a Neil Ace would make it 20-14.  The six point difference would hold to the final score of 25-18.  Game #2:  This game was tied at 3-3 and the Outlaws took the lead and never gave it up.  Key to the victory was a 6-point rally behind the serving of Stangel.  Each Outlaw server gained 1-2 points until DeSpain began serve at 20-13 – DeSpain would lead the charge to earn the 25-13 victory.

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 43/49. Aces: 5. Attacks: 37/43.  Kills: 18. Assists: 15.  Receiving:  29/31.  Digs: 23/31.  Blocks: 1.  

Match # 2 – Sherman County   Game #1:  Sherman County came out ready to play and went to a quick 4-11 lead. Kills by DeSpain and Neil helped the Outlaws to a 7-12 score. But the Huskies came back with a 7-point rally and lead 8-19. Neil tallied an ace on her service turn – but the Outlaws could only trade points back and forth until they knew a 13-25 loss.  Game #2: The Outlaws battled well in the beginning of this game.  Bruce and Foster scored aces as they lead the team to a 6-5 lead.  A Butterfield kill, followed by a Butterfield “tip kill” made it a 8-5 game.  The Huskies tied the game at 9’s.  The Outlaws would put on a mini-rally and take a 15-11 lead, and then trade points until it was 18-15.  Then the Huskies rallied with some strong hits – and some Outlaws unforced errors – and before it was done the score was tied at 19’s.  A service error was followed by a Huskies 5 point rally and the game was now out of hand.  The final score was 23-25.  It was a game that the Outlaws just couldn’t ‘put away.’ 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 32/37. Aces: 3. Attacks: 53/67.  Kills: 14. Assists: 13.  Receiving:  39/47.  Digs: 30/41. Blocks: 2. 

Match # 3 – Weston-McEwen – Game # 1: Weston-McEwen has been at/near the top of our league for the past two years – they have a solid program and have enjoyed some great athletes.  Outlaws fans saw that the TigerScots will be a force to be reckoned with again.  The TigerScots went out to a 3-7 lead, and then the Outlaws scratched their way back into the game to earn a 9-11 score. A burst by W-M made it a 11-14 game.  But the Outlaws came back to tie it at 14’s.  Neil came in and served two consecutive aces to gain a slight advantage.  W-M came back and the Outlaws were down 17-19 when Bruce came in and enjoyed an ace – and a great Butterfield “no assist kill.”  It was now 20-20. Then . . . W-M gathered themselves and earned the next five points to win the game 25-20.  Our girls should realize from this game that they can play with W-M.  Difficult? Yes.  But they can!  Game # 2:  The TigerScots went out to a quick 1-5 lead.  Suddenly the Outlaws couldn’t support their servers.  We experienced five ‘1 and outs.’  The Outlaws just couldn’t get a handle on this game – and the end came quickly at 11-25. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 30/33. Aces: 4. Attacks: 47/64.  Kills: 10. Assists: 7.  Receiving:  41/47.  Digs: 35/49. Blocks: 3. 

The Outlaws were relegated over to Weston as part of the consolation bracket play.  It was dark and hot!

 Match # 4 – Wallowa – Game # 1: Butterfield started the Outlaws off on a good foot with a block-winner.  Foster enjoyed a 4 point service turn – with an ace – to make it an 8-3 game. The rest of the game was hard-fought with the Outlaws gaining adding to their lead every now and then.  The largest lead was at 21-14.  The game would end at 25-17.  Game #2: The Outlaws enjoyed an dearly rally behind Butterfield as they put up a 7-3 score.  Later, a Stangel ace would make it 13-7.  Foster scored an ace at 17-11.  Most of the play was good defense and adequate offense.  Out style seemed to frustrate the Wallowa hitters into unforced errors.  Lathrop enjoyed an ace at 19-13 – and the Cougars came back with a roar.  Soon it was 21-17, then 22-19, then 23-21.  The Cougars tied it at 23’s and then took a 23-24 advantage.  Facing a game point situation the Outlaws kept their calm and put together a great winning point to tie the game at 24’s.  Stangel came in and served up two aces – final score 26-24. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 43/50. Aces: 10. Attacks: 73/82.  Kills: 21. Assists: 20.  Receiving:  29/37.  Digs: 56/63. Blocks: 4. 

Match # 5 – Pilot Rock – Game # 1: This match pitted two league opponents.  So it gave us insight into league play that is to come.  Bruce began the game with an ace, and a Foster/Bruce kill helped gain a 3-1 advantage.  PR came back to make it a 6-5 game.  DeSpain started her service turn with an ace – and the team added two more points. But PR came back to make it 11-9. Long rallies and strong hitting by Butterfield & Neil led the Outlaws to a 22-16 lead.  Butterfield then enjoyed some great play by her teammates and took the game to 24-17.  The game ended at 25-17 when PR couldn’t get the ball back into the Outlaws court.   Game # 2:  This was a game of ‘near misses.’  The Outlaw hitters missed numerous close shots at the lines – or into the net – yet they managed to stay with a PR team that faced the same problems.  The game was tied at 11’s and then Stangel served to a 14-12 lead.  The team backed Butterfield’s serves to a 20-17 score.  Neil came in and served to a 23-18 score.  After an exchange of side-outs the game ended at 25-19 when PR missed a pass and the ball dropped to the floor. Both these teams were tired – and play was sometimes pretty sloppy.  Yet it gave the Outlaws the right to say that we had won the consolation tournament.  It’s something. 

Team Match Stats:  Serving: 46/50. Aces: 7. Attacks: 51/61.  Kills: 15. Assists: 14.  Receiving: 25/30.  Digs: 35/43. Blocks: 3. 

A fan’s musings:  If this day gives us an insight into the season we will enjoy – we are in for quite a ride.  This group hustles well.  They go to the ball quickly and make solid attacks.  They are not overwhelming – but when they are consistent – they will win some tight games.  I was pleased with the play of Lathrop – who held her own at varsity play.  She showed some great potential – once she got over her nervousness. She will be a player to watch in the program. 

Team Tournament Stats:  Serving: 194/219. Aces: 29. Attacks: 261/317.  Kills: 78. Assists: 69.  Receiving:  163/192.  Digs: 179/227. Blocks: 13. 

Individual Tournament Stats:

Serving: Bruce 44/51, Foster 37/42, Butterfield 20/22, Neil 22/27, DeSpain 28/29, Stangel 24/28, Lathrop 12/12, Harbeck 7/7. 

Points from Serve: Bruce 31, Foster 23, Butterfield 9, Neil 11, DeSpain 16, Stangel 15, Lathrop 5, Harbeck 3. 

Aces: Bruce 7, Foster 4, Butterfield 1, Neil 7, DeSpain 2, Stangel 5, Lathrop 1, Harbeck 0. 

Attacks: Bruce 40/42, Foster 47/59, Butterfield 49/59, Neil 34/46, DeSpain 28/32, Stangel 45/57,Lathrop 1/4, Harbeck 17/18. 

Winners: Bruce 7, Foster 20, Butterfield 19, Neil 13, DeSpain 4, Stangel 14, Lathrop 1. Assists: Bruce 33, Foster 3, Butterfield 2, Neil 17, DeSpain 3, Stangel 1, Harbeck 10. 

Receiving: Bruce 6/6, Foster 34/35, Butterfield 20/26, Neil 12/27, DeSpain 41/47, Stangel 23/30, Lathrop 18/21, Harbeck 9/10. 

Digs: Bruce 27/31, Foster 50/59, Butterfield 12/19, Neil 17/23, DeSpain 26/29, Stangel 28/41, Lathrop 15/19, Harbeck 4/6. 

Blocks: Foster 1, Butterfield 9, Stangel 3. 

(The J.V. team won the 1^st Place Trophy at the Irrigon tournament!)

by David Bruce 

The Enterprise Outlaws won their first home match of the season in grand style as they defeated the Wallowa Cougars 3-1 (22-25; 25-13; 27-25; 25-13).   

Game # 1 Summary: This was a game marked by good rallies and close plays.  Neither team could gain an advantage as they jockeyed back and forth.  They were tied at 8’s, 10’s, 12’s, 17’s, and 18’s.  The Outlaws trailed 21-22 and Wallowa earned two quick points to take control. A final exchange of points would end the match at 22-25.   Highlights: Serving: The Outlaws were 19/23. Aces: Bruce-1.  Kills: Buttefield-3; Foster-3; Bruce-2; DeSpain-1.  Assists:  Neil-4; Bruce-1; Foster-1. Attack errors: 5. Receiving: the Outlaws were 18/20. Digs: 22/28. Blocks: Stangel-2; Butterfield-2.  

Game # 2 Summary:  The Outlaws began with a slim lead provided by two Foster kills and a Bruce ace serve.  The Cougars fought back to a 5-5 tie.  Neil provided a short serving rally and the teams then fought to a 12-10 score. (The Outlaws had 5 service errors at this point – so they had given the Cougars half their points!) The Outlaws backed Foster on an 11-point service rally.  A Foster ace, and a great Butterfield ‘block in the air – and set to self kill’ highlighted the run!  The rally took the wind out of the Cougars and the Outlaws finished the game well.  Highlights: Serving: The Outlaws were 19/24. Aces: Bruce-1; Foster-1. Kills: Foster-3; Butterfield-2; Assists: Neil-2; Bruce-1. Attack errors: 1. Receiving: the Outlaws were 9/11. Digs: 10/11. Blocks: None.  

Game # 3 Summary:  This was a ‘nail-biter!’  The Outlaws spotted WHS 3 points, but fought back with kills by Foster/Bruce and DeSpain/Neil. Lathrop tied that game at 4-4 with a service ace.  EHS stumbled a bit and Wallowa took a 6 point lead at 4-10.  EHS earned a side-out and Neil began her own 5 point service rally to tie the game at 10-10.  Neither team could gain more than a 2-point advantage until a winner by the Outlaws made it 22-19.  The Cougars fought back to tie the game at 23.  The next 6 points were all ‘side-outs.’  Wallowa held off a game-point at 25-24, and the Outlaws played brilliant ball to take a 26-25 advantage.  Neil came in and served an ace to end the game.  This game was great for fans – and the Outlaws were making great plays on the ball and showed their grit and determination.   Highlights: Serving: The Outlaws were 23/27. Aces: Neil-2; Lathrop-1. Kills: Foster-2; Stangel-2; Butterfield-1; Neil-1.  Assists: Bruce-4; Neil-1; DeSpain-1. Attack errors: 8. Receiving: the Outlaws were 18/20. Digs: 17/21. Blocks: None.  

Game # 4 Summary:  There was no ‘let down’ in the Outlaws after an emotional win in game # 3. The Cougars went out to a 1-2 lead.  Bruce had an ace to tie and the teams played evenly to 4-4.  A resounding Butterfield from Bruce kill charged up the Outlaws, and Neil had a 4 point rally – with two aces to make it an 11-7 game.  At 12-8 Stangel blocked a Cougar attack up into the air – which set it for a no-assist kill.  DeSpain took the Outlaws on an 8 point rally – with one ace.  Butterfield and Foster had kills from Bruce assists, and took the score to 22-13.  Donovan came into the game and punctuated the win with a three-point rally – including 2 aces!  Highlights: Serving: The Outlaws were 23/24. Aces: Neil-2; Donovan-2; Bruce-1; DeSpain-1. Kills: Foster-3; Butterfield-3; DeSpain-1. Assists: Bruce-6; Stangel-1. Attack errors: 1. Receiving: the Outlaws were 13/13. Digs: 17/21. Blocks: Stangel-1.  

This was a good match for the Outlaws.  They played two tight games – and they showed their fans a lot of calm and determination in game #4.  The girls were encouraged to trust their hitting abilities – and it showed.  They were hitting with a greater authority and the success they had should encourage them even more. The girls are playing great team ball.  They continue to show a great ability to ‘play balls off the net’ – and to scramble.  They are noted for their hustle – this bodes well.  It was good to see Lathrop getting in some time – and when Donovan gets her serve ‘in the zone’ – it’s a great addition to the team.  What this parent/fan enjoys is the early season ‘camaraderie’ that is being exhibited.   

Match Stats: (vs. Wallowa)  

Serving: Good/Attempts-Points off serve-Aces: (Team: 84/98  with 14 aces)  Individually: Bruce 17/19-10-3; Foster 24/25-16-2; Butterfield 0/3-0-0; Neil 16/20-14-4; DeSpain 13/13-7-3; Stangel 5/7-1-0; Donovan 5/5-4-2; Lathrop 4/6-3-0.  

Offense: Attacks/Attempts-Kills: (Team: 83/98 with 27 kills)  Individually: Bruce 16/18-2; Foster 22/26-11; Butterfield 18/19-9; Neil 6/8-1; DeSpain 11/13-2; Stangel 8/12-2; Harbeck 2/2-0.  

Assists: (Team: 23) Individually: Bruce-12; Neil-7; Foster-1; DeSpain-1; Stangel-1, Harbeck-1.     

Receiving: Good/Attempts: (Team: 58/64) Bruce 3/3; Foster 13/14; Butterfield 10/11; Neil 5/6; DeSpain 14/14; Stangel 10/11; Lathrop 3/5; Donovan 1/1.  

Blocks: (Team: 5)  Stangel-3; Butterfield-2.  

Digs:  (Team: 66/81)  Bruce 14/16; Foster 12/15; Butterfield 4/6; Neil 10/14; DeSpain 15/17; Stangel 4/6; Harbeck 2/2; Lathrop 1/1; Donovan 4/4.

by David Bruce

 It took five sets, but the Enterprise Outlaws began their volleyball season with a thrilling victory over in-County rivals – the Joseph Eagles.  The Outlaws won in sets of 25-20; 22-25; 21-25; 25-20 and 15-8. 

Game # 1 Summary: The Outlaws tallied the first three points with an opening side out and two aces by Bruce.  Both teams showed some early season form and played pretty evenly up through a score of 14-12. A highlight was a Neil to Butterfield kill.  Butterfield also showed great net play and had a first hit winner to make it 16-12.  Bruce had a quick dink across the net to make it 17-13.  The teams kept pace with each other until Stangel served an ace and took the score to 24-18.  A Butterfield from Foster kill would seal the game. 

Game # 2 Summary:  The Eagle went out to an early 5-1 lead and the Outlaws spent much time trying to get back to an even game.  It wasn’t to be.  A Foster service ace would make it a 15-16 game, but Enterprise could get no closer.  A Neil from Bruce winner, a Stangel from Neil point, and a McCarthy from Neil kill would highlight play, but the Outlaws would lose 22-25. 

Game # 3 Summary:  Again, the Eagle got off to a quick start and took a 3-0 lead before Butterfield stopped it with a ‘no-assist kill.’  The teams would trade points  - grudgingly giving up 2-3 points at a time.  The Outlaws would tie it at 9-9 with Neil serving.  It was also tied at 13’s, 15’s, and a Bruce to Stangel winner would make it 20-20.  Three quick points by Joseph would rattle the Outlaws a bit and the game was lost at 21-25. 

Game # 4 Summary:  The Outlaws faced this pivotal game with confidence and forced the Eagles into many long rallies.  A Bruce to Foster point made it 3-2.  Foster followed with an ace and another service point to make it 5-2.  The teams were tied at 6’s, 7’s, and then DeSpain led EHS to a 3 point mini-rally – including an ace – to make it 11-8.  A ‘rotation call’ against the Outlaws hurt but Foster came back with a strong kill.  Butterfield lead another mini-rally to make it a 19-15 game.  At 21-17 the Outlaws were called for a delay-of-game as they tried to substitute after the server was whistled to serve.  At 21-29 Foster came through with another winner.  The Eagles were ‘in the net’ to make it a 23-20 game and Bruce served an ace and Butterfield tallied a ‘tip winner’ to send it to game # 5. 

Game # 5 Summary:  Each team fought hard for this short set.  The Outlaws went out to a 7-2 lead as Foster had a 6-point serving rally.  Key plays included: a DeSpain – Bruce kill; a Bruce – Foster kill; a great play by Butterfield to prevent Joseph from getting the ball across the net.  Then Joseph slowly fought back.  It was an 8-7 game when Stangel scored on a Neil set.  Despain had a kill from Neil to give the Outlaws the serve at 10-8.  They never relinquished it.  Stangel had a block for a winner, Bruce killed a Neil set, DeSpain scored an ace, and at 14-8 Joseph muffed a pass and the Outlaws enjoyed the win. 

Reporter’s Observations:  This team has been called ‘scrappy.’  Well . . . they are!  They have a tenacity about them that will make this a great season.  They showed much improvement at keeping the ball alive off the net; they showed me more ‘net presence’ than I expected, and they are ALL hustling.  We will miss having a ‘go-to player,’ but we make up for it with having a team full of “I’ll get it done” type players.  Players were ‘flying to the ball’ and that type of hustle will win a lot of matches.  It was an exciting match – it always is when we can beat Joseph.  I hope that the excitement this team brings will get the support that they deserve!  

Serving Stats: (Good/Attempts) – Bruce 15/17 – 4 aces; Foster  22/24 – 3 aces; Neil 13-15; Butterfield 15/18 – 2 aces; DeSpain 17/18 – 1 ace; Stangel 14/15 – 1 ace; Harbeck 0/1. 

Points Off of Serve:  Bruce – 8; Foster – 15; Neil – 6; Butterfield – 10; DeSpain – 11; Stangel – 8; Harbeck – 0. 

Offensive Stats:(Attacks/Attempts – Kills):  Bruce 19/23 – 8 kills; Foster 14/18 – 4 kills; Neil 13/17 – 3 kills; Butterfield 17/23 – 8 kills; DeSpain 14/19 – 2 kills; Stangel 19/24 – 3 kills, McCarthy 1/2 - 1 kill, Lathrop 0/1. 

Assists:  Bruce 13; Foster 4; Neil 7; Stangel 1. 

Defensive Stats:(digs/attempts):  Bruce 12/15; Foster 19/20; Neil 14/14; Butterfield 9/9; DeSpain 14/14; Stangel 17/20; Harbeck 1/1; Lathrop 2/3. 

(receiving/attempts):  Bruce 7/8; Foster 10/12; Neil 7/8; Butterfield 18/24; DeSpain 11/14; Stangel 14/18; Harbeck 0/2; Lathrop 1/1. 

Blocks:  Stangel 3; Foster 2; Butterfield 2; DeSpain 1.