EUGENE — Yamhill-Carlton’s volleyball team suffered a first-round loss in the OSAA 4A state championships Friday afternoon at Lane Community College in Eugene. The Tigers lost to defending state champion Sisters 25-19, 25-18, 25-14.
The Outlaws came out fired up, rolling to a 13-5 lead in the first game.

“There was certainly a little fear — you could see it,” Y-C coach Julie McGraw said. “But at the same time, the players were excited, wanting to take it to Sisters the Y-C way. It just didn’t happen. There was no flow. We didn’t play Y-C volleyball. Then it was a shell-shock thing. The players weren’t used to anything like this.

“We could have beaten this team. As a coach, I was thinking the middle was wide open and they were slow. But the players have to be on the same page. We just couldn’t get it together.”

Senior Natalee Uhlich finally stopped the bleeding, charging the net and blasting a kill through the Outlaw defense. Then Uhlich’s block on the following play sparked a Tiger run.

“This was probably her best performance,” McGraw said. “She was a vocal leader. Throughout the regular season she played a role, but tonight she actually took charge. It was great.

“She’s a senior and this tournament means a lot to her. She wanted to serve, swing away and set; she wanted to do everything.”

Quite simply, Uhlich was ready to play.

“I was so pumped to start the game,” Uhlich said. “Playing the No. 1 team in the state is something we should be excited about. I wasn’t trying to be cocky, but I wanted to play well.”

Setter Alexis Findley stuffed an Outlaw middle hitter at the net and freshman Madison Ogden followed with a spectacular save, cutting Sisters’ lead to 15-12.

However, Outlaw outside hitter Shea Kotal recorded back-to-back kills, ending the Tigers’ hopes of a first-game comeback.
Uhlich made a spectacular play in the second game, elevating from the back row and crushing a shot off an Outlaw defender. Junior Sami Lee hammered a shot through the heart of the defense, giving Y-C a 9-7 lead.

Unfortunately, Sisters made runs of four and seven points, taking a commanding 17-11 lead.

The Tigers finally involved Cowapa League star Elle Anderson, who recorded her first kill late in the second set. Then she reeled off four straight service points, including an ace that cut the deficit to one (18-17).

“Elle’s the go-to hitter, but we didn’t use her enough,” McGraw said. “We had no offense in the first game. In the second game, we tried to set to Elle, but it didn’t happen.

You have to get the pass up (in the air) for Elle, but our passers really struggled. Elle never got going.”

Sisters responded with a five-point run of its own and won the game, 25-18.

The Outlaws grabbed a 4-0 lead to start the third set. Anderson exploded out of a squat position and unleashed her fury on the volleyball.

After a side out, Anderson called for the ball and tomahawked it down the left sideline, taking advantage of a perfect pass from the sure-footed Findley.

“Findley’s the quickest player on the floor and she got upset over some set calls by the ref early on,” McGraw said. “It’s hard to talk about her performance because she didn’t play her game. When she’s on, you can’t stop her. She’s a great athlete.”
Sisters refused to give in, building an eight-point lead and eventually winning the match.

The Tigers took the first round loss hard.

“It’s always frustrating coming off a win against a team like Estacada and then losing in three,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t our best play; we could do a lot better.

“Sisters had a couple really good outside hitters and their passing was almost flawless. They ran their offense and we struggled against it. They did a good job.

“Tonight, we’re going to focus on being together as a team, not worrying about the Sisters match. Tomorrow we have to come out and play our game.”

Y-C plays Douglas at 10 a.m. today for a chance to play in the fourth-place match at 2:15 p.m. McGraw and the Tigers remain optimistic about their chance to finish in the top four at state.

“The players are embarrassed right now,” McGraw said. “Tonight, we’re going to hang out as a team, focusing on the game tomorrow. If the players come out and play their game, they’ll win. And then they’ll win the next one.”