JOHN GUNTHER/For OSAAtoday
NORTH BEND — Marshfield and Marist Catholic packed enough drama for an entire tournament into every set of the championship match at the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Volleyball Championships on Saturday night at North Bend High School.
When the final point was scored, Marshfield had its second crown in three years, avenging last year’s title loss to the Spartans in Springfield.
The Pirates out-lasted the Spartans 26-24, 25-21, 23-25, 30-28.
“I’m so excited,” said Marshfield setter Ava Ainsworth. “My emotions are everywhere. Our team left everything we had on the court.”
The same could be said for the Spartans, who very nearly pushed the Pirates to a fifth set after losing star middle blocker Avy Roundy to a knee injury midway through the first set, when Marist Catholic was ahead 15-11.
“I think we did well,” said outside hitter Giana Elgarico. “No matter the outcome, what matters was how we played as a team and how we treat each other. Chemistry is most important.”
The team’s slogan is “We are One” and the team shirts also bear the words “Play for the girl next to me.”
The Spartans did that, but didn’t have quite enough to overcome a top-ranked Marshfield squad that also thrives on teamwork.
“We worked so well as a team,” Marshfield’s Tatum Montiel said. “We know we can rely on each other.”
Fitting for the top two teams in 4A who were meeting for the sixth time in two years, every set was closer than close.
“Every single point,” Ainsworth said, noting how many times the teams traded leads late in the sets. “There were one-minute rallies every time.
“It was so fun.”
After Roundy went down, Marist Catholic stretched its first-set lead to 17-12 and still led 22-18 before a final rally by Marshfield — the resilience of the Pirates a repetitive theme throughout the match.
The Pirates tied the score at 22 before Kimmy Spurlock and Elgarico had kills for Marist Catholic, sandwiched around a service error by the Spartans to give Marist Catholic set point at 24-23.
But Montiel tied the set with a kill and Marshfield’s McKenzie Fitzgerald-Thornton had consecutive blocks to win it.
The second set was the only one that didn’t go down to the wire as Marshfield built an 11-5 lead. But even then the Pirates had to hold on as the Spartans rallied from 23-17 down to 23-20 on a kill by Elgarico and an ace from libero Kegan De Lee.
Montiel had another timely kill for Marshfield and after Marist Catholic got the serve back, the Spartans sent it long to put Marshfield up two sets to none.
Marist Catholic appeared headed to a relatively easy win in the third set, leading 18-11, when Marshfield again charged back, using a 10-2 run that included a pair of kills by Alie Clarke and another stuff block by Fitzgerald-Thornton to take a 21-20 lead. Consecutive errors by the Pirates gave the Spartans the lead back and Marist Catholic went in front 24-22 on a kill by Elgarico and an ace by Lee. Marshfield held off the first set point, but a well-placed tip by Elgarico forced the fourth set.
The Spartans were poised to force a fifth set, leading 23-19 after a kill by Spurlock, before another massive comeback by Marshfield.
The Spartans had a defensive miscommunication that let a ball fall to the floor and Montiel had consecutive kills to make it 23-22. Marist Catholic’s Adriana Lyons Rivera had a kill to give the Spartans two set points at 24-22 but Marshfield saved both on a kill by Montiel and a hitting error by Marist Catholic.
Marshfield went in front with another kill by Montiel, but Elgarico had a kill and Alexa Henderson a stuff block and Marist Catholic was back in front 26-25. Ainsworth tipped to an open spot in the Marist Catholic defense to keep the Pirates alive after they denied two potential set-ending kills by the Spartans with good defense and a Marshfield block put the Pirates at match point again up 27-26.
The teams traded kills — by Montiel and Elgarico — and then Montiel had a smash to the corner that was ruled just out.
But the Spartans gave Marshfield the serve back with a hitting error and the match ended when libero Chloe Runn had an ace for the Pirates, sparking a huge celebration for Marshfield and its big crowd.
“I may have developed an ulcer,” Marshfield coach Tammie Montiel jokingly said of the tight nature of all the sets. “They’ve done that all season long to me — it’s no surprise they’d do it again.”
But the coach quickly turned the praise to the entire team working together. While Tatum Montiel, her daughter, had the vast majority of Marshfield’s kills and attempts, Clarke, Fitzgerald-Thornton and freshman Caroline Knutson each had several big kills. Ainsworth did a great job distributing the ball and Runn led the defense, digging up Marist attack after Marist attack, many of which were tipped by the Pirates on the front row.
“Everyone on the court stepped up and did their job,” Tammie Montiel said. “I’m super proud of them.”
The result was the second title in school history.
“I have so many emotions,” Tatum Montiel said. “I’m so happy.”
Marshfield capped a season that didn’t include any losses to other 4A teams. Both setbacks came to Pleasant Hill in tournaments.
“All the girls were ready to fight from Day 1,” Tatum Montiel said. “We knew what we wanted after last year.
“To do it with my cousins and my mom as coach is the best thing.”
All four Marshfield seniors — Ainsworth, Montiel, Clarke and Analise McCord are cousins who have been playing together about a decade.
Marist coach Shari Pimental praised her team’s efforts, especially playing most of the match with a lineup it had never used because of the injury to Roundy.
“Our kids played hard,” she said. “I’m super proud of them.
“We talk about staying in it together and playing for each other. They’ve done that really well.”
Taylor Murphy, a right-side hitter, moved into Roundy’s spot in the middle and the team adjusted to the new lineup with its typical balanced attack. Elgarico had 16 kills, Lauren Rohman 15 and Spurlock and Lyons Rivera 12 each. Spurlock also had five aces. Rohman, who splits time between setter and right side hitter depending on the spot in the rotation, had 25 assists and Anna Edwards 20.
“Our libero played phenomenal,” added Pimental of the work by Lee on defense.
Third Place
Crook County swept Stayton 25-8, 25-15, 25-14 after losing in the semifinals to Marist Catholic on Friday night.
“Our girls were very determined to seal the deal after first place wasn’t an option anymore,” coach Makayla Lindburg said. “Our serve and service receive was absolutely stellar and (the Eagles) had a hard time running anything off it.”
Lindburg said her team showed similar defense to its performance against the Spartans a night earlier and had better offense.
“Makenna Maykut was a fierce hitter and put some balls away,” she said. “LIllimae Brumble was fast and dynamic in the front row. Callie Winebarger went on many serving runs and Kendall Martinez ran the back court. They couldn’t put anything away on her back there. It was a show.”
Stayton, which lost to Marshfield in the semifinals, was in the state tournament for the first time in 23 years and took home the fifth-place trophy.
Fourth Place
The Dalles outlasted Cascade for the consolation trophy as both squads played 10 sets on the tournament’s second day.
The Dalles won the trophy match 25-22, 25-18, 17-25, 19-25, 15-10. Earlier, the Riverhawks beat Henley 25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-15, 15-8 while the Cougars topped Pendleton 24-26, 25-16, 25-20, 24-26, 15-9.
“It was a good match,” The Dalles coach Teresa Morris said. “This is a great group of girls. They play for each other.”
The Riverhawks were in the tournament for the past two years, but lost both matches both times.
“Their goal was to come to state and win a match — and we won two,” Morris said. “We exceeded our goals.”
The Riverhawks were led by middle blocker Laci Hoylman and outside hitter Jazzy Morris-Holmes. Hoylman is one of four seniors on the team, along with Chrissy Geary, Alice Peluso and Maddie Brock.
Cascade has just one senior, outside hitter Kamryn Sande.
The Cougars thrived all weekend despite having no height, relative to most other squads, and nearly won after falling behind by two sets in the consolation final.
“Our girls played hard this weekend,” coach Cristina Williams said. “They’re tiny but mighty. They showed it tonight. To fight that hard was amazing.
“They’ve really grown this year.”
Williams said her squad was led by Sande and setter Irene Rocha-Ibarra, who has grown into a team leader.
Awards
Ainsworth was a unanimous pick for the all-tournament team by the coaches and was joined on the first team by Montiel, Marist Catholic’s Elgarico and Roundy, Crook County’s Brumble and Morris-Holmes of The Dalles.
The second team included Marist Catholic’s Lee, Crook County’s Winebarger and Paige Wood, Cascade’s Rocha-Ibarra, Hoylman of The Dalles and Stayton’s Kenzie Hollenbeck.
Stayton won the sportsmanship trophy.
