By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

With wins over Vale, Umatilla and Riverside, the Burns volleyball team wrapped up yet another Eastern Oregon League (EOL) championship and a berth in the 3A state volleyball playoffs.

This year marks the ninth year in a row that the Hilanders have won the league title, and the 10th in the past 11 years.

The Hilanders traveled to Vale on Thursday, Oct. 22, and came away with a hard-fought win in four games. The Hilanders lost the first game 23-25, and then came back to win the next three 25-10, 25-21, 25-20.

Abbey Fenton smacked down 19 kills to lead the Hilander offense, and Maddye Dinsmore added another 11.

Dinsmore was the team leader in assists, with 20, and Kaci Nonnenmacher finished with 18.
Chelsea Siegner led Burns in blocks with seven and Samantha Hooker had five.

Jamie Higle came up with 20 digs in the match, Dinsmore recorded 18 and Teri McConnell 16.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Hilanders boarded the bus for a trip northward for an EOL doubleheader.

The first stop was in Umatilla, and Burns defeated the Vikings in three games, 25-4, 25-13, 25-13.
Fenton and Dinsmore once again led the team in kills with 11 and seven, respectively.

Nonnenmacher finished with 18 assists and Dinsmore 15.

The Hilanders came up with 12 blocks in the match, led by Taylor Lee with five.

Higle and McConnell tied for the team lead in digs with seven each, and Nonnenmacher came up with six.
The Hilanders then traveled on to Boardman, where they beat Riverside in three games, 25-11, 25-11 and 25-11.

Burns recorded 34 kills in the match, led by Siegner with 10 and Fenton with eight.

Nonnenmacher and Dinsmore did the bulk of the setting once again, coming up with 15 and 13 assists, respectively.

Dinsmore accounted for five of the Hilanders’ blocks, while Lee and McConnell had four each.
Dinsmore and McConnell tied for the lead in digs with eight apiece, and Nonnenmacher added another six.

The Hilanders are now 9-0 in league play, and will play their final regular season match on Thursday, Oct. 29, when they host Nyssa at 4 p.m.

By winning the EOL, the Hilanders earned the right  to host a first round state playoff match against the No. 3 seed from the West Valley League, tentatively set for Saturday, Nov. 7. The time and opponent has yet to be determined.