Dinsmore, Fenton named to All-Tournament second team
By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald
The Burns volleyball team ended its season with a fifth-place finish at the OSAA 3A State Volleyball Tournament held Nov. 13-14, at Lane Community College in Eugene.
The Hilanders started the tournament off with a three game sweep of Portland Adventist, winning 25-15, 25-21 and 25-23.
After winning the first game in relatively easy fashion, the Hilanders found themselves down 4-0 early in the second game. Following a sideout however, Kaci Nonnenmacher served six straight points to give Burns a lead they wouldn’t relinquish on their way to the win.
Portland Adventist stayed close in the third game, never trailing by more than five points, but Burns was able to finish them off and advance to the tournament semi-finals.
The Hilanders finished with 40 kills in the win, led by Abbey Fenton with 19.
Kaci Nonnenmacher was the team leader in assists with 22, and Maddye Dinsmore added 13.
Defensively, Burns came up with seven blocks, led by Taylor Lee, Chelsea Siegner and Dinsmore with two apiece, and Fenton and Jamie Higle came up with 17 and 15 digs, respectively.
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The Hilanders were matched up against the No. 1 ranked Santiam Christian Eagles in the semi-finals, and ended up losing in four games, 25-27, 18-25, 25-23 and 25-15.
Trailing 18-12 in the first game, the Hilanders put together an 8-0 run behind the serving of Maddye Dinsmore to grab a 20-18 lead. The two teams then traded several points, and Burns was close to picking up the win with a 24-22 lead.
After Santiam Christian scored the next three points to take a 25-24 lead, the Hilanders tied it at 25-25, only to have the Eagles score the final two points to get the win.
Burns fell behind 16-12 in the second game and could get no closer than three the rest of the way as Santiam Christian took a two games-to-none lead in the match.
The third game saw the Hilanders build a 20-14 lead, and then hold off a late charge by the Eagles to win 25-23.
In the fourth game, Santiam Christian went on a 9-0 run to take a 15-5 lead, and eventually the win.
Fenton again played solid for Burns, recording 13 kills, 14 digs and three blocks. Dinsmore added nine kills, 18 assists, two blocks and seven digs. Siegner finished with six kills and four blocks; Teri McConnell three kills, and 14 digs; Nonnenmacher 14 assists and three digs; Samantha Hooker four kills; and Higle 20 digs.
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Burns played Valley Catholic in their final match of the tournament, and the season, to decide who would take home the third-place trophy and who would receive the fifth-place hardware.
The Hilanders never got untracked in the match and ended up losing in three games, 18-25, 13-25 and 19-25.
“We just had too many unforced errors,” Burns coach Paula Toney said. “But we did have a very successful season.”
The Hilanders could only muster 18 kills in the match led by Hooker with five.
Hooker also had four of the Hilanders’ 10 blocks.
Dinsmore led the team with nine assists and Nonnenmacher added six, and McConnell finished with nine digs to lead Burns in that category.
The Hilanders’ Dinsmore and Fenton were both named to the All-Tournament second team.
Santiam Christian went on to win the 3A state title, defeating Cascade Christian in three games.
Valley Catholic was awarded the sportsmanship trophy.
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The Eastern Oregon League released their 2009 All League teams on Monday, Nov. 16, and the league champion Hilanders were well represented.
The All League selections are as follows:
Co-Player of the Year:
Maddye Dinsmore, So., Setter, Burns
Kaci Nonnenmacher, Jr., Setter, Burns
Other 1st Team All League:
Abbey Fenton, So., OH, Burns
Jamie Higle, Sr., L, Burns
Shelby Mooney, Sr. OH, Vale
Kayla Nelson, Sr., OH, Riverside
Shannon Croghan, Jr. Setter, Grant Union
Aspen Riggs, Sr., M, Grant Union
2nd Team All League:
Brooke Hawkins, Jr., Setter, Vale
Amy DeLong, So., M, Vale
Whitley Reece, Jr. OH, Riverside
Samantha Hooker, Sr., M, Burns
Teri McConnell, Jr., OH, Burns
Mackinsey Nash, Jr., Setter, Grant Union
Honorable Mention:
Taylor Lee, Sr., M, Burns
Chelsea Siegner, Jr., M, Burns
Bre Wilson, Sr., L, Grant Union
Angela Mitchell, Sr., M, Nyssa
Melissa Rodriguez, Jr., S, Nyssa
Cindy McLaughlin, Jr., M, Riverside
Jordan Connell, OH, Jr., Riverside
Amanda Schylse, Sr., DS, Vale
Nicole Rutten, So., L, Vale
Katelyn Cranston Schafer, Sr. Umatilla
Coach of the Year: Paula Toney, Burns
Mustangs receive tourney’s Sportsmanship Award
By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald
The Crane Mustang volleyball team finished the 2009 season at the OSAA US Bank, Les Schwab 1A state championship tournament last weekend, and when the last ball had been served, the Mustangs had claimed the fifth-place trophy, the sportsmanship trophy and three all-tournament selections.
Crane started the tournament with a match against the Southwest Christian Wildcats, coming away with a three-game win. The first match victory put the Mustangs into the semi-finals against the Imbler Panthers, with Crane taking a loss. The Panthers would go on to defeat Griswold for the state championship. The Mustangs played for third and fifth place against Hosanna Christian, losing a hard-fought, five-game match.
At the end of the state tournament, the Mustangs were honored with the tournament sportsmanship trophy. In addition, Natalie Bentz and September O’Crowley were named to the tournament first-team all-stars, and Brooke Nyman was selected to the second-team all-stars.
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In their first match the Mustangs defeated Southwest Christian 25-16, 25-18, 25-15. Tied through a score of 9-9 in the first game, Crane moved into the lead with O’Crowley in servers’ position. Nyman and Emilee O’Toole teamed up for set-kill combinations, and Crane took the momentum to the win.
In game two against Southwest Christian, errors on the Mustangs side of the net led to a 7-10 deficit for Crane. The Mustangs began to ease back, and tied it up at 14. Bentz hit two kills off of Nyman sets, and Crane went on a six point run to take the lead to the win.
O’Crowley served nine straight points mid-way through the third game, sealing the game and the match for the Mustangs.
O’Crowley ended the match with 19 points, with Bentz scoring 16. Nyman and Cassidy Corrigan served for 12 points, O’Toole made 10 and Hannah Buermann scored six.
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Facing the Imbler Panthers in the semi-finals, the Mustangs took a harsh 5-25 loss in the first game. Crane’s blocks were going off court, and Imbler’s serves and kills were finding the holes in the Mustang defense.
The second game had Crane running even with the Panthers through a score of 10 with Buermann and O’Crowley digging the balls in the back row for the Mustangs. Imbler gained a five-point lead, but Crane came back to tie it again at 21 with Nyman setting for Bentz. At a score of 23-24, Imbler hit the winning point on a kill to the middle.
The third game of the match had the Panthers taking an early lead. In spite of ace serves by Buermann and Nyman, Imbler got the 14-25 win.
Buermann was high-point server with 10, followed by Corrigan with nine and Nyman with eight. Bentz served for seven points, O’Crowley had six and O’Toole made four.
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The match for third and fifth placings was an even run with Crane and the Hosanna Christian Lady Lions exchanging wins, and going into a fifth and deciding game to 15 points.
After being tied all the way through 17, the Lady Lions hit a streak and jumped up three points, taking the first game, 22-25.
Crane came back to dominate the second game, with Bentz serving 11 straight. During the run, she hit two aces, and O’Crowley and Buermann downed a kill apiece. After the Lady Lions got a side-out point, Crane’s Corrigan stepped in to serve and put up eight more in a row, including four straight aces. The Mustangs went on to win 25-8.
Hosanna Christian went ahead early in the third game, and kept their advantage to a 16-25 win over Crane.
Again, the Mustangs bounced back and got an early lead in the fourth game. Crane was up by one point, 16-15, and an O’Toole kill gave the Mustangs the momentum to spread their lead. At a score of 24-19, O’Crowley blocked a Lady Lion hit for the winning point.
The fifth and final game had the score tied at 8, 9, 10 and 11. A Mustang hit out of bounds gave Hosanna the serve and the lead. The Lady Lions racked up four straight points to take the game, the match and third place.
Bentz served for 22 points in the match, with Corrigan making 21. Buermann had 18, O’Toole made 16 points, O’Crowley served for 10 and Nyman made nine.