The Rainier High School volleyball team made quick work of its first Central 2B League opponent by sweeping Onalaska on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Rainier earned its fifth win via sweep this season, 25-16, 25-20, 25-14, in what was perhaps its most complete team effort so far.
The Mountaineers tussled with a scrappy Loggers team in the first set, with neither team holding a lead larger than three points for the majority of the frame. After taking a 15-13 advantage, they raced past the Loggers with a 10-3 stretch, led by timely blocks by Anika Plowman and the finishing kill by Acacia Murphy.
Onalaska tested Rainier in the second, capitalizing on several poor serves by the Mountaineers to build a 19-14 lead. What followed was the most dominant stretch of play that head coach Carrie Ooms has seen from her veteran team this season. The Mountaineers pummeled the Loggers to the tune of an 11-1 run to close out the frame.
“We didn’t let up. We started off strong and we didn’t let up from there. Last season, we kind of got comfortable and let up a little bit,” Ooms said. “This season, we’re really working hard on keeping the pressure on and constantly giving our best no matter what.”
Senior Brooklynn Swenson flashed her versatility in the second as she lined up at her normal setter spot and also showed off her hops in the frontcourt, protecting the net with key blocks. She finished the game with 23 assists.
“She’s gotten a lot better at reading the ball and what’s happening on the other side of the court,” Ooms said.
The Mountaineers kept their foot on the gas to start the third, forcing an early Onalaska timeout by scoring six of the set’s first seven points. They led by as many as 11 in the final frame and completed the sweep thanks to more stellar play from Plowman and Allyson Ooms. Rainier (8-1, 1-0 C2BL) outscored Onalaska (6-3, 0-1 C2BL) 36-16 over the final set and a half after the Loggers led 19-14 in the second.
Katelyn Eckroth had a strong start to the C2BL season, dishing out 14 assists and adding four aces. Allyson Ooms tallied 13 kills and 21 digs, Murphy put up eight kills and two blocks, and Janess Blackburn logged 19 digs and six kills. Ellie Pringle recorded 17 digs and Liberty Adair added 12 digs.
For Onalaska, Emalie Jacoby shined with 20 kills, 12 digs and two aces, while Braelyn Babb dished out a game-high 25 assists. Despite being swept for the second straight match, Loggers head coach Susan Gordon liked what she saw from her team on the court.
"We played much more intense tonight and fought hard. They never gave up, and I felt we made Rainier earn each of their points," she said. "We need to be able to put together a match like this every time we step on the court. Consistency is something we need to learn."
With a rematch of the 2023 state quarterfinals against Adna (8-0) approaching on Tuesday, Oct. 8, Carrie Ooms wants her team to leave it all on the court against a Pirates team that defeated Rainier in three of four meetings last year. The most recent matchup saw Rainier upset an undefeated Adna in five sets in Yakima on Nov. 9, 2023.
“I have seen as good as this team can be, and they’re unbeatable when they play that way,” Ooms said of Rainier. “What’s missing is when they hesitate, when they stop communicating, when they second guess rather than being confident and playing how they know how to play. That’s probably the hardest thing for them is just [playing] all out all the time.”
Tuesday’s matchup against the Pirates is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Adna High School.
