Lady Eagles Lose 3-1 Heartbreaker to Monterey

By Terry Futrell

The Oakdale Lady Eagles volleyball team lost a heartbreaker to Monterey Thursday evening at Oakdale. Taking the first set 25-22, the Lady Eagles led in each of the last three sets, only to see the Lady Wildcats claw their way back in each set for the 3-1 victory.

Stats for the teams were as close as any we have seen this season. Oakdale had 16 service aces, while Monterey had 13 in the four sets. Monterey’s height advantage proved to be the difference-maker as the taller Lady Wildcats were able to get above the net and strategically place return volleys into open areas of the court.

The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead early in the first set and never trailed as they fought every comeback attempt by Monterey and won the set 25-20. Oakdale showed tremendous improvement in serving over the past season and tallied five service aces in the set, compared to three for Monterey. Each team committed only one service fault. Breanna Letner served three aces for the Lady Eagles and Amelia Clark served two.

Oakdale took a 6-0 lead in the second set, with Amelia Clark serving three aces in her first six serves. The Lady Wildcats closed the gap to one point at 12-11, and finally tied the score at 16-16. Monterey started to pull away, but Oakdale fought back to trail by one point at 20-21. The Lady Wildcats then scored four in a row to win the set 25-20. Both teams were strong at serving, with each scoring six aces. In addition to Clark’s three aces, Oakdale’s Lana Davis served two aces. Monterey’s Serenity Nolan served four aces in the set.

The two teams battled from the outset in the third set with Monterey holding a slight lead. Oakdale tied the set at 9-9 and matched the Lady Wildcats point-for-point until the score was tied at 12-12. Monterey slowly pulled ahead, winning the set 25-16.

The battle continued into the fourth set, with Monterey taking a 3-point lead at 8-5. Once again, the Lady Eagles showed their determination and fought back to tie the score at 12-12 with Amelia Clark serving. Clark served up three more points, including consecutive aces, to give Oakdale a 15-12 lead. The Lady Wildcats fought back to tie the set at 16-16. The set was tied twice more before Monterey pulled ahead at 19-18. The Lady Wildcats then forged ahead to win the set 25-19 and the match 3-1. Oakdale’s Clark served four aces in the set.

The match was one of the most competitive and most entertaining of the young 2019 season. The Lady Eagles played tough throughout the four sets and showed the volleyball program at Oakdale continues to develop and is vastly improved over the past year. Oakdale Coach Misti Clark stated “We have really worked a lot over the summer. We worked a lot on individual skills.” Clark further stated, “I was super proud of them tonight”.

The Lady Eagles next face Wartburg on Tuesday, September 10, in what should be another very competitive match.

Monterey won the junior varsity match 2-0 (25-19, 25-11)