Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Seniors Aliya Rutledge, left, and Desiree Brown lift the trophy with their team after beating Almira/Coulee/Hartline.
Senior middle blocker Logan Reed, a starter since eighth grade for Oakesdale, serves in the semifinals.
The Nighthawks embrace after sweeping Selkirk in the semifinals at the Yakima SunDome Nov. 9.
Las Vegas had Celine Dion and Britney, with Aerosmith and Lady Gaga next.
In Yakima, the Nighthawks-in-residence at the SunDome is held over for another year – Oakesdale winning its fourth consecutive state 1B volleyball championship Nov. 9 over Almira/Coulee/ Hartline.
The Nighthawks took the final match in four sets, after ACH fought off seven championship points. Oakesdale won 25-13, 21-25, 24-14, 25-22.
The third set loss was their only of the state tournament.
"These girls have a lot of heart, determination and drive," said Coach Brandy Brown. "The end goal was we don't want to accept anything less."
They swept Selkirk in the semifinals 25-21, 25-19, 25-17.
The day before, Oakesdale beat Sunnyside Christian in the first round and Pateros in the quarterfinals.
Brown has coached Oakesdale to three consecutive titles after returning to the helm in 2016, after previously leading Tekoa/Oakesdale to three state championships.
She now coaches daughter Justice Brown, a freshman setter for the 2018 winners. Brown's assistant, Joey Reed, is the mother of key players Logan Reed and LouEllen Reed.
Logan, a senior middle blocker, has started since the last time Oakesdale lost at state – when she was an eighth-grader in 2014. Brooklyn Henley and Aliya Rutledge, also seniors, are three-year starters.
"We've had some girls put in a lot of time outside the regular season in the last few years, and that makes a difference," Brown said, referring to playing on club teams.
Oakesdale finished the season 28-2.
STATE FINAL MATCH: Oakesdale vs. Almira/Coulee/Hartline
She had already slayed one Whitman County giant, could she do it again?
As a sophomore on the Almira/Coulee/Hartline basketball team, Gabi Isaak helped take down the Colton girls in the 2017 state 1B semifinals in Spokane, ending their reign of eight consecutive state championships.
At the Yakima SunDome, last Friday, Isaak, now a senior, advanced with her volleyball team to the state final against Oakesdale, the three-time defending champions, and seven-time state winners in eight years (including when they were Tekoa/Oakesdale).
For 2018, back in Yakima in the first week of November, the Nighthawks rolled in the semis and sang "Happy Birthday" on the court to junior Lizzy Perry, turning 17.
In the other semifinal, Almira/Coulee/Hartline outlasted Pomeroy –– the Pirates' coaches wearing orange and black T-shirts which read, "We are here to make a STATEment."
Isaak and the Warriors took the words right out of their mouth, or off the back of the shirts, winning in five.
Pomeroy, a Southeast 1B league foe of Oakesdale, suddenly was out of the running. They had lost in the state finals to Oakesdale for the past three years, and were again a favorite to make it to the title match. But the Nighthawks would instead meet someone new in the final.
That someone new looked good in warm-ups. Would this be a battle?
The center-court match at the SunDome began. Oakesdale jumped to an early lead, winning the first set 25-13.
In the second, ACH stayed close, a block by senior Ashley Mitchell tying the score at 19-19.
Then they took the lead at 20-19 on an Oakesdale mis-hit.
Time-out Oakesdale – and Coach Brown changed the offense to run setters more out of the back row.
ACH's Makenna Oliver served. A couple points later, Isaak spiked for 22-20 and Mikayla Rushton, another ACH senior, put a soft kill off of Perry. The Warriors went up 23-20.
Time-out Oakesdale again.
Almira/Coulee/ Hartline served, lost a point on a miscommunication, then Oakesdale's Aliya Rutledge served, a long rally ensued, and Isaak finished it off with a slam.
A sideout later, after a short back-and-forth, Isaak blocked home the set, 25-21 ACH.
The match was tied 1-1. Could this be a battle?
In the third set, Oakesdale took the lead again but ACH kept close at 14-11.
Did this feel as close as the score?
"We are! Warriors!" yelled the ACH crowd.
Perhaps, but at the same moment, something in the air suggested someone could have been back in Oakesdale dusting off a spot in the trophy case. It was a Friday, and school was in session.
Soon the Nighthawks were up 22-15.
Then a kill by Brooklyn Henley made it 23-15. Then it went to 24-15.
On championship point, ACH held off the first, then the second, and the third. It kept up, 24-15, 24-16, 24-17, 24-18, 24-19, 24-20, 24-21 to 24-22.
"I was trying to have faith the girls were going to get it done," Brown said.
On championship point no. 8, the ball sailed into play once again, it bounced around before Brooklyn Henley rose up and belted it off ACH's court for the state title.
The giant of Oakesdale volleyball in the 20-teens ruled again.
A school with the second smallest counted enrollment in the state [15 schools are not counted], in 2014 broke away from 30 years as Tekoa/Oakesdale for sports after a period of tense months that spring. The Oakesdale school board had first held back on an offer to join Tekoa/ Oakesdale/Rosalia for all sports – then decided to join but was turned away.
Oakesdale subsequently reached out to Garfield/ Palouse for a possible sports co-op.
When that failed Oakesdale was on its own.
The girls took it from there.
STATISTICS: For the two-day tournament, Logan Reed led the Nighthawks with 74 kills and 42 digs. Henley had 53 kills and 26 digs. LouEllen Reed totaled 76 assists and 45 digs, and Justice Brown had 49 assists and 23 digs. Aliya Rutledge added 34 digs and Lizzy Perry had 20.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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