Oakesdale continues dominance

OAKESDALE – The Oakesdale Nighthawks Volleyball team has shown this season to not only be one of the best volleyball teams in the area, but also the state.

The Nighthawks have yet to give up a set outside tournament play, going 15-0 in sets against Mary Walker, DeSales, Liberty, Almira-Coulee-Hartline and Colton.

Oakesdale only allowed one double-digit set to the Wildcats on Sept. 22, defeating Colton 25-8, 25-9, 25-13.

Payton Davis led the way for the Nighthawks with 15 kills. Samantha Holling had 23 assists, Gianna Anderson had 12 aces, Jessie Reed had seven digs and Davis, Reed and Bradyn Henley each had one block in the win.

Oakesdale has continued this dominance in tournament play earlier in the season, winning the Sundome tournament in Yakima on Sept. 16.

But this dominance has now gone beyond being a really good area team; it has now gone to the record books.

In the Linda Sheridan volleyball tournament on Sept. 24, with teams from eastern Washington in all different classifications competing, The Nighthawks showed that they’re not only one of the best teams in the area, they’re one of the best in the state.

The Nighthawks opened the tournament with a win over Lewis & Clark High School of Spokane, a 4A school. Oakesdale proceeded to beat 2B Asotin high school and another 4A school in Davis (from Yakima). The wins made the team the first 1B school to achieve a seeding in the top gold bracket in the history of the tournament.

The team then proceeded to beat two more 4A schools in a row, first defeating Richland high school and then defeating West Valley High School of Yakima. West Valley at the time was undefeated and ranked second in Washington polls for 4A schools.

“They played phenomenally well,” Oakesdale coach McKinzie Turner said. “They went up against some really big teams. Teams that are 4A teams and were ranked in the coaches’ poll last week. They just played their hearts out and had a lot of grit and determination.”

The Nighthawks then defeated Gonzaga Prep in the semifinal match of the tournament before losing to another 4A school in Graham Kapowsin in one set due to WIAA rules, 25-13.

The Nighthawks have competed in two tournaments this season, winning the first and coming second in the latest.

“We just work really hard in practice,” Turner said. “And we have girls that just love the game and love each other. And I think that that kind of all comes into play. And we’re just trying to get better. (Monday) we practiced and we were all pretty tired from the weekend, And if I talk to them I can get the best out of them. And I know some days their best won’t be the same as other days but they’ll give me their best every single day.”

Turner went on to say that for her and her team, the game is about mistakes and how you bounce back from them, the same as in life. And for her team, sharing those lessons is more important than the wins and losses.

Coming off a state championship win in 2021, Oakesdale looks to be the early favorites to repeat so far this season. And even though wins and losses aren’t the priority for this team, it looks to be properly exemplifying those results on the court as well as off.