Nighthawks are League Champions

POMEROY - The Oakesdale Nighthawks continued its dominating run with a Southeast 1B League championship on Friday, Nov. 1.

The team defeated Liberty Christian, DeSales and Walla Walla Valley Academy, all by a score of 3-0, to maintain its League title.

On Monday, Oct. 28, the Nighthawks beat Liberty Christian by scores of 25-13, 25-12 and 25-23. Eighth grader Parker Davis led Oakesdale with 11 assists and six kills, with sophomore Grace Perry also adding six kills. Freshman Lyla Kjack led with nine digs and two blocks, with junior Bradyn Henly also adding two blocks.

Against DeSales on Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Nighthawks won by scores of 25-15, 25-13 and 25-17. Freshman Megan Crider paced the Nighthawks with 16 assists and eight digs. Davis added eight digs of her own, along with four aces, and Perry notched two blocks. Kjack had an all-around match with 13 kills, six digs and two aces.

"It was a real team effort tonight," Oakesdale coach McKinzie Turner said after the match. "It was fun to see Lyla Kjack have a really great game tonight. She came out and led us on the scoreboard, it was fun to see."

Oakesdale went on to defeat Walla Walla Valley Academy in the League championship on Friday, Nov. 1, by set scores of 25-12, 25-14 and 25-21.

Crider paced the Nighthawks with 18 assists and 12 digs, with Henley addings 12 kills and four blocks. Kjack and Perry had two aces apiece.

The Nighthawks move on to the 1B District 6 tournament in Rosalia as the No. 1 seed from the Southeast. Their first match is against the No. 2 seed from the Northeast, Valley Christian, at 4 p.m. today, Thursday, Nov. 7.

"We want to control the controllables and what can we control? Our attitude, our effort, all those things," Turner said. "When we refocus on controlling what we can control, we do really well and it makes us more consistent."