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| Updated December 07, 2005 :: Home |
Tears, but Still a Trophy, They could hardly have been more fatigued, having given all they had through four grueling matches over two tension-filled days. But finally, when the Goldendale Timberwolves gathered with their sixth-place trophy from the Class 1A state volleyball tournament, senior Tessa Conroy managed to smile, hoist the hardware and produce one more celebratory, “woo-HOO!” Goldendale had hoped for more, of course, having come into Saturday in the SunDome as one of four semifinalists. But in their first match they fell to a young but explosive LaConner team 3-1 and, in the afternoon match for third and sixth places, lost to Onalaska by the same count. “All the guts in the world,” said Timberwolves coach Jodi Bellamy after a lengthy and emotional post-match talk with her players. “They played really, really hard. “But this is all part of it. There’s always an emotional challenge when you have to come back and play after losing a semifinal match. We struggled, but then we won that third game and had a chance in the fourth.” Indeed. After falling 25-22 and 25-12, Goldendale seemed to have hit the proverbial wall both physically and emotionally. Passes that had been sharp were sailing aimlessly and serves which had been difficult to return were falling into the net. But the Timberwolves sucked it up for a Game 3 win, 25-22, with junior Ashley Dyment unloading several thunderous kills including one for game point. Hoping to force a fifth game, Goldendale was within 22-24 on another Dyment kill before the Loggers closed it 25-22. The tears that followed resulted no doubt from combinations of the happiness that comes from a substantial team accomplishment, the sadness that a season has ended and the pride of having given one’s best. “I’m proud of the girls,” Bellamy said. “Very proud. These girls accomplished a great deal this season. All of them should be proud.” Amanda Durand, a 5-11 junior, had 18 kills and seven blocks for Onalaska while Chelsey Buffington totaled 35 assists. Against LaConner, a team with no seniors and just one junior, the Timberwolves won the first game 25-21 before falling 25-22, 25-15, 25-21. “We didn’t handle their outside hitters,” Bellamy said, “and we missed some important serves. Their No. 13 (5-10 sophomore Kathy Paul) had some really good digs for them. “But we made a great effort out of it.” The Timberwolves finished the first game in a rush. Down 19-20, they took a 21-20 lead on a Conroy kill, then made it 22-20 on a Tiffany Ferch kill. A Braves’ error made it 23-20, and after LaConner scored to temporarily stem the tide, a long Braves serve and another error closed it for Goldendale.
The T-Wolves led 5-0 in the second
game, but the momentum gradually swung toward LaConner. In an effort to force a fifth game, the Timberwolves led 16-15 and were within 22-21 on Alanda Seifert’s kill, but LaConner finished it 25-21. Setter Jessie Davenport totaled 37 assists, Dyment had 15 kills and four blocks, Conroy totaled 13 kills and eight digs and Ferch had six kills. Conroy, Seifert, Hanna Balcom and Jessica Perez were Goldendale’s only seniors.
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