BAKER VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs rally to turn back Tigers
Oct. 7—LA GRANDE — On a night when they weren't at their best, the Baker Bulldogs were still plenty good enough.
Neither a determined La Grande squad, nor a spirited student section in the Tigers' gym, nor their own mistakes could keep the Bulldogs from taking control of the Greater Oregon League volleyball standings with a four-set win on Thursday, Oct. 6.
Baker improved to 4-0 in league play, 13-3 overall.
La Grande and Pendleton are tied for second with 2-2 league records. Both of La Grande's losses are to Baker.
"It was a big win," Baker coach Ali Abrego said after the Bulldogs prevailed in the sort of grueling match that could help Baker prepare for upcoming challenges in the Class 4A playoffs.
Baker rallied to win the first set 25-18, lost the second set 25-9, then rebounded from La Grande's surprising domination to win the final two sets, 25-21, 25-15.
"When we don't have the home court advantage it's really, really hard to try to set the tone," Abrego said. "But these girls, they just want to compete. We're first in the league, and if we stay there we host a state playoff game, which is what we need."
Early in the match it didn't look as though the Tigers would pose much of a threat to Baker's unblemished league record.
The Bulldogs raced to a a 7-1 lead and led 12-5 midway through the first set.
But then La Grande found its rhythm.
The Tigers scored seven straight points to tie it at 12-12 and prompt Abrego to call timeout. La Grande scored the next point to take its first lead at 13-12.
It would also be the Tigers' only lead.
Baker led 14-13, and after La Grande tied it at 14, the Bulldogs started making sets to their biggest weapon, senior Jozie Ramos, the reigning GOL player of the year.
Ramos had four consecutive kills, and although La Grande coach Melinda Becker-Bisenius twice called timeout, the interruptions didn't interfere with Baker's momentum.
Ramos had five total kills as Baker scored seven of the last nine points to take the first set.
The second set was dramatically different.
La Grande never trailed.
After a communication error led to several Baker players watching a harmless La Grande return fall untouched to the floor, giving the Tigers a 7-2 lead, a frustrated Abrego called timeout.
But La Grande continued to play nearly flawlessly, digging Baker's hits and recording several kills.
Abrego said she thinks the Tigers had gained confidence after sweeping Pendleton in a league match two days earlier.
She said Baker, with its unforced errors, also contributed to the 25-9 set loss.
"It's very humbling to get beat in single digits, and that rarely happens to us," Abrego said. "It was a reality check for our girls."
The Bulldogs showed their resilience, taking an 11-6 lead in the third set.
But La Grande didn't wilt either.
The Tigers went on an 11-2 run to take a 17-13 lead, and it looked as though La Grande might take a 2-1 set lead and put considerable pressure on Baker.
The Bulldogs battled back to tie the score at 20, and a La Grande service error gave Baker the lead back at 21-20.
After a 21-21 tie, Ramos had a decisive kill to give Baker a 23-21 lead.
The set ended with a La Grande attack error.
That seemed to deflate both the Tigers and the home crowd.
Baker was never threatened in the fourth set after leading 6-3.
The Bulldogs, ranked fourth in the state, can clinch the GOL title by beating Pendleton on Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Baker gym.
Baker traveled to McCall, Idaho, on Saturday, Oct. 8 for a nonleague match against McCall-Donnelly.
In Thursday's other matches at La Grande, the Baker JV won in three sets, 13-25, 25-19, 25-22.
Baker lost the JV2 match, also in three sets.
