By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

YAMHILL, Ore.–  The dominance that is Cascade High School Volleyball has never been questioned.

35-1 in Oregon West Conference play and 63-16 overall since 2013, three consecutive OWC-Titles and two Top Six finishes during that span.

Those records were after their competitive sweep of Yamhill-Carlton Thursday night.

Entering Thursday’s night game, the Cougars sat 10-2 and 5-0 in conference, they easily took Set one over the Tigers 25-16.

That was, until Yamhill-Carlton (0-12, 0-6 OWC) charged in the second and third sets to keep up with the three-time OWC Champions as they look to give Cascade just their second league loss in these many years.

“It’s a lot of pressure for us,” said Cascade Head Coach Christina Williams.  “But the girls work hard, tonight wasn’t the best quality of what we played in the past.  But they fought and they didn’t allow it to happen.

“They could’ve completely dropped down and allowed it to happen.  They have goals, we go over goals at the beginning of the year, this is what they want and they work hard at every practice.  They expect to work hard on Monday, tomorrow and continue to work on things.”

When they go to practice Friday before Cascade’s Homecoming Football game versus Rival Stayton, there is an sense of an eye opener versus the Tigers after they start hot at the start of the year.

“It was definitely eye opening,” said Kaeyln Worst. “Like, ‘We need to stay course.  We need to be more discipline.  We need to put in the work to be able to get our championship that we want.”

As they use the weekend to heal up for game two of the second loop through the conference, the Cougars know they have a tough challenge versus rival Stayton in Stayton Tuesday.

“I’m always excited to play Stayton, it’s really fun having Mariah (Hollenbeck) with us because she was for Stayton last year so it’s always fun to play them,” said Worst.  “We’re so close with them because our schools are so close.  So I’m really excited.”

Hollenbeck will make her return to the Stayton gym for the first time this season, but instead of wearing the Eagle colors as she did for three years before this year, the senior will be wearing the black and yellow of Cascade.

“I’m ready to go and my team’s ready to go,” said Hollenbeck. “We’re pumped.”

First serve is at 6pm Tuesday Night at Stayton.

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