Fallon plays spirited volleyball against Truckee

FALLON — Although Truckee defeated Fallon in their Northern 3A match Tuesday, the Greenwave volleyball team fought for every point against the Wolverines at the Elmo Dericco Gym.

Truckee (17-0 league, 26-4 overall), though, pulled away for a 25-15 win in the first set, dominated the second 25-11 and replay a similar scenario in the third, 25-15, after Fallon (6-11, 6-19) took the early lead. The Wolverines wrapped up the regular season on Friday against South Tahoe, 3-0. Coach Erika Murphy said the Wolverines have been playing short because of injuries and the flu bug.

Fallon played at Lowry on Thursday and defeated the Lady Bucks in five sets. No other information or statistics were available.

Truckee, though, has not lost a set since Sept. 22 and has won eight straight matches in straight sets.

Fallon’s final home match of the season also recognized Lady Wave coach Patty Daum, who announced to her team earlier that she was retiring after the final match of the year when Fallon travels to Lowry on Thursday. Daum began coaching in 2005 with Colleen Meihack for two years.

Before the match, Daum’s daughter Jessica, a 2006 graduate and former university volleyball player, and players from Daum’s earlier teams, surprised the longtime coach.

“I’m so proud to be part of their experience, so proud of the things they have given me as a mom and as a woman,” she said.

Daum also singled out her current team and the seniors — Taylor Ingram, Journey Martin, Lorynn Fagg, Shelbi Shultz and Rylee Buckmaster — who end their careers.

“I love this team. I love them all,” she said.

Truckee coach Erika Murphy said Fallon competed hard in the opening set and commended Daum and the Fallon players.

“Patty’s kids don’t let the balls drop,” she said.

Whether it’s a hard-hit ball in the middle or a roll shot, Murphy said Fallon adjusts well. Although Fallon won one of its past five matches, Murphy didn’t take Fallon lightly.

“They played five against South Tahoe, and that’s good,” she said.

Earlier in the month, Fallon took the Vikings to five sets before losing the final game.

After an emotional Senior Night and recognition for Daum, Fallon kept a 1- to 2-point lead against Truckee in the first set that saw four ties and two lead changes. The Wolverines struggled with the first two points with a double hit and a long kill attempt. Outside hitter Ryleigh Hogland ripped a kill, her first of five for the night, from the right side to give Truckee’s its first lead.

A serve deep in the court from the Wolverines tied the set, but Fallon moved ahead again on another Truckee kill that sailed cross-court and out of bounds. Kelly Cross, who led both team with nine kills, also had a hard shot from the left side.

Fallon’s Karlee Hitchcock and Buckmaster kept the Wave in the game until Truckee began to pull away. Aimee Penrose recorded a kill in the middle, and a second kill tied the set at 10. With the score eventually moving to another tie at 11, the Wolverines outscored Fallon 14-4 helped by two Cross kills, and tips from Hogland and Kaley Settle. Truckee’s Maria Galles, though, kept the Lady Wave on their toes with her serving for the final seven points. Galles’ ace gave Truckee a 24-15 lead, but on set point, Fallon returned her serve into the net.

“They played well in the back row — Taylor, Lorynn and Journey,” Daum said.

She also singled out Schultz for having a good match.

Truckee also set the ball effective for the hitters as Quinn Kirschner and Hogland each had 13 assists.

Fallon grabbed an initial 2-0 lead in the second set on an out-of-bounds Truckee return and Hitchcock’s block, but the Wolverines tied the set on a pair of Greenwave miscues and took a 3-2 lead on two consecutive aces hit by Cross. Penrose and Hogland gave Truckee some breathing room as they combined for six service points to give the Wolverines a 13-5 lead.

Kensli Rogne broke Hogland’s service with a kill.

Truckee outscored Fallon 10-4 to seal the evening’s second win. Fallon struggled with unforced errors, but Truckee had kills from Cross and Settle. As with the first set, a Fallon mistake gave the Wolverines a won.

The lead changed three times early in the third set, but Fallon had a key return from Rogne. With Fallon leading, Cross blocked Buckmaster’s return and also drilled a kill downline for a 4-3 lead. Fallon’s Madison Whitaker had her first kill of the match to tie the set.

Truckee pulled away and relied on Settle for a pair of kills in the middle of the set and on Cross and Penrose in the final stretch. Whitaker, though, nailed three straight kills for Fallon, but on set point, Truckee outmaneuvered Fallon on the line to pick up the winning point.

“In the third set, the juniors played most of the set,” Murphy said, explaining how she wanted to see next year’s players compete together without any senior help. “They still looked pretty good.”

While Fallon had good looks in the middle and return most of what Truckee dished out, the Wolverines put on a clinic with their digging with Galles and Cross each having 12 digs.

Truckee

Kills: Cross, 9; Settle, 7; Hogland, 5; Aimee Penrose, 4.

Aces: Cross, 4; Galles, 2.

Blocks: Hogland, 1.

Digs: Calles, 12; Cross, 12; Kirschner, 6.

Assists: Hogland, 13; Penrose, 13.

Fallon

Kills: Whitaker, 4; Ingram, 3; Rogne, 2.

Aces: Hitchcock, 1; Schultz, 1.

Blocks: Hitchcock, 5; Rogne,2; Schultz,2; Whitaker,2.

Digs: Martin, 9; Ingram, 8; Fagg, 5; Buckmaster, 5; Schutz, 3.

Assists: Schultz, 1; Buckmaster, 1.