Bulldogs Take Down Desales On Irish Turf

WALLA WALLA -- The Dayton Lady Bulldogs improved their league record to 4-1 with a win over the Desales Fighting Irish Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs took the first point of the match with a kill from Shelby Smith. A long volley ending with a tip dropping on the Bulldogs put the Irish on the board.

The Bulldogs went to work with a kill from Courtney Mings and two kills from McKayla Bickelhaupt to contribute to an 8-all tie and an Irish time out.

The two teams would swap points with several missed attacks and the game would be point for point to a 19-all tie.

A Bulldog kill would put them up by one and the Irish would take their second time out.

The Irish scored on two back-to-back kills and Bulldog Darci Hall got her hands on the next attack and blocked it back into the Irish court putting the Bulldogs up, 22-21.

The Irish were unable to return a Bulldog attack in three hits and were then caught in the net putting the Bulldogs at game point, 24-23.

The adrenaline was high both on and off the court and after a gruesome volley, the Irish's Emma Fiebeck missed an attack attempt and the Bulldogs took game 25-23.

The Bulldogs began game two with missed attacks and dropped balls and soon found themselves down 14-6. Only nailing two kills, the Bulldogs weren't able to recover and droped game two to the Irish 25-19.

The Bulldogs came back with a vengeance in game three scoring first with one of many well placed tips from Bickelhaupt.

Six kills from Bickelhaupt combined with five other Bulldogs each sending a kill into the Irish court would contribute to a 25-20 game three win.

The Bulldogs scored first in game four off of an Irish missed attack and the battle began.

It was edge of your seat, nail-biting action as the game had six times the score board showed a tie.

The Bulldogs maintained its intensity and wore down the Irish, point by point.

The Bulldogs held the lead 23-22 and it was two back to back Bickelhaupt tips sent deep into the Irish court that won the match 25-22.

"I was glad we didn't go to five games," said Bulldog Head Coach Shannon Turner. "The girls played their game and stayed solid throughout the night."

Bickelhaupt lead the Bulldogs with18 kills and 19 digs. Darci Hall and Chelsea Wooldridge each tossed up 14 assists.

Wooldridge and Courtney Mings had 100 percent serving with Mings having 4 kills and 2 blocks.

Nicole Lambert and Jessica Tate each had 4 kills with Lambert digging up 23 Irish attacks and Tate getting down and dirty for 24 digs.

The Bulldogs are now ranked second in the Blue Mountain League and face Tri-Cities Prep Thursday Sept. 27 at 5 p.m.