×

’Jacks take game from Chateaugay

Tupper Lake’s Elaina Daniels gets under a ball during Wednesday’s home match against to Chateaugay. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

TUPPER LAKE — For the first time in nearly a decade, the Tupper Lake volleyball team took a set from the Chateaugay Bulldogs, but despite the closeness of the score, the visitors walked away with a 3-1 win Wednesday night in Tupper Lake.

The first set of the best-of-five match was tight, and with the Lumberjacks in the lead 5-4, Elaina Daniels and Sierah LaValley worked hard to keep a long rally alive before Chateaugay slid the ball to the back corner to even the score. In the back-and-forth set, neither team got far ahead, but the Bulldogs came out with a 25-19 win.

The visitors came out strong and earned an early lead in the second set, but solid serving by Tupper Lake sophomore Caydence Tyo put the Lumberjacks in front 6-3. London Tyo continued the strong serving to expand Tupper Lake’s lead to 12-7, and along with good defense from LaValley and Chelsy Locke, the home team won the second set 25-22 to even the score at one set apiece.

Chateaugay began to pull away in the third set, as the back-and-forth gave way to streaks where each team held the serve for numerous points. The Bulldogs got up 9-3, but Tupper rallied to come within two with Locke on the serve. The visitors held off the challenge for a 25-16 victory.

Chateaugay continued to dominate early in the fourth set, going up 7-0 before Caydence Tyo tipped a ball over the net to break the streak and give the Lumberjacks their first point of the set. Caydence Tyo continued to serve well, bringing the ‘Jacks back within two, but the Bulldogs pulled away again and put the match away with a 25-17 win.

Caydence Tyo tips the ball over the net for a point late in Wednesday’s home match against Chateaugay. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

Despite the loss, Tupper Lake is still at .500 on the season, and coach Diane Helms said her team is playing better than it has in years.

“It’s been really good; the kids are having fun,” Helms said. “Actually, this is the first time we’ve taken a set from Chateaugay since 2011. They played their hearts out. Chateaugay always has great teams, they really do.

“They always give me everything they have. They do the best they can every time they go out there, and there’s just some days it doesn’t happen. And other days, all cylinders are firing and we take a set from the best team in the league.”

The lone senior on the team, LaValley, said the squad has a tighter feel to it this year.

“I thought everyone was scrappy and playing well, so I thought it was a really fun game — it was even,” she said. “We need to talk more, maybe work on our serves more. Because when we can’t serve, it’s kind of hard to play offense.

Tupper Lake senior Sierah LaValley prepares to send the ball over the net early in Wednesday’s match against Chateaugay. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

“I think it’s been better than most of our seasons. We’ve won a little more, we’ve had better team chemistry and everyone has been more positive. I think we’ve been more scrappy rather than passive.”

The Lumberjacks next travel to Brushton next Tuesday and will wind up the season with two home matches on Oct. 22 and 25.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today