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PREP ROUNDUP: Crater sweeps EP, clinches MWL title By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Oct 20, 2022 09:37 PM A A EAGLE POINT — The Crater volleyball team wasn’t messing around Thursday night. In one of its most dominant performances of the season, fifth-ranked Crater rolled to a 25-8, 25-12, 25-12 win over Eagle Point to clinch the outright Midwestern League title, the Comets’ first since the 2019 season. “This was our most efficient match of the year,” said Crater head coach Leaf Jensen. “Everything was clicking for us. It was just very fluid.” Senior Kendra Bittle, who entered the day sixth in the state in kills regardless of classification, had a team-high 13 kills and added two aces and a block to lead Crater (16-4, 10-0 MWL) to a red-hot start in the opening two sets. The Comets built a commanding 17-3 lead in the first set. They then did the same thing in the second set, even taking it one step further by going up 19-3. The third set proved to be the closest of the night, with Crater holding a 15-10 lead before pulling away to close things out. “That was the best I’ve seen Crater play,” said Eagle Point head coach Jacob Schauffler, whose team fell to 9-8 overall and 5-5 in the MWL. “We’ve played them three times this year and I’ve seen them a decent amount on film and that was their best game. They were truly clicking. That’s a tough team and when they play like that, they prove why they’re a top-5 5A team.” Maddie Kocina added six kills and 10 digs for the Comets, who have won all 10 of their league matches in straight sets. Alexa Gugliotta had seven kills and two blocks, while Danica Huntoon chipped in seven kills and three blocks and Crater setter Kate Stidham recorded 37 assists and seven aces. The Comets had just five hitting errors in the entire match. “I know we were a big size mismatch, but one of the things we’ve been struggling with is ball control — and we did well with that tonight,” said Jensen. “It shows what I’ve been telling all year, when we control the ball, we are going to be tough and it’s becoming abundantly clear how good our offense is.” Eagle Point’s Megan Carr and Addison Holcomb each had four kills, while Baylee Mullen added three kills. Emma Kness recorded 15 digs, while a trio of Eagles — Alexandria Esquibel, Abby Trautman and Holcomb — each had eight digs. Makynlee Schauffler finished with 10 assists, two blocks and six digs for the Eagles. Both teams wrap up the regular season with road doublehaders against Thurston and Springfield on Saturday. SHELDON 3, NORTH MEDFORD 0: Sheldon clinched the outright Southwest Conference title with a 25-15, 25-12, 25-10 victory, dropping North Medford to 8-13 overall and 4-8 in SWC play in its regular season finale. The Irish improved to 24-5 overall and 11-1 in league. Boys Soccer SOUTH EUGENE 7, SOUTH MEDFORD 0: At Eugene, South Eugene scored three first-half goals and cruised from there to record the Southwest Conference victory. South Medford dropped its fourth straight game to wrap up the regular season 6-8-1 overall and 4-7-1 in SWC play. The Axe improved to 11-3-1 and 9-2-1 to wrap up first place in the SWC. Girls Soccer NORTH MEDFORD 2, WILLAMETTE 1: North Medford sophomore Olivia Boger tallied twice and senior goalkeeper Margaret Hamlin notched a few clutch saves to preserve the lead and a second-place Southwest Conference finish at Spiegelberg Stadium. Isabella Driskell won the ball on the right side and sent a 20-yard crossing pass onto the feet of Olivia Boger, who directed a one-touch effort low and into the goal to give North Medford (7-4-3, 6-3-3 SWC) the final goal at around the 18-minute mark in an offensive-minded first half. Maile Duxbury scored just under two minutes into the match for Willamette (6-6-2, 4-6-2), taking a touch pass from Makayla Christensen before making one dribble and then a shot over the head of North senior Bianca Pezqueda, who got the start in goal on senior night. Boger scored an equalizer five minutes later for the Black Tornado, taking a looping ball from Payton Miller and using her left-foot to send an untouched shot across inside the far post. Hamlin was able to make that 2-1 lead hold up in the second half, most impressively on a hard, close-range shot at the edge of the penalty box by Maddalena Benedetti and then another low shot soon after. ST. MARY’S 1, LOST RIVER 0: At Merrill, St. Mary’s senior Carmel Ashland scored on a long-distance shot for the second time in as many games midway through the second half to settle the District 4 contest. Ashland took a free kick from about 30 yards out and saw it bounce over the head of the onrushing Lost River keeper to break a scoreless contest for the Crusaders (6-7-1, 6-6-1 Dist. 4). Ashland and Gabriel Cooper each had a chance to double the St. Mary’s lead in the final 10 minutes, with Cooper’s shot hitting off the post and just in front of the goal line. Freshman Eva Castillo had a strong game in her first-ever start in the center of the St. Mary’s defense, with help from Sadie Glaser. LAKEVIEW 5, CASCADE CHRISTIAN 1: Cascade Christian was able to create early scoring chances but couldn’t covert them into goals, as Lakeview/Paisley pulled away for the District 4 win at Lithia & Driveway Fields. The Challengers (4-9-1, 4-8-1 Dist. 4) got a late goal from Autumn Murray off an assist by Madyson Winters after the Honkers (10-4, 9-4) were able to pull away from a 1-0 halftime lead. Cascade keeper Josie Scaglione made 10 saves, while freshman Mae Ferreira and Bella Williams had strong games and midfielder Ellie Vanlandingham contributed to the early scoring chances. Crater's Kendra Bittle, shown in action earlier this season, had 13 kills in a straight-set win over Eagle Point on Thursday. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]