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Esch sparks Phoenix win MURPHY -- With standout sophomore April Darby sidelined for the year with a possible torn anterior cruciate ligament, Phoenix coach Tom Murphy was forced to go to great lengths to find a replacement at outside hitter. "I had to go all the way to Germany to get a replacement," Murphy said. "There's no bounds I won't take." Katherine Esch, a foreign exchange student who had been a junior varsity player, got the call from Murphy and contributed nicely Thursday in Phoenix's 15-5, 15-6 win over Hidden Valley in Skyline Conference action. "She did a good job passing and just fitting in," Murphy said of Esch, who was 3-for-3 hitting with one kill. Beth Nikodym had four kills and Sutton Jackson added three, but the service line provided the Pirates' main offensive threat. Janene Murphy went 10-for-11 serving with four aces, while Jackson and Sam Hollander were each 6-for-7 and combined for three aces for Phoenix (5-1, 1-1 Skyline). "We served well and they had a hard time with their serve-and-receive and couldn't transition into any kind of offense," Murphy said. Hidden Valley dropped to 0-2 in Skyline Conference play. HENLEY 15-15, MAZAMA 5-6 -- At Klamath Falls, Henley's serve kept Mazama off balance and the Hornets attack wore down cross-town rival Mazama in the Skyline Conference match. Sophomore Sam Young led Henley's net play with nine kills, while Alice Myers added eight. Bree Maupin provided 15 assists for the Hornets. LAKEVIEW 15-15, ROGUE RIVER 1-8 -- At Lakeview, junior Jamie Ruda paced a balanced Honker attack with six kills to help Lakeview (6-1) improve to 2-0 in Skyline Conference play. Rachel Manibusan served five straight points to give Lakeview a 13-1 lead in the first game, and the Honkers went up 6-0 in the second game and coasted from there. Freshman Megan Albertson added 18 assists for Lakeview. Rogue River dropped to 1-1 overall and in league play. NORTH VALLEY 15-15, ILLINOIS VALLEY 2-2 -- At Cave Junction, North Valley improved to 2-0 in the Skyline Conference behind the play of senior Amanda Renius, who had eight kills and four aces. North Valley recorded nine aces in the match. The Cougars couldn't get their offense in gear because they had difficulty passing the Knights' serves. Elena Mendoza had a team-high 11 assists for North Valley. Non-conference ST. MARY'S 15-15, ETNA 6-5 -- The Crusaders improved their season record to 4-0 as Lani Brophy and Kim Hansen shined at the service line in non-conference play. Brophy served for the first 11 St. Mary's points in the second game, while Hansen served for eight straight in the opener. Kristina Easton chipped in six digs for St. Mary's. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.