<I>The Eagle/Dan Toner</I><BR>The Prospectors get ready to take the court before their home win against Nyssa Sept. 27 at Grant Union High School.

JOHN DAY – After a two-loss skid, to say the Prospectors’ Sept. 27 volleyball sweep over conference foe Nyssa was huge would be an understatement.

“Our girls played so well in that game,” said Grant Union Head Coach Karen Broemeling. “We were communicating so much better as a team and attacking the ball more aggressively. These are the things you want to do.”

The Pros (2-2) moved to third place in the Eastern Oregon League with the win, and now must hit the road for five consecutive games.

Grant Union started the first game with 8-1 run sparked by an impressive hit by junior Taylor Croghan and a perfectly placed tip by Marzuri Waggoner.

But the Bulldogs delivered an 8-1 run of their own fueled by several Pro defensive miscues, prompting Broemeling to call for time.

“We knew that they were pretty much a defensive team,” said Broemeling.

Out of the break, junior Jacee Retherford set up a kill for Sharon Houpt, increasing the Pro lead to 12-10 and sending Houpt to the server line where she stayed for five consecutive Grant Union scores.

After taking a 21-12 lead, junior Amanda Buckhaults delivered a kill and two Bulldog faults later, Houpt ended the game at 25-13 with a tip.

The Pros didn’t pull away until late in the second game when the score was tied at 17-17 and junior Megan Nash converted a tip to give Grant Union a one-point advantage.

Nyssa responded with a 3-0 run to take a 21-18 lead, and after a Bulldog fault, senior Sabrina Hoffman scored a big return, cutting the deficit to 21-20 and setting up a big kill by Buckhaults to tie the game.

The Pros capitalized on three Bulldog miscues to end the game at 25-22 and gain a 2-0 lead in the best of three series.

Grant Union started the third game with a 7-0 run led by tips from Retherford and and a big kill by junior Katelyn Page. After letting their lead dwindle to 12-8, Houpt sparked a six-point Pro run with an ace, and the Pros ran away with an easy win.

“Our serving overall was just a lot more solid in this one,” said Broemeling. “I think that if we continue to work on the basics and our strengths, we’ll keep it up and do well in league.”

Highlights of the game for the Prospectors include kills by Page (8), Buckhaults (4), Waggoner (3) and Nash and Hoffman both with one. Houpt added 15 assists, and Retherford finished the game with 10.

The Grant Union junior varsity squad swept Nyssa 25-15 and 26-24.