Ukiah/Long Creek junior Jenny Kim saves the ball in Friday’s game against Dayville/Monument.

The Dayville/Monument Tiger volleyball team may have swept the Ukiah/Long Creek Mountaineers in Dayville Friday, but both teams played with heart.

The Tigers won with scores of 25-17, 25-14 and 25-16.

Dayville/Monument pulled away early in the first set, Tiger senior Aubrey Bowlus had three good serves, including two aces, when her team gained an 18-7 point lead.

Ukiah/Long Creek sophomore Lilly Cave answered with four good serves and two aces to narrow the gap to 7 points, but Dayville/Monument came back swinging for the 8-point win.

The teams tied the score four times in the second set before the Tigers started to pull away.

Dayville/Monument freshman Hannah Hand was instrumental in the push forward with seven good serves, including three aces. A gentle tip at the corner from Tiger sophomore Aubreianna Osborne had the Mountain Lions unable to return.

“We had some players step up and work on their transitioning and offense and defense,” said Dayville/Monument head coach Treila Osborne. “Haylee Collins and Hannah Hand did a great job and served very well — they all served well.”

Early in the third, Ukiah/Long Creek junior Kitty Vaughn had an ace, then Bowlus hit hard on the next play to get the ball back, and Tiger senior Denali Twehues added two aces.

The Mountain Lions kept their fight strong, keeping within 1-2 points until the halfway point. Dayville/Monument senior Katie Barker closed the game with two good serves.

“This week we worked really hard on teamwork and talking to each other,” said coach Osborne.

“Denali, Aubrey and Aubreianna were our anchors this week,” she said. “They were talking to our other players and were very consistent.”

She added that junior Samantha Adams “did a great job and was coachable, eager and she hustled,” and Katie Barker “hit well in the front row and had lots of great kills.”

Twehues said Collins and Hand were new starters this week.

“They really stepped up, and I’m proud of how they played tonight,” Twehues said. “We’re all playing different positions, and I’m proud even though we’re working out some kinks.”

Ukiah/Long Creek head coach Linda Studtmann said her players worked out some jitters at the start of the match.

“They had to get over that part,” Studtmann said.

She said although the team lost Dorotha Johnson to an injury the previous day in a 3-1 loss to Nixyaawii, which included two 1-point set losses, “they pulled together and did really well.”

Dayville/Monument faced two tough teams Saturday at Central Christian High School, Camas Valley (ranked No. 11) and Central Christian (No. 7). The Tigers, currently ranked No. 44, lost both matches with Camas Valley winning 25-16, 25-17 and 25-12 and Central Christian winning 25-15, 25-18 and 25-12.

“Against Camas Valley Aubreianna Osborne had five kills, Denali had 10 assists,” said coach Osborne. “We had great teamwork and hustle. We shadowed the ball and had amazing saves.”

In the game with Central Christian, Aubreianna Osborne had five kills, Hand and Barker each had one kill and Twehues had 14 assists.

“The entire team served very well in both games and had excellent coverage,” the coach said. “I was very proud of our team’s performance playing such high-ranked teams from Redmond.”

The Mountain Lions host the Tigers at 5 p.m. Friday in Ukiah. Dayville/Monument will face Crane at 5 p.m. Saturday on the road. Ukiah/Long Creek faces Crane junior varsity on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.