Grant Union Prospector Baylee Combs quickly gets to the ball in Tuesday’s game against the Union Bobcats.

The Grant Union Prospector volleyball team fell in three sets to the visiting Union Bobcats Tuesday, Oct. 15, in John Day.

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

Grant Union head coach Ali Abrego said her team lost focus on the end goal.

“We came here to put up a fight,” she said. “I don’t think it was a team we should have lost to.”

She said their errors outweighed the positives in the match.

“I would say that Union definitely knows where to place the ball,” she said, adding her team had trouble reading the tips and working together to come back from a deficit.

On Saturday, the Prospectors travel to Enterprise to make their case for the district tournament, meeting up with the Enterprise Outlaws at noon and the Pilot Rock Rockets at 1:30 p.m. The two matches will be Grant Union’s final conference games of the season.

Both Enterprise and Pilot Rock were visitors at Grant Union’s Dig Pink Rally on Oct. 5, with the Prospectors sweeping Pilot Rock and winning 3-1 over Enterprise.

Union leads the pack in the Blue Mountain Conference, 10-0, 18-2 overall. Stanfield and Weston-McEwen are tied 6-4, followed by Heppner and Grant Union, tied 5-5.

The top four teams will advance to the district tournament scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26, at Union High School.

“At this point, it’s just who shows up to play,” Abrego said, adding that with the teams tied, “We have to go one out. Hopefully, we get a chance at districts, and if not, then we’ll be done.”

Tuesday’s loss was a heartbreaker, especially due to senior night.

“The senior class is a fun group. They’re really lively,” Abrego said.

She said, after having them for two years, it will be hard to see them go at the close of the season.

“They’re great kids, and I love being their coach,” she said.

After Saturday’s game, Grant Union travels to Burns to face the Hilanders at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, for a nonconference game.

Blue Mountain Conference

Union, 10-0, 18-2, No. 3

Stanfield, 6-4, 16-7, No. 11

Weston-McEwen, 6-4, 16-8, No. 7

Heppner, 5-5, 11-14, No. 20

Grant Union, 5-5, 10-14, No. 14

Enterprise, 1-7, 8-12, No. 29

Pilot Rock, 0-8, 2-18, No. 38