Junior Paige Gerry gets into position to serve Thursday during the Lady Prospectors’ game against Heppner

Grant Union’s volleyball team lost to Heppner in four sets Thursday.

Senior Jordyn Young said, while some on the team were hitting well and playing hard, the team needs to communicate better.

Grant Union fell to Heppner in the first set 25-21, but bounced back in the second, winning 25-23, and lost 25-20 and 25-23 in the third and fourth sets.

Head coach Shanna Northway said Thursday was representative of how the team has played all season in that the team gets so close in winning matches but has struggled to finish for the win.

“All season long we’ve been battling in close matches,” she said. “We’re right there on the edge in every match, and we are not quite pushing through like the way I know we can.”

Northway said the team has struggled with last-minute changes to their roster and rotation in their games with Crane on March 29, where they lost 3-0, and then in Thursday’s game as well.

Nonetheless, the Lady Pros had nearly 20 more kills than Heppner and, as a team, were at 85% for digs and blocks.

Senior Madison Spencer led the team with 35 digs. At the same time, juniors Lauryn Pettyjohn and Paige Gerry had 32 and 13. Offensively, Gerry led the team with 15 kills while Spencer had nine and senior Abbie Lusco had eight.

Spencer said, with Thursday being Grant Union’s senior night, the team carried many emotions onto the court.

She said that coupled with a lack of communication and a change to the team’s offense with their regular setter being unable to play factored into the loss.

Spencer said not being able to have the junior varsity team in the stands to cheer them on played a role too.

With their final game less than a week away, Lusco, who will attend Eastern Oregon University in the fall, said she would miss her teammates when the season officially ends. However, she said she is ready to move on with her life, so the feeling is “bittersweet.”

The team was scheduled to face Pilot Rock Tuesday past press time before the 1A/2A east regional invite April 9 at North Powder. Grant Union will host Weston-McEwen at noon Saturday, April 10.