Photos: No. 16 Sandy volleyball falls short in first round loss to No. 17 South Eugene

Published 12:02 pm Thursday, October 31, 2024

Sandy volleyball, who entered playoffs on a hot streak, came up just short in a hotly-contested first round matchup.

No. 16 Sandy (16-10) lost 3-1 (21-25, 22-25, 25-23, 10-25) to No. 17 South Eugene (15-8) in the opener of the 2024 OSAA State Championships.

The Pioneers fought to not only get into playoffs, but also earn that home game, allowing the seniors one more time playing on their court.

Sandy closed the season with a 4-1 record. The highlight was a 3-0 sweep of Gresham (who also earned a spot in the playoffs) on Senior Night.

Star senior Maia Roach, who was named to the second-team all-conference, spoke after Senior Night.

“It was really emotional today, very sad, upset, end of an era,” Roach said. “But also very happy; I’ve had a great time being a Pioneer.”

“We worked hard to come this far,” she added.