By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
MILL CITY, Ore.– For the first time since the 2013 season, the Delphian Dragons have won a Volleyball District Title as they defeated Santiam (score).
It seemed fitting, with the Wolverines knocking Delphian out of the 2A State Playoff Picture in 2024 and Santiam ending the Dragons perfect Tri-River Conference season, that this was when Delphian got a sense of redemption on Santiam. Putting to bed the bad juju that they’ve encountered at this gym the last two times they’ve come to Mill City.
Their three set victories saw massive rallies that gave them the momentum to close out the sets. Even their second set defeat, the Dragons made a late set rally to make it close by sets end. It was just the energy that they brought, the determination not to fall again at Santiam that drove them to the four-set League Championship victory.
“It was huge. This gym…we’ve always been scared of this gym, but we just decided to come to this gym ready to play and just decided to play and dominate,” said Delphian’s Liv Curry, who won TRC Player of the Year honors. “We’re all going to come together and go to State ready to play.”
Now, locking up the top seed out of the TRC, the Dragons will look to do something they haven’t done since that 2013 season:
Return to the State Tournament.
“We can work on connecting and getting that energy up because we have these points where we get down on ourselves, I think as we come together, get on the same page, we all can bring it up and dominate,” said Curry.
For the Wolverines and their young squad that got them to this point, it was just a taste of what they’re expecting to see here in a few days.
Loud crowd. Good competition and the chance to extend their season.
“Delphian is a good team, and playing them honestly right now is good for us. They came out with a lot of energy, and I think we needed to come out with more energy. Once we get into those slumps, it’s hard for us to get out,” said Santiam’s Maizy Downey, a TRC First-Team selection. “I think it’ll get us ready. We need competition like that and next time I think we’ll be ready.”
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
