EPHRATA — The Tigers went 2-1 in Pool A action at their home tournament, securing their first two wins of the event against Royal and Oroville before falling to eventual pool winner Tri-Cities Prep.

The Tigers opened strong against Royal, dropping the first set 18-25 but rallying to win a crucial second set 25-19 before taking the third set 15-8.

Ephrata dominated their match against Oroville with a convincing straight-set sweep, 25-7, 25-4, showcasing their offensive firepower and defensive control.

"Sidney Chornuk did a great job stepping into the libero role this weekend," said Ephrata coach Britney MacLeod. "She gave us steady ball control and many opportunities to score."

MacLeod also praised the leadership of Izzlee Haney and Alexis Chornuk, noting both "did a great job of being both defensive and offensive leaders" throughout the tournament.

In their final pool match, the Tigers kept scoring close, but couldn't maintain momentum against Tri-Cities Prep, falling 21-25, 21-25.

The Tigers finished second in Pool A with a 2-1 match record (4-3 in sets) and advanced to the Silver Bracket, where they fell to Lakeside in the opening round, 25-17, 27-25.

Looking ahead, MacLeod sees the tournament experience as valuable preparation.

"We go into tonight's match with a few more reps under our belt and really working on setter-hitter connection," MacLeod said. "We are still working on breaking down the volleyball IQ and strategy side of the game. But this team loves the sport of volleyball and that alone is a great foundation to build on."

EPHRATA — Despite a strong opening set, Ephrata fell to visiting Grandview 3-1 in volleyball action Thursday, Sept. 18.

The Tigers came out firing in the first set, taking it 25-16, but couldn't maintain the momentum as Grandview responded with three consecutive set victories to secure the match.

Ephrata's offense was paced by Alexis Chornuk and Addison Vasquez, who each recorded nine kills, while Izzlee Haney added six. Alyssa Dymarkowski set up the Tiger attack with 24 assists.

Defensively, Faith Rodriguez anchored the back row with 19 digs, while Sidney Chornuk contributed 10. Both Alexis Chornuk and Briayer Fisher served two aces for the Tigers.

After dropping the opening set, Grandview tightened their game, winning the second and third sets by 25-17 and 25-18 margins before closing out the match 25-20 in the fourth.

After an 0-4 start, the Tigers will look for their first match win of the season when they return to action today (Sept. 23) at Marty O'Brien Court, hosting Mason High School at 6:30 p.m.