KITTITAS–Seventh-place Dayton-Waitsburg defeated White Swan on Senior Night October 24 to earn a play-in match and keep their EWAC playoff hopes alive, but the Kittitas-Thorp Lady Coyotes brought the season to a close Tuesday with a three-set win.

DW, with its win over White Swan, traveled to Kittitas-Thorp Tuesday, October 29 for a play-in match against EWAC No. 3 Kittitas-Thorp. The Lady Coyotes prevailed in three sets, 25-10, 25-14 and 25-11.

Kittitas-Thorp plays tonight at Columbia-Burbank, facing the EWAC No. 2 team, Walla Walla Valley Academy, in the Columbia High School gym.

"Last night [against White Swan] was a well-deserved win," commented Head Coach Tara Brenner. "The girls had an unbelievable, show stopping Senior Night. The community support helped these ladies to continue the hard fight."

After DW celebrated Senior Night, senior Anne Miller, who had seen primarily junior varsity action during the season, was called up by Coach Brenner to serve the opening match. Miller, with help from head's up play by teammates and a few unforced errors by White Swan, served Dayton-Waitsburg to a 13-0 lead before the Lady Cougars were able to manage a side out.

On the strength of that initial jump, DW coasted to a 25-7 win in the first set.

White Swan didn't allow a repeat in the second set and it was DW's turn to commit unforced errors and drop behind. The Lady Cougars kept two or three steps ahead of Dayton-Waitsburg up through the teens until Teagan Larsen stepped into serve and the team pulled ahead 20-17.

Kailyn Lewis, playing her final senior regular-season game, served the set from 20-19 to 24-19, then Dayton-Waitsburg won set point on the next White Swan serve error.

The third set unmistakably belonged to Dayton-Waitsburg. Larsen opened serving with three straight then Kirsten Miller and Elise Steinhoff built the lead to 6-3.

White Swan's next serve was short and Mackena Culley took the lead and served Dayton-Waitsburg into a four-point lead, White Swan getting side out when Lewis's kill landed long.

Sadie Seney's kill gave DW the serve back and the Lady Cougars froze at five points after a side out then Lewis served DW to an 18-5 lead.

White Swan made a small rally in the last section of the game while servers Steinhoff, Seney and Larsen finished them off 25-13.

Kills: Lewis 1, K. Miller 7, Seney 14, Larsen 2, Farley 6.

Assists: Culley 7, Larsen 14, A. Miller 4.

Digs: Lewis 10, K. Miller 11, Steinhoff 8, Seney 4, Culley 3, Larsen 1, Farley 1, Abel 8, Anne Miller 1.

-Chronicle photo

Anne Miller, a senior player on the junior varsity team, was brought up to varsity and served to start the match, and during her serve Dayton-Waitsburg jumped to a 13-0 lead before White Swan broke the string. DW went on to win in three sets and advance to a play-in game at Kittitas Tuesday.

Blocks: Seney 3, Farley 3.

Dayton-Waitsburg endured a long bus ride and were set back by illness on the Tuesday, October 29 play-in game at Kittitas, falling in three sets 25-10, 15-14 and 25-11.

"The long bus ride and many sick players did not help our performance," Brenner commented.

"The girls did take some hard hits and tried to work together but fell short," she added. "Our season is over but we finished with life-long friendships."

Kills: Farley 1, Lewis 1, K. Miller 1, Seney 3, Forney 1.

Assists: Larsen 2, Culley 1, Forney 3.

Blocks: Farley 4, Seney 1.

Digs: Lewis 2, K. Miller 9, Larsen 2, Steinhoff 11, Abel 2, Claudia Benavides 3, Forney 1.