ONLINE EXCLUSIVE - Oakdale High’s varsity volleyball team landed two big wins over top-tier division I opponents this week, while water polo, tennis, golf and soccer teams battled against opponents on their respective schedules.

Volleyball

Oakdale landed impressive wins over two D-I teams that qualified for the postseason a year ago. They ousted Buhach Colony (7-3 in the Central California Conference in 2010) after a 3-1 stanza of games on Sept. 12. A day later, the Mustangs dropped Enochs in three terrific games. The Eagles were 23-10-1 a season ago and won the Modesto Metro Conference.

The Mustangs took 25-20, 15-25, 26-24, 27-25 scores on Buhach and beat Enochs after 25-19, 26-24, 25-22 tallies.

Oakdale setter Kellie Gratigny had 23 assists and 17 digs against Buhach, and added 29 assists, nine points and 14 digs against Enochs. Brittany Salas pulled up 33 digs with six points on Buhach, and reached for 21 digs and nine points on Enochs. Kaitlin Van Ryn blasted 14 kills, nine points and six digs against the Thunder, and delivered four kills, eight points and 10 digs against the Eagles.

Justina Keith had 13 kills, five points and 24 digs vs. Buhach and found eight kills, 10 points and 15 digs in the Enochs game. Domi Powell added seven kills and seven points in the first match and took Enochs for four kills, nine points and six digs.

Christina Covarrubias (12 digs, five assists, 14 points) and Madison Ault (11 digs) shined vs. Buhach while McKenzie Willet (12 kills) and Haley McIntyre (six kills) had success vs. Enochs.

Oakdale opened the Valley Oak League season today, Sept. 15, against Lathrop.

Water Polo

Oakdale varsity boys and girls opened the Valley Foothill Conference schedule with back-to-back wins this week.

The girls won 13-1 over Central Catholic on Sept. 12 after four goals each by Savannah Stender and Katie Vanderberg. Kendyl Burford, Lauren Travers, Shelby Stender, Jennie Siemsen and Cassie Lee each found the net once.

The Oakdale boys took an 18-0 landslide after five Neal Cadra goals and four scores by Braden Lee. Jeremy Neathery (three) and Brandon Terwilliger (two) landed multiple scores while Ben Kirby, Wil Cavanaugh, Adam Lahey and Taylor Leach found the net once.

Two days later, the Oakdale girls impressed in a 12-1 storm over Kimball. Freshman Shelby Stender scored four times while Savannah Stender added three. Travers, Vikki Swarthout, Siemsen, Cassie Lee and Alissa Burford found scores as well. Hayley Benson made two saves in the net.

Oakdale’s boys won in 23-3 fashion the same day after five Neathery scores and four from Braden Lee. Cavanaugh, Kirby, Terwilliger and Cadra landed two scores while Lahey put up three. Casey Whitley scored once as well. Michael Tripp and Frank Rossier each had four saves for the Mustangs.

Tennis

The Mustangs kept their perfect Valley Oak League record alive with an impressive 7-2 rout of Sierra on Sept. 13.

Lindsay Dunn (6-1, 6-0), Alejandra Martinez (6-1, 6-0), Emily Johnson (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) and Kalkidan Curtis (6-1, 6-2) pulled off singles victories. Laurie Baxter and Katie Odom sparked the first of three doubles wins after 6-3, 6-2 scores. Corin Hernandez and Taylor Davis won a pair of 6-0 victories while Francesca Orvis and Carly Rogers delivered 6-0, 6-4 wins.

Golf

Another VOL team bit the dust on Sept. 13 after Oakdale (5-0) defeated visiting Sierra in a 242-292 score.

Mabel Wong shot a 36 while Nicole Stastny (48), Dylanie Donahue (51), Michelle Desrochers (52) and Kimberly Russell (58) contributed.

Soccer

Oakdale had a rough start to the VOL campaign after a 5-1 loss to Sierra on Sept. 12 and a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Kimball two days later. Goalkeeper Scotty McNeil made 13 saves across two games. Sergio Gutierrez scored on a Javier Aguiniga assist during the loss to Sierra. Oskar Nilsson scored one of his two scores against Kimball in the first half for a 1-0 lead at the break, but Kimball fired back with four second-half scores. Tony Ott landed two assists in the loss.