SELAH – Fourth-ranked Ellensburg took a big step toward a 10thstraight CWAC regular-season championship Thursday night.

The Bulldogs beat Selah in four sets – 21–25, 25–23, 26–24, 25–20 – for their 53rd straight victory in conference play.

As you’d expect in the conference’s top rivalry, the Vikings gave  the runners-up in the last two state tournaments  all they could handle.

“Selah played well tonight and we didn’t do enough in serve-receive to stay on the attack as we like,” messaged seventh-year Bulldogs coach Jesse Stueckle, who is 55-1 against conference competition. “Our girls stay composed and climbed back after being down 11-17 in the second to pull out a close win. We made some defensive adjustments and were able to put together a few meaningful runs to secure the match.”

With an eight-match conference schedule, it’s the only time the teams will meet in the regular season, but figure to see each other come postseason.

Hadley Potts led the play at the net with 12 kills and three blocks, while Ashley Hill had 10 kills and nine digs, and Kylie Ayling added nine kills and 13 digs for Ellensburg.

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Potts and Ayling each had a pair of aces.

Ava Stueckle had 12 assists and 17 digs, and Addison Rounds totaled 14 assists and nine digs.

In other CWAC action, Toppenish swept Quincy (25-22, 25-18, 25-11), while East Valley topped Ephrata in four sets (18-25, 26-24, 25-13, 28-26), and Othello won at Grandview in four (25-20, 25-9, 22-25, 25-12).

In CBBN play, West Valley beat Davis in four sets to remain unbeaten in conference play. The victory comes a week after the Rams ended Wenatchee's four-year winning streak in league action.

Elsewhere in the CBBN, the sixth-ranked Panthers swept Eisenhower, and Moses Lake topped Sunnyside in straight sets.

Kamiakin opened its pursuit of a sixth consecutive Mid-Columbia Conference championship by sweeping Chiawana. The Braves are ranked ninth in the coaches poll.

Hanford topped Pasco in straight sets, while Walla Walla outlasted Southridge in five.

Class 1A No. 1 Cashmere posted its ninth straight sweep in SCAC play against Wapato, The Bulldogs, who won the small-school tournament at the SunDome Volleyball Festival, are 41-0 in conference play since joining the SCAC.

In other SCAC matches, seventh-ranked Connell beat Wahluke in straight sets, and Zillah beat College Place in four.

GIRLS SOCCER

Defending Mid-Columbia Conference champion Chiawana rolled past Pasco 8-1 on Thursday to remain in a first-place tie with Kamiakin, a 5-0 winner at Walla Walla.

Richland handled Hermiston 7-0 and Hanford beat Sageview 4-1 in other MCC action.

Defending CWAC champion East Valley remained the lone unbeaten in conference play with a 3-2 victory at Ephrata, with Natalie Mendoza netting a pair of goals for the Red Devils.

In other CWAC matches, Brea Potucek’s goal lifted Ellensburg to a 1-0 victory against Selah, Othello topped Grandview 2-0, and Quincy beat Toppenish 2-1, winning the shootout 3-0.

Cashmere improved to 9-0 in SCAC play by handling Wapato 8-0, Royal beat Kiona-Benton 8-0 and Zillah was a 4-0 victory against College Place.

FOOTBALL

Chiawana won for the second straight week, beating Hanford 28-21 in Mid-Columbia Conference action at Fran Rish Stadium.

The Riverhawks (4-1 overall, 2-1 MCC) host Kamiakin a week from Friday, while the Falcons (1-4 overall, 0-3 MCC) host Richland the same night.