THE WAIT IS OVER! HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS BEGIN!
Area high school sports begin this week. The Wesleyan Christian School Lady Mustang volleyball team opens Thursday at home against Claremore Christian at 6 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Aug. 10, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Fall high school sports are revved up and ready to launch into action next week.
Following is a closer look at some of them.
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BARTLESVILLE VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Bruins’ home opener is set for Tuesday against Booker T. Washington at approximately between 6:30-7 p.m.
Bartlesville coming off a ripping 30-9 record last season during Andrew Blain’s first year as head coach. The Lady Bruins finished just a few points away from advancing to state — which would have been a team first for several seasons.
Blain bid good-bye to some sizable talent, most notably Emry Brown, one of the state’s elite outside hitters. Some other key graduation casualties included middle blockers/hitters Rya Christensen and Marissa Demuth, defensive specialist Mads Hyde and setter Hayden Brandon.
Part of the veteran nucleus returning for Blain have been setter Emma Parsley and libero Sophie Frye. Blain also welcomes back some other experienced contributors as well as promising newcomers.
The Lady Bruins will receive a spirited test against Tulsa Washington, which finished at 30-5 and as the Class 5A state runner-up.
Tulsa Washington downed Bartlesville twice last season. The second meeting evolved into a fierce battle with Washington winning, 25-23, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20.
Rounding out next week Bartlesville will play in the Lincoln Christian tournament.
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BARTLESVILLE SOFTBALL
The Lady Bruins are scheduled to open the season in the Hall of Fame Festival from August 15-16.
Their home opener is August 18 against Bixby.
Bartlesville — which is led by veteran skipper Kyle Minton — returns a preponderance of key warriors from last season’s 28-12 record, including the program’s first appearance in 14 years in the state tournament.
Bartlesville finished last season on a sizzling run with a 16-4 mark in its final 20 games. Owasso edged the Lady Bruins in the state quarterfinals, 2-0.
Among the returnees are veteran pitchers Alison Rosson and Kelsie Yales and their catcher Madie Nachbor.
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Bartlesville High School’s Madie Nachbor warms up during last season. The Lady Bruins open the season in the Hall of Fame Festival from August 15-16. Their home opener is August 18 against Bixby.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Mustangs are set for their home opener on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Claremore Christian.
Even though it graduated two sizable talents off last year’s 21-15 team, this year’s WCS squad could be a blockbuster in development.
“I think our offense is going to be a little more spread out,” veteran Lady Mustang coach Mariah Cooks said. “I think we’ll be having to rely on more players to make points. It will be good for our girls. … It will harder on defenders. We won’t be as predictable.”
A trio that Cooks will be relying heavily on are senior Ashley Reich and juniors Emily Christensen and Miranda Hadrava.
Reich is a senior team captain and will grease the engine as a battle-proven setter.
“She really has a lot of accuracy,” Cooks said. “She’s able to set up the girls for success.”
Christensen and Hadrava are both ear-marked as middle blockers/hitters. Cooks is looking for Hadrava to help ease the loss of last year’s top hitter Lydia Foster, who is now attending college.
Another impact senior will be Whitley Tennison.
“She’s a big leader on the court,” Cooks said. “She’s one we’ve deemed to make sure the girls have the right mindset.”
Olivia Week is another senior and will “be helping us out a lot as a defender,” Cooks said.
Junior Kori White could be the team’s strongest hitter and is performing with strong intensity, the coach added.
Rounding out the Lady Mustangs’ seniors are Ava Gatrell and Shelby Goodson.
“They’ve been in our program for many years,” Cooks said. “I’m excited for the support role they play.”
She’s also looking forward to the program of sophomore Savvy Ganzkow, who will be the team’s first left-handed right side hitter, Cooks said.
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DEWEY VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Doggers are on the road Monday at The Academy. and Thursday at Sperry. Starting Friday, they’ll be in the Claremore Sequoyah Tournament.
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DEWEY SOFTBALL
It all kicks off for Dewey on Monday when Skiatook visits the Lady Dogger diamond for a 5 p.m. showdown.
Following a gritty campaign a year ago — in which the Lady Doggers (17-17) snapped back from five-game losing streak to finish 9-7 in its final 16 games — Dewey will hope to propel itself back into state tournament contention this season.
Betting against Dewey — which is led by head coach Riley Allen — would not be a wise wager.
With such titanic talents back such as the four-year starting battery of pitcher Kyla Overton and catcher Chanley Herren, slugger extraordinaire Londyn Bond and shortstop Jaelynn Smith, the prospects for Dewey to get back to 20 wins and a deep playoff run appear strong.
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CANEY VALLEY SOFTBALL
The Lady Trojans travel to Oklahoma Union on Monday for a 4:30 p.m. showdown.
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NOWATA SOFTBALL
The Lady Ironmen start their season odyssey with back-to-back road games on Monday and Tuesday.
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BARNSDALL SOFTBALL
The Lady Panthers are scheduled to hit the road Tuesday for Skiatook for a 5 p.m. showdown.
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PAWHUSKA SOFTBALL
The Lady Huskies host two games this week - Tonkawa on Monday and Preston on Tuesday. Both games are at 5 p.m.