Marshfield can clinch a tie for the Far West League girls volleyball title Tuesday when the Pirates host the second-place Siuslaw Vikings.

First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. or later, depending on the length of the 5 p.m. junior varsity match.

"I think we're playing our best volleyball right now, and we're starting to get healthy," Siuslaw coach Angie Herring said Thursday following a victory over South Umpqua. "We'll get at Marshfield next week."

Marshfield is 15-0 overall and 6-0 in league, while Siuslaw is 7-5 and 4-2. A win would give Marshfield a three-game lead in the league standings with three matches to play.

The Pirates won the schools' first-round meeting 3-1, with game scores of 25-18, 20-25, 25-13, 25-17. The Vikings' second-game win is the only game Marshfield has lost in league play this season, having swept its five other matches.

Siuslaw closes its regular season with home matches Thursday against Brookings-Harbor and Tuesday, Oct. 13, against Douglas and a road trip Thursday, Oct. 15, at North Bend.

The Vikings currently are rated No. 15 by the Oregon School Activities Association, which would set them up for a home play-in game for the upcoming state playoffs.

Marshfield is the prohibitive favorite to earn the league's automatic berth in the first round of the state 4A playoffs, and Brookings-Harbor is essentially eliminated.

But Siuslaw, South Umpqua, North Bend and Douglas all are entertaining playoff hopes.

Last Thursday, the South Umpqua-Siuslaw girls volleyball match began on a somber note, as those senselessly murdered earlier in the day in Roseburg were remembered with a minute of slience.

The night was given a much-needed mood lift with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by Vikings players Hannah Bartlett and Claire Waggoner.

And it ended with a crescendo on a double block by Elyssa Rose and Emma Collins as Siuslaw took firm control of second place in the Far West League with a 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15 victory over the visiting Lancers.

"They were super scrappy, just kept keeping balls in play," Herring said of the Lancers. "Our girls had to be consistent with their hitting, take three, four, five attempts to get the ball down.

"They had to not get frustrated, and keep going after it, and they did tonight."

Middle blockers Elyssa Rose and Mackenzie York and Waggoner, an outside hitter, were especially effective with 23, 10 and 7 kills respectfully.

"I loved the sets I was getting, and I think I can do a lot with them," York said.

Herring also was pleased with the team serving, passing and defense.

"We had a 94 percent serving night, and that's just where we want to be," Herring said. "That, and serving (well) in key moments, when we had to put the ball in where we wanted it to be.

"I felt we did step into those moments."

The Vikings also were happy to welcome back senior libero Ali Scheer, who had missed recent games with an injury.

Scheer contributed 13 perfect passes and played tough defense.

"Ali did a great job of getting to the alleys, putting the ball in play," Herring said. "That was a big part of our game, her being back there, playing great defense, hitting those perfect passes so our hitters can hit the ball.

"Elyssa can't kill 23 balls if Ali's not back their hitting perfect passes every single time."

The Vikings' second-year coach noted the play of defensive specialist Abby Watkins, a junior, who served 14 points, including four aces, and played strong defensively.

"I'd also like to highlight my setter, Hannah Bartlett," Herring said. "She played some really tight balls really well, and she saved her team a couple of times. She had 26 assists tonight, and came on really strong."

But not to be overlooked was the inspiring play of the Lancers, who reportedly voted unanimously to play Thursday night despite the events of the day 20 miles to the north, at Roseburg's Umpqua Community College.

"They came up and they fought well tonight," York said.

South Umpqua coach Shani Bunnell concurred.

"I've got a good team, but there's a lot going on in their lives right now," she said after the game. "It was a tough bus ride, because we had to drive right by (Roseburg)."