Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2018)
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 7 Kendra Sitz named Player of the Year By Rongi Yost Correspondent Senior Kendra Sitz was selected as the Oregon West League Player of the Year, and Coach Rush had high praise for her senior player and her impressive play. “Kendra excelled this year on the court,” said Rush. “She was powerful, quick, and a smart player. She was the constant on a young team. Her powerful attacks set her apart from other players in our league and Player of the Year was well deserved. She was a leader on and off the court and helped ensure another state appearance and a third-place finish. We are so proud of her and will miss her presence next year.” Sitz was also a first-team all-league pick and a senior captain for the Lady Outlaws. She was a powerhouse in the Oregon West Conference and racked up some impressive stats, including 204 kills, 10 blocks, 194 digs, 19 aces, and five assists. Kendra provided four years of time and leader- ship as a varsity player. Coach Rory Rush said, “Kendra had an amazing year this year! She not only showed great leadership, but she established herself as one of the top players in our league. She was a force on the outside with the ability to put the ball down hard. Opposing teams would struggle to stop her explosive attack. As an all- around player, Kendra was an anchor in our back row. Her ability to read, her quickness and athleticism allowed her to get balls most wouldn’t be able to. She worked hard dur- ing the off-season to make sure this year would be her best. She left nothing on the court, and was key to the suc- cess of Outlaw volleyball. We look forward to following her success on the court next year.” Junior Sam Silva also earned first-team all-league honors. Sam tallied 135 kills, seven blocks, 189 digs, 20 aces, and also dished out four assists. “Sam was an all-around player for us this year,” said Rush. “She not only would spark our offense, but helped to anchor the back row. She was always demonstrating hard work on and off the floor. She was one of the league’s top hitters on the outside, and her smart and powerful hitting was key to much of our team’s success. She will be an anchor on next year’s team, and we look forward to watching her lead this team her senior season.” Ellie Rush and Sydney Head were both second-team all-league picks. Rush (sophomore) ran the Outlaws offensive attack from the setter position, and did a great job getting the ball to the hitters. Ellie dished out 420 assists, posted 10 blocks, and tallied 114 digs and 34 aces. “Ellie was always a steady player on the floor,” said Rush. “She was always a threat from the serving line, and someone we would want serving in close games. She worked hard to establish her- self as one of the top setters in our league this year. We are excited to see her continued growth over the next couple of years.” Head (senior) stepped up this year as a floor leader, and was a calming presence in the back row as the Outlaws’ libero. Sydney was one of the captains on the squad this year, and her stats include 210 digs and 37 aces. “Sydney has been a four- year varsity player,” said Rush. “She was a threat from the serving line, and another one we wanted serving in tight PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Kendra Sitz is Oregon West League Player of the Year. games. We are so thankful for the leadership she has pro- vided for us this year, and we will definitely miss her next year!” Freshman Greta Davis earned honorable mention. Greta recorded 179 kills and 28 blocks for the Outlaws. “Greta was an emotional, dynamic leader on our team,” said Rush. “She was a spark for our offense and really started to establish herself as one of the best middies in our league. She showed so much growth this season, and we are excited to continue to watch her grow over the next three years.”
