Sports
A7
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Ronald Bond/For The Observer
Players on coach Marji Lind’s team celebrate after winning the championship of the Oregon all-star volleyball match Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Eastern Oregon University’s Quinn Coliseum.
Top
talent
Northeastern Oregon
volleyball well represented
during all-star contest
By RONALD BOND
For The Observer
A GRANDE — The annual
Oregon all-star volleyball match
has consistently brought high-
level talent from across the state — and
Northeastern Oregon — to Quinn Coli-
seum each year.
That was no different on Saturday,
June 18, though this year there was a
unique local aspect.
All six Union County schools were
represented among the 34 athletes who
took part in the event, showing that the
local talent doesn’t come from only one
or two schools in the region.
“I think it means that our district, and
around here, were really good” at volley-
ball, said Cove’s Rachel Baird.
Baird was joined locally by Union’s
Kaylin Nowak, Powder Valley’s Trinity
Nesser, Elgin’s Erika Adams, Imbler’s
Joelle Treat and La Grande’s Shelby
Burgess.
“I think that’s really cool,” Burgess
said. “I think it’s nice that all of us in
Union County are coming together to
represent Eastern Oregon. I think it’s
really cool for all of us to be able to get
the opportunity to play together.”
Add in Wallowa’s Haley Brockamp
and seven Northeastern Oregon schools
had an athlete present on the Eastern
Oregon University campus.
“We live in a rural area, so I think
it says there’s a lot of talent in a small
community,” Nowak said. “There’s not
a bunch of club teams around here, a
bunch of resources for us to play year-
round, but we’re still devoted to playing
volleyball.”
L
Ronald Bond/For The Observer
Union’s Kaylin Nowak tips the ball across the net during the Oregon all-star volleyball match Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Quinn Coliseum, La Grande.
The event brought athletes from all
corners of the state to La Grande, giving
most the opportunity to don a uniform
one more time — though some of the
players will continue their volleyball
careers at the college level.
The players had one practice together
late on June 17 before playing in best-of-
three matches starting the next morning,
meaning the turnaround from meeting
their teammates to stepping on the court
was quick.
“I think it’s a lot of fun being able to
play again, especially with a new group
of girls, because I’m so used to playing
with the same girls for four years
straight now,” Treat said. “I think we all
connected really well. That’s really cool.
I’m having a lot of fun, and I’m glad I
got this opportunity.”
Adams, a self-described extrovert,
said she found joy in the experience and
in sharing a passion with the other ath-
letes, most of whom she had never met
before.
“It’s a brand-new experience. It kind
of gives you an idea, also, if you were
to continue and pursue sports what it
would be like being able to play with
girls that you meet (at the next level),”
she said. “Even with this being a quick
experience, just two days, I’m able to
make friends and learn how to play with
other types of people.”
Brockamp said the process of
learning to play together quickly ended
up being different than she anticipated.
“I thought it was going to be really
difficult, because you only have one hour
(to) practice, but it’s been really fun, and
we actually mesh really good. We just
have to communicate,” she said.
The athletes were divided into four
teams, coached by either Marji Lind, of
Powder Valley, Baker City’s Ali Abrego,
Joseph’s Jill Hite or St. Paul’s Lesli
Hiller. Team Lind and Team Abrego
won the early matches in two sets to set
up the championship battle. Team Hiller
defeated Team Hite in three sets in the
third-place match, and Team Lind won
the championship over Team Abrego in
two sets.
Treat, Nesser and Baird were all
members of Lind’s team. Hite’s team
included Burgess and Brockamp, Nowak
was on Abrego’s team and Adams was
on Hiller’s squad.
The athletes said they were appre-
ciative of the opportunity to step on the
court one more time, and for Nesser, it
also meant getting to not only play under
Lind one more time but getting to play at
EOU — where she said she has watched
several matches.
“It’s really nice to play with people
that are at our same skill level and play
with people we played against (previ-
ously),” she said. “My team is great.
We talk a lot, we really have clicked. I
appreciate that, and I appreciate getting
to play for Marji again.”
Treat noted that it felt good to be
playing in the all-star contest.
“I know I worked very hard my whole
high school career. It feels rewarding to
have my hard work pay off right now,”
she said. “Even though we’re not playing
for a big title, it’s still a big honor to be
able to do this.”
And, for most, it was a great swan
song before heading to the next stage of
life.
“I think it’s kind of the last hurrah
before we head off to college,” Baird
said, “and it’s nice to be able to play one
last time.”
SPORTS SHORT
Chargers’ Herbert on working vacation until training camp
The Associated Press
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Justin
Herbert’s summer vacation began last
week when the Los Angeles Chargers
ended their offseason program.
Even though the Chargers have the
next six weeks off before reporting
for training camp, Herbert will
use that time as more of a working
vacation.
“I think the great thing about
football for me is I need football. I
love waking up and going to work
and lifting, running, throwing and
watching film,” said Herbert, a
former University of Oregon star. “I
think too much off time can kind of
be a burden to me sometimes, so I
always look forward to having stuff
to do.
“I feel like I just get bored some-
times without football. Saturdays
and Sundays are nice, but at the
same time, I’d rather be playing and
having something to do because
I hate hanging around my house
and not doing or accomplishing
anything.”
While the defense spent the past
couple of months getting new players
acclimated, Herbert and the offense
didn’t have as many challenges.
First-round pick Zion Johnson was
the unit’s biggest offseason addi-
tion as he is expected to start at
right guard when the season opens
on Sept. 11 against the Las Vegas
Raiders.
Herbert — who threw for 5,014
yards and 38 touchdowns en route
to making the Pro Bowl last season
— said the biggest benefit of the off-
season workouts was getting to do
drills in seven-on-seven situations,
which is something they didn’t get
a chance to do last year because of
COVID-19 restrictions and while
trying to learn a new offense.
“We covered plenty of topics. I
feel like we’re miles ahead of where
we were last year at this point. So it’s
up to us to just keep getting better,”
Herbert said.
The fact that the focus was almost
entirely on football was perfect for
coach Brandon Staley.
After generating plenty of head-
lines with their March signings
in free agency, the Chargers were
mostly under the radar during their
offseason program.
That’s fine for Staley and com-
pany as they hope to have everyone’s
attention late in the season as they
attempt to make the playoffs for the
first time since 2018 after going 9-8
last season.
Staley was not only pleased with
the perfect attendance the past two
days, but also that almost all of his
notable players had been in the com-
plex for at least the past three weeks,
with most being there since the pro-
gram began on April 18.
Jae C. Hong/The Associated Press
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert walks across
the field during practice at the NFL football team’s practice facility
Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Costa Mesa, California.