8
After one year absence, Volleyball repeats as State Champs
,
C hristopher E rbin _________
Features Editor
*
After so many years of
being a dominant force
around the state, the Varsity
Volleyball Team was in a
position it had not been in
for a while. They completely
missed the State tournament
a year ago, and while they
made the tournament this
year, Carl Neuburger, head
coach, was not sure what to
expect from his young and
inexperienced squad.
Although many called it
a rebuilding year for West
Linn, the Lions breezed
through the early rounds
of State and survived an
intense five set semifinal
against number two ranked
Central Catholic Rams
to move on to the State
Championship. There they
defeated North Medford 25-
19, 25-18, 25-22 to become
State Champions for the
first time since 2003, when
Neuburger was also coaching
the team.
"We were always trying
to play within the game
plan and take advantage of
what the other team was
giving us," Neuburger said.
"The kids deserve the credit
because they really trusted
us (coaches) and they really
made the effort to do what we
said ... These kids really took
what we told them to heart.
And they had the ability, at
least most of the time, to pull
it off."
The State title was
Neuburger's third at West
Linn, and he along with
Michelle Hoover, assistant
coach, made all the difference
for the Lion players.
"Carl (Neuburger) and
Michelle (Hoover) are
outstanding coaches. They
have taught us just about
everything we need to know
about volleyball. They have
made a major impact on the
way we think, act, and play
helped calm the young team.
The Championship was
officially won when Alyssa
O'Neil, junior, sent a spike
cross court without a single
North Medford player being
able to react. The winner was
one of 19 kills contributed by
O'Neil, who also had seven
digs.
"We just played out of our
minds," O'Neil said. "We
worked really hard during the
season, but to do this well is
beyond our wildest dreams. It
is incredible, that tournament
T«?bouTThe individual, IT ’S
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I t We>s ¿»II ¿»bout beinq ¿> Te«»m ¿»nd
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-Kellie
on the court," Michelle Hurt,
senior, said.
A young and inexperienced
Lions team appeared more
calm, poised and ultimately
stronger than their North
Medford opponents who had
already survived multiple
five set matches just to reach
the State final. The Lions
had played a more vigorous
regular season schedule than
their Medford opponents and
had also competed in more
tournaments which may have
Ke»We»Se»Ki, ju n ior
was one of the best moments
of my life, by far."
Kellie Kawasaki, junior,
was named Player of the
Match, as the libero led the
team defensively with 20 digs.
"It's not about the
individual, it's a team sport,"
Kawasaki said, "I just played
and didn't have to worry
about anything. It was all
about our team and winning
the championship as a team."
In the semifinal against
Central Catholic, the Lions
won what may have been the
most emotional and intense
match of the entire season, as
they outlasted the Rams. The
entire front row gave another
strong defensive performance
led once again by Kawasaki
with 41 digs and O'Neil with
28 kills.
"Beating Central Catholic
was key. We never gave up
and it was an extremely tiring
match," Kawasaki said of the
two and half hours semifinal.
"I think we read the blockers
pretty well. A lot of our
success starts with defense,
but our front row did really
well."
The team contained the
Rams star player Lily Wygal,
who received the second most
tournament votes behind
Kawasaki.
Girls Volleyball ended the
regular season as the fifth
ranked team in state and
an overall record of 20-4,
excluding tournament results.
Their performance in the
regular season was enough to
earn them a first round bye
in the State playoffs, where
they faced Southridge in the
second round. Thanks to
the entire front row of Hurt,
senior, Caitlin McDonnell,
Betsy Wilhelm and Danielle
Sargant, juniors, the Lions
would end up running away
with the match 25-19, 25-
17, and 25-21. The teams
co-captain and lone senior,
Michelle Hurt, added 10 kills
and three blocks, playing in
her last home game as a Lion.
"Playing my last home
match was sad but I was
excited to move on to the
State playoffs and see my
team succeed," Hurt said.
"Being a member of the team
is very special. I loved my
time with each and every
one of my teammates! We all
get along and it makes going
to the gym everyday more
exciting."
Hurt is hoping to attend
college in the Mid-Atlantic
Conference. Multiple schools
in the conference have offered
her scholarships, however she
would like to play at Central
Michigan along with her
older sister.
In TRL play, the squad
went undefeated again, only
losing one set to Oregon City
in the early stages of the year.
West Linn volleyball has now
won 108 consecutive league
matches, as the team looks
to regroup to make another
State title run next year.
"Teams have
underestimated us this
-
season and we have had a
lot success. Considering we
lost so many players from
last year, other teams may be
surprised to see how far we
went in state this year and
we are going to try to be just
as dominant next season,"
O'Neil said.
Local all-stars participate in Rep Side, take on college teams
u C alley L athrop
________
Staff Reporter
Only the second team in
the country to do so, the best
girls rugby players from local
high school teams combined
to form the "Rep Side," pitting
them against local Varsity
college teams.
The Rep Side played Reed
College on Sept. 22, and
crushed them, 47-0, scoring in
all three thirds. (The matches
were split into three 30-minute
thirds.)
"I knew we could take this
team on, but was surprised
that we could shut them
out like that. There was a
lot of intensity, and I was
very proud of our team's
sportsmanship as well," Ernie
Espinoza, head coach, said.
The second game, hosted
by Western Oregon University,
ended on a positive when
Audrey Jones, 2007 Lake
Oswego graduate and forward
captain, scored the first try off
a penalty, diving through the
defense to tap down the ball
in the try zone during the last
five seconds. The final score
was 10-5.
"This was a tough game.
They were very organized,
with a great defense. It was
a lesson in intensity for us,"
Espinoza said.
The Rep Side had its first
game against a well-known
and distinguished university
team in West Linn when
it played the University
of Oregon Ducks at a field
called "The Farm," located off
Stafford Road. The Rep Side
faced a tough defense and a
very experienced back line
that has practiced together
for nearly three years.
"They were very organized
and had great ball-handling
skills." Espinoza said. The
final score was 61-15 in favor
of the Ducks.
Rugby is considered brutal
by many, but there was only
one severe injury during
the season. Alisa "Scooter"
Cheadle, sophomore, was
injured near the second
third at the UO game, and
fractured her foot in two
places.
"It didn't hurt until after I
left the field. At first I thought
it was my knee, but it turns
out I twisted my ankle so
badly it broke in two places.
I was just worried I wouldn't
play again," Cheadle said.
The final game of the fall
season was in Corvallis,
17-17. Each team had scored
three tries and made one
conversion.
During this game, there
were four to five hold-ups by
each team, preventing scoring.
Megan Hackney, junior, passes to Zchonae Jones, junior, off of a ruck
during a scrimmage at Rep Side tryouts on Sept. 22. Players who
made the team participated in games against Western Oregon, Reed,
Oregon State, and University of Oregon.
Photo Submitted by Kimberly Jones
against Oregon State
University. During the first
third, OSU scored ten points.
The Rep Side fought back
and by the beginning of the
last third, the score was tied
Within the last seven minutes,
the Rep Side's defense was
extremely pressured. OSU
scored three times, mainly
through breakaways near the
sidelines.
\
"They were really tough
and very physical. We were
able to pick up and almost
beat them! The team was
most tenacious, and it was
very exciting. This was
one of our most interesting
games by far," Espinoza
said.
A record of 1-3 could be
considered rather mediocre
for a normal team, but the
fact that these players and
rivals had several weeks of
preparation before playing
against collegiates is still
impressive. Expectations
were high as Canby and
West Linn placed eighth
and ninth at the National
Invitational Tournament,
and Portland teams placed
high in the 2007 State
tournament.
"I knew we would be able
to compete at a higher level,
and I was very impressed
with how they played. The
team really worked hard,"
Espinoza said.
Rep Side takes on Colleges
continued on page 9
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