*|£* thqjL A ckama Print December 1, 2004
Sporte NWl
Two teams, two NWAACC tith
“/ knew this was a team of fighters. ”
N.P. Deb
Lady Cougars take a break during a recent season away game in order to regroup and work on a game plan. The Lad
tough road, but earned the championship title that they worked for. The team won three straight victories at the NW,
ment, securing their first-place victory.
I N.P. Dolzell
II Sports Editor
The NWAACC volleyball cham
pions are in the house.
‘‘Yes, it was my goal at the
beginning of the season,” Head
Coach Kathie Woods said.
“Truthfully, I always look at the
region championship first, then the
NWAACC title. I love to coach,
and when I coach I am always out
to be the best ... and that means to
win.”
The Cougar volleyball team
once again took home the
NWAACC title on Nov. 20. This is
the second NWAACC title for the
Cougars.
“We first won the title in 1996,”
Woods said. “It compares in a way
because that team didn’t really have
any superstars; it was more of a
team win. This team was like that
too, except this team is a better
team.”
Woods is very excited about
bringing
home
first
place
NWAACC hardware and ranks this
very high on her most memorable
volleyball moments.
“Anytime you win a, champi
onship,” Woods said, “you are
going to remember that big time.”
Improving on last year’s second
place finish, the Cougars reached
the final game and were matched up
against Walla Walla CC. The tour
nament was played in true double
elimination format. Clackamas was
undefeated going into champi
onship game. Walla Walla was
forced to go back and beat
Whatcom CC, while the Cougars
awaited their opponent. Either team
would have had to defeat the
Cougars in two matches to win the
tournament.
The first two games went to
Walla Walla by scores of 32-30, 27-
30. They regrouped and then were
able to run off three straight victo
ries 30-23, 30-28, 15-9, securing
the NWAACC title.
“I didn’t know we were going to
win because we were tailing the
title until the last point,” Woods
said. “To come back from two
games down in the championship
game is awesome. It reminded me
of our first match of the year when
we played Bellevue. We did the
was voted to set
same thing. I think it is neat that 30-18,30-21.
Keeping it real Chuck Taylor, Woods was votedl
we finished the same way, too. I
knew this was a team of fighters; I the Cougars sent four to the tourna year. McLeod war
ment
all-star All- American stall
was
really
“I have had two)
team.
MVP
proud of all the
McLeod, Girod- Americans in the!
girls.”
Burgess,
and Woods said. “Thai1
Tournament
Deihl all made have really been
MVP
and
“
Anytime
you
win
first team. Orr coach, to have sud|
powerballer
a championship,
B r i a n n a
McLeod led the
you are going to
way for the
remember
that big
Cougars with 17
kills and 28
time.”
digs. Samantha
Hennessy
crunked up the
Walla
Walla
front line with
Kathie Woods
16 kills and
Head Volleyball Couch
Lindsey Girod-
Burgess had 33
digs.
“Clackamas
volleyball has really improved,
Woods said. “In the last 10 years
we have gotten two first places,
two second places, one third, one
fourth and two fifth place finishes.
I am proud of that. That also
means we have been in the champi
onship game four of those last nine
years.”
Clackamas also defeated Walla
Walla in a semi-final game 22-30,
32-30, 28-30, 30-17, 15-7.
Hennessy had 26 kills in the win
and McLeod added 17 kills and 29
digs, giving the Cougars a balanced
attack.
The Cougars played their way
into the semi-final game by defeat
ing Spokane CC on Nov. 19 30-19,
39-41, 30-22, 30-21. Kristen Diehl
had four kills and 12 digs, Jessica
Heidenreich added eight kills,
Hennessy came up big again with
22 kills and McLeod nailed 16 kills
and had 23 digs.
The road to the final game was
long as the Cougars also defeated
Columbia Basin CC on Nov. J 9 by
scores of 30-18, 30-23, 30-24.
The Cougars’ statistical leaders
were Hennessy with 12 kills and
McLeod with eight kills and 18
digs.
On Nov. 18, the Cougars opened
the tournament with a stellar three-
game win against Edmonds CC.
The Cougars came in and made a Karrin Orr, number 10, approaches the net to pi
statement, routing Edmonds 30-16, while Becky Horn, number 8, sets herself up f°ra