So far, so good for Corvallis’ top-ranked volleyball team, which has dropped only two sets in winning its first eight matches.
On Saturday, though, the Spartans will get a better idea of where they stand among other 5A contenders when they compete in the South Albany State Preview tournament. The field includes No. 2 Crook County, No. 4 La Salle Prep, No. 5 West Albany and No. 7 North Eugene.
“That’ll be nice,” said coach Steve Hyre, who guided the Spartans to the state semifinals the last two seasons.
Corvallis brought back all but two players from last year, including the Mid-Willamette Conference player of the year in junior outside hitter Ryan Gregg, who has committed to the University of Portland. The 5-foot-11 Gregg has picked up where she left off last season, leading the team in kills (141) and hitting percentage (.488).
“The kid plays just about year-round,” Hyre said of Gregg, his granddaughter. “She just has that drive. She’s a strong kid. She doesn’t have real big highs or lows. She plays a pretty even game.”
The Spartans also are getting key contributions from senior setter Kylynn Quinn (267 assists, 20 aces), junior middle blocker Nevaeh Bray (65 kills, 15.5 blocks), senior outside hitter Tanya Sisson (70 kills) and senior libero Taylor Quinn (101 digs). The 6-1 Bray and 6-2 senior Allie Watts are an imposing blocking tandem.
“It’s nice to have some talented kids,” Hyre said.
The team has lived up to high expectations so far. Its only test has been a five-set battle with West Albany.
“We pretty much bring everybody back that played a lot last year,” Hyre said. “Hopefully the experience will carry over in tough matches. West Albany was a good match for us. Now it’s just a matter of keeping their interest and enthusiasm.”
Powerhouse teams Bend and Summit moved up to 6A this season, eliminating a couple potential obstacles for Corvallis, which fell to Summit in the semifinals last year. Hyre cautioned against complacency, though, noting that 4A power Crook County has moved up to 5A and other contenders are emerging.
“By the time you get to state, usually it’s not a cakewalk,” Hyre said. “You can’t have a bad day there. To get there, everything has to fall into place. But I think we’ve got as good a shot as anybody in 5A right now.”
