Stanfield volleyball has reason to celebrate after nine wins already this fall, seven more than it had the entire spring!

This is our second volleyball notebook of the fall 2021 season. Let’s get after it!

Turnarounds

Stanfield won twice yesterday to improve to 9-2 in 2A. The OSAA’s computer rankings currently have the Tigers at No. 9. Not bad for a team that was 2-8 in the spring…

Across Oregon, many teams that were down in the spring are surging just a few months later. 6A David Douglas is off to a 3-1 start after going 3-9 in the COVID season. 5A Redmond is 5-0 after a 2-13 spring campaign. Glenwood / Klickitat, 0-5 a few months back, has started 5-1. North Salem is 5-3 after going 0-11. Myrtle Point stands 4-2 after a 1-8 spring. Crosshill Christian is 3-2 after an 0-12 mark in Season 2.

This is remarkable stuff!

Stanfield’s turnaround has been particularly impressive. Swept seven times in the spring, the Tigers have swept seven opponents in their 9-2 start and recently had a five-match winning streak snapped.

“We decided to use the Spring 2021 COVID short season more as an opportunity to develop and not worry about any postseason goals,” Stanfield head coach Blaine Ganvoa explained. “This was the consensus of both coaches and players, as we had few returning players with varsity experience from the previous season.”

Ganvoa said that the way Stanfield approached the spring relates directly to the success it currently is experiencing.

“It really highlights the hard work of our players and their willingness to be coachable and really aim to get better with every touch and just enjoy playing the game,” he explained. “Our daily primary focus is to have FUN and find the joy in the game, as this is what gives us all the right frame of mind to really improve our individual and team skills.”

Stanfield is taller across the front row this fall and the improved offense and defense at the net has been instrumental to the team’s success. So, too, however, has been the leadership of seniors Alexis Shelby, Katelynn Griffin, Jennifer Flores and Taylor Longhorn, along with junior setter Zuri Reeser.

Asked about expectations the rest of the year, Ganvoa was matter of fact.

“Our coaching expectations for the remainder of this season are still guided by the aforementioned values of FUN, hard work every touch, and playing for each other,” he said.

Unbeatens and thoughts on tournament formats

OSAA.org currently shows eighteen (“18”) unbeaten teams this fall, but that number is deceptive, as several of those teams have lost in pool play matches played only to two sets, which the OSAA does not recognize as an official match. This is a problem because seeding for the state tournament does not account for these pool play results; therefore making the rankings less accurate.

I advocate two solutions to the problem:

1. Count everything. If you split sets during pool play, it’s a tie. Other state associations do it this way. Why not Oregon?

2. Change the tournament format. Many tourneys are 24 teams played in six pools, with the pool winners and best two second-place teams advancing to the championship bracket of eight. Because four-team pools require more time and tournaments are played only on Saturday (as opposed to Friday-Saturday like most states), pool play matches must be shortened to two sets to complete the competition in one day. Imagine, instead, a 24-team field that is eight pools of three. You can play best-of-three matches and have all pool winners advance. Voila! All you would need are two additional courts.

Quick hits

Molalla lost in the Silver Bracket semifinals at the Cascade Tournament last Saturday. That’s not bad, considering the team was missing five players, only one because of injury. Molalla was also nominated for a Sportsmanship Award by the officials at the tournament. “I know I have great kids, but it's always nice to see them be recognized for doing great things by other people,” noted head coach Lauree Nelzen…

5A Crescent Valley won the Tualatin Tournament on Saturday. Unranked in the pre-season coaches polls, the Raiders edged 5A No. 2 Wilsonville in the semifinals and avenged an early-season defeat to Oregon City by downing the Pioneers in the championship match. Bella Jacobson led the hitting effort, thanks to sweet dishes from Kam Mitchell. Kara Paterson was a defensive fiend.  

“I received many comments on how much fun this team is to watch, which I totally agree with,” said CV coach Troy Shorey. “The thing I love most about this team is they believe they are always in a position to win! They play to the very end, every time with no regrets.”

Tournaments to watch this weekend include the 16-team Rogue Valley Classic, which includes unbeaten Bend; the eight-team OES Volleyball Invitational, which includes 2019 3A state champion Santiam Christian; and the 10-team round robin Central Catholic Varsity Volleyball Tournament, which includes the unbeaten host school, unbeaten West Linn and Mountainside and undefeated 5A power West Albany.   

Nose-bleeders

Jumping 10-feet on approach remains a lofty goal for most volleyball players. If you get enough air to touch a regulation basketball rim, you have the ability to hit over blockers and pick your own spots. That makes you a very dangerous scorer on the court!

In this space, we will recognize those Oregonians who have achieved that lofty mark. We will add to it in each Volleyball Notebook as coaches tell us about the players who have reached rare air. Here’s where we stand currently in the 10-Foot Club:

Amariah Clay, 5-6 Sr. MB/RS, Beaverton

Katie Clevenger, 6-0Jr. OH, South Medford 

Emma Gates, 5-9 Sr. MB, Cascade

Sophia Gregoire-Salagean, 6-2 Jr. OH, Newberg

Sophie Scott, 6-3 Sr. MB, Catlin Gabel

If you are a HS coach and want to add someone to the list, by all means email me, [email protected], put “10-foot club” in the subject line and provide the info in the manner shown above.

Mensa Mensa

In this space, we will recognize “smarty-pants” volleyball players, those who have an unweighted GPA of 3.9 or better or a weighted GPA above 4.0. Here are the Mensa nominees we received this time around:

Zoe Alberty, 5-7 Sr. S/RS, Siuslaw

Sydney Alexander, 5-6 Jr. OH, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Jazell Allen, 5-6 Jr. OH, Milwaukie

Madison Balcom, 5-4 Sr. OH, Thurston

Emma Ball, 5-10 Sr. MB/RS, Crescent Valley

Stella Barber, 5-9 Sr. MB, Newport 

Lucretia Benolken, 5-9 Jr. OH, Cascade

Albie Borovansky, 5-3 Jr. libero, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Kora Botta, 5-8 Sr. MB, Milwaukie 

Addy Childress, 5-4 Jr. OH, Willamina

Kenna Coleman, 5-7 Sr. S, Cascade

Kamryn Craig, 5-4 Jr. DS, North Bend

Kelsey Dunn, 6-2 Jr. MB, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Natalee Federico, 5-7 Sr. RS, Cascade

Grace France, 5-4 Sr. S, Willamina

Adrianna Frank, 5-8 Sr. OH/RS, North Bend

Maria Fuller, 5-1 Sr. DS, Crescent Valley

Emma Gates, 5-9 Sr. MB, Cascade

Olivia Hale, 5-9 Jr. OH, Dallas

Stella Hall, 5-9 Jr. RS, Thurston

Kaitlyn Hansen, 5-8 Jr. S, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Madison Heagney, 5-9 Sr. S/RS, Crescent Valley

Audrey Histed, 5-7 Sr. S, Cascade

Hallee Hughes, 5-10 Jr. OH, Willamina

Laci Jespersen, 5-4 Sr. DS, West Salem

Kylie Kinsella, 5-8 Sr. RS, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Emliy Lettenmaier, 5-8 Sr. OH,  McNary

Olivia Lewis, 5-7 Sr. S, Molalla

Sierra Martin, 5-4 Sr. libero, Thurston

Leah Mattson, 5-9 Jr. MB/RS, Crescent Valley

Avyree Miethe, 5-7 Sr. OH, Warrenton

Delaney Mitchell, 5-3 Jr. DS/libero, Molalla

Carlee Murray, 5-6 Sr. OH/libero, Newport

Cami Oliva, 5-5 Sr. DS, Cascade

Annah Orloff, 5-2 Jr. DS, Molalla

Kara Paterson, 5-6 Sr. libero, Crescent Valley

Sophia Perakis, 5-7 Sr. MB/RS, Crescent Valley

Bailey Pool, 5-5 Jr. S, East Linn Christian

Isabella Rodriguez, 5-5 Jr. libero/DS, McNary

Hailey Schwinof, 5-7 Jr. OH/RS, McNary

Riley Simonsen, 5-6 Jr. RS, Warrenton

Stevie Singler, 5-6 Sr. DS, Newport

Lainey Stranberg, 5-7 Sr. OH, St. Mary’s (Medford)

Sophia Terwilliger, 5-8 Jr. OH, Crescent Valley 

Kayla Toavs, 5-8 Jr. OH/MB, McNary

Josie Wertz, 5-9 Jr. OH, Newport

Emily West, 5-9 Sr. RS, North Bend

Sydney Wilson, 5-4 Sr. libero, North Bend

Lauren Wyatt, 5-3 Jr. libero, East Linn Christian

Jordyn Wynia, 5-3 Sr. libero, Dallas

Any volleyball coach may add someone to the list by emailing [email protected], putting “Mensa” in the subject line and providing information in the manner shown above.

College-Bound!

In this space, we list those players, in the current senior class and younger, who have made a commitment to attend a college or university of their choice and play volleyball.

Here’s who we have so far. We will add to this list in subsequent notebooks as we receive notifications.

Kayleigh Carpenter, 5-7 Jr. OH, South Salem – Boise State (for defense)

Sophia Gregoire-Salagean, 6-2 Jr. OH, Newberg – University of Oregon

Emmi Marks, 5-9 Sr. OH, West Salem – Corban University

Ella Nordquist, 6-0 Sr. MB, West Linn – Western Oregon University 

Sophie Scott, 6-3 Sr. MB, Catlin Gabel – Cal Berkeley

Emily Warmenhoven, 5-11 Sr. OH, West Linn – Belmont University 

Any volleyball coach may add someone to the list by emailing [email protected], putting “College commitment” in the subject line and providing information in the manner shown above.