The Field of Dreams movie adage, “If you build it, they will come,” is proving true for Columbia High and its volleyball program.
Coach Heidi Shultz is in the second year of her second stint building the program and this year’s turnout exceeded everyone’s expectations. Thirty-two players turned out for 24 spots on the varsity and junior varsity teams. Shultz is seeing more of the players she coached as coordinator of White Salmon’s youth club volleyball program for many years matriculate up onto the high school program.
Gone are four seniors from last year’s 6-9 team: Hannah Polkinghorn, Chanele Reyes, setter Chloe Clifford and Ella Wilson. Among the returning players are senior Macee Barnes, who was the team’s only junior last year. However, four other seniors, who have played in the past, decided to play this year. One of those seniors is transfer Sonya Rubio from Lyle. Another is Ella Reed, who will share setting duties with Bella Hamilton, a freshman. “They’re both pretty fast and athletic,” Shultz said. “That’s my two new setters for this year.”
Jessica Polkinghorn, a junior (and Shultz’s daughter), returns to the middle. A couple of other players will be competing for middle, including Rubio (5-foot-10) and freshman Sara Miller (5-foot-9).
“The thing that I have different this year is I have a little bit of depth at each position,” Shultz said of the Bruins, who were 3-5 in league matches a year ago. “Now that I have 12 people, with those seniors returning, I have depth.
“We have a group of six juniors who are really dedicated.”
Leading the passers are Sydney Aman, a senior returning to the sport, Josie Dickey, a sophomore, and Juliet Perez, who played libero last year. Junior Josephine Beck returns, as does Claire Hayes, who played an offseason of club volleyball.
“The focus this preseason has been, one, figuring out the team, and just figuring out who’s going to compete for those outside hitter positions and that middle hitter position that Hannah (Polkinghorn) vacated,” Shultz said. “I’m still up in the air about who’s going to play those positions. We’ve been having a lot of outside hitter competitions, which is nice to have more than one person to compete for that position.
“Like I said, I feel like I have a little competition for each area. I feel like it’s almost a first time I’ve had a little more depth and I think the return of those seniors helped for there to be that depth. There’s also a very, deep, and talented group of freshman players. … They’re kind of pushing them. It’ll be exciting once I figure out who’s playing, all the puzzle pieces and how to fit them all together.”
Shultz said the Trico League should again be headed by Castle Rock, who returns key players to its lineup. “They just always have a solid team; they work a lot in the summertime and their coach has been there for many years. I think Castle Rock will again be a solid team.” The Rockets won the league title and won one of three state tourney games in 2021.
Shultz said King’s Way will be good, bolstered by a key group of club players, as will La Center, who returns the offensive player of the year, 6-foot-2 senior, Ella Schoene.
The Bruin netters open the regular fall season with their first match Sept. 6 at Riverside High in Boardman. The first home match is Sept. 20, also against Riverside. Trico League play begins Sept. 27.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.