The Horizon Christian Hawks return four key players from last seasons squad. Head coach Angelique Garrett is expecting leadership from Evelyn Tomka, Ivy Demchuk, Bella Sperry and Hannah Adams.
The Horizon Christian Hawks return four key players from last seasons squad. Head coach Angelique Garrett is expecting leadership from Evelyn Tomka, Ivy Demchuk, Bella Sperry and Hannah Adams.
CGN photo/file
Dufur senior Peyton Wallace sets up a teammate during a match last season. Wallace is one of ten returning players for the Rangers.
CGN photo/file
Charlotte Evans (4) and Evelyn Tomka (10) during a match last season.
Year after year, the South Wasco County High Redsides are one of the top local squads in OSAA Class 1A volleyball. The Redsides, guided by second-year Coach Shelley Iverson, started practice Monday seeking to reach the state playoffs for a seventh straight year.
“I’m excited to get our season started,” Iverson said. “We’re just going to take things one day at a time, because we’re a young team, but we have some players who have a lot of experience. We’ve set some small goals and hopefully we’ll achieve each goal throughout the season. Hopefully the end result for us will be going to the state tournament in Redmond (Nov. 8-9).”
The Redsides have six of their 10 members returning from a squad that reached the second round of the 2023 state playoffs. Those players include Justee Gotham, Jayda Iverson (Big Sky first team all-league), Bailey Udey, Hailee Pechanec, Tayler Brittain (Big Sky honorable mention all-league) and senior Macy Bell.
“I think we’ll be a top contender again this year,” Iverson said. “Some of the girls have been putting in a lot of extra effort in the offseason to help improve our team. We lost our two setters (Julie Hull, Hannah Babcock) to graduation, so we’re training three players for that position, but it’s definitely going to be a huge role to fill.”
The Redsides won the Big Sky League East Division title with a 12-0 record (23-12 overall). They lost in the second round of the state playoffs to Trinity Lutheran.
“The kids who we have returning were a core part of our team last year,” said Iverson. “I think that we’ll hang in there pretty good and I think we’ll be one of the top Big Sky teams and hopefully reach our goal of going to state again.”
New coach for Dufur Rangers
The Dufur High Rangers came close to qualifying for the state playoffs last year for the first time since 2019. In their final game of the season, the Rangers lost to Condon in a Big Sky League District playoff game in which the winner earned a state berth.
Dufur finished second in the Big Sky West Division and actually had a better league record, at 9-3, than Condon, which was 5-6 and took second in the Big Sky East Division behind district champion Ione/Arlington.
The Rangers have 10 of 12 players returning from last year’s team and a new head Coach, Chloe Beeson, a 2018 Dufur graduate and a former Ranger volleyball player. Beeson is the team’s fourth coach in four years, and she replaces former head Coach Sydney Reed, who resigned after one season last year.
“I’m extremely excited because I’ve been wanting to be a head coach ever since I started my coaching career,” said Beeson, who was an assistant coach for The Dalles High Riverhawks for three years (2021-2023). “I am confident that our team will be able to make it to the state playoffs this year.”
The Rangers have an experienced squad with five seniors: Peyton Wallace, Austin Thomas, Maddy Martell, Isabelle Shaw and Kassie Walter.
“This group of girls is very talented, and they have so much potential at their fingertips,” said Beeson. “I am very excited to be with the team this year and hopefully also for many more seasons to come, as well.”
Sherman returns seven from last season
The Sherman High Huskies finished third in the Big Sky East in 2023 at 7-5 and 9-15 overall. The Huskies lost five seniors, but they have seven returning members from last year who will be trying to help lead the team back to the state playoffs in 2024. The Huskies have a younger and less experienced squad this year with just two seniors (Taylor Payne, Bailey Coelsch) and three juniors (Addison Smith, Allison Rolfe, Emma Goodenough).
The Huskies will be led by first-year head Coach Caitlyn Cruickshank, a 2008 Sherman grad who played on their volleyball team during her Sherman High School career.
Horizon Christian will rely on experience
The Horizon Christian High Hawks (1-11 league) had an improvement from the previous season when they were winless (0-21) in 2022. The Hawks won three games last year and they’re hoping to continue improving in 2024.
The Hawks, guided by second-year Coach Angelique Garrett, will have senior leadership from the quartet of Evelyn Tomka, Ivy Demchuk, Bella Sperry and Hannah Adams.
“I expect our seniors to be team leaders this year,” said Garrett. “We have a solid group of returning players as well as a number of incoming freshmen. I am excited to continue to build our team. We won a couple games last year. I saw so much improvement over the course of last season. This team has the potential to do well this year.”
Eight return to Lyle/Wishram volleyball
The Lyle/Wishram High Cougars finished 1-11 in the Big Sky West and 1-16 overall. The Cougars lost five seniors from last year, but they’ll return eight players, including seniors Danika Wright and Angela Speakthunder.
Glenwood/Trout Lake/Klickitat
The Glenwood/Trout Lake/Klickitat High Eagles finished in third place in the Big Sky West at 4-8 (5-12 overall). The previous year, the Eagles finished in second place in the standings (11-5 league, 14-9 overall).
Bickleton is back
The Bickleton High Pirates (1-2 in 2023) played just three games last year before the remainder of their 2023 season was canceled because of a shortage of players. The Pirates begin a 20-game schedule by playing an Aug. 30 doubleheader in Maupin.
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