Prep Volleyball Roundup: Khlee, R.A. Long fight back for 5-set win over Woodland
Senior Night: Lumberjills master their emotions after pregame surprise
Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com
Life comes at you fast in the world or prep sports. One day you’re a freshman trying to figure out how to operate your locker and the next time you look up its senior night with your and all of a sudden, the end is in sight.
Well, senior night came early for the Lumberjills this season and they made sure to capitalize on the compounding energy inside the old growth confines of The Lumberdome. With their 2A Greater St. Helens League rivals from Woodland in town, the Jills needed five-set to pull off a whipsaw victory by scores of 18-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-23 and 15-12.
After trading runs on the scoreboard all night long R.A. Long and Woodland wound up tied seven times in the decisive fifth set, but the Jills found some separation after things were knotted at 10-10 before closing the contest out in strange fashion. Leading 14-12, the Lumberjills were set up in their defensive front but relaxed in unison when a Woodland player hit the ball outside of the net antenna.
With a crowded house of fans holding their breath the ball rolled across the floor while R.A. Long players pointed at the net, Woodland players held their breath, and the raucous R.A. Long student section held itself back in roiling anticipation.
After a brief discussion between the down ref and the official on the stand, the game-winning point was awarded to the Lumberjills and exuberant pandamonium ripped through the momentary silence like scissors through a wet paper bag.
That house party finish to the match was far from a forgone conclusion after the hosts dropped the first set and then had to recalibrate again mid-match after the Beavers stole all the momentum in the third set. Still, R.A. Long coach Whitney Nailon insists she wasn’t nervous. The Lumberjills have been plugging away on mental toughness training sessions this season and their coach was confident those lessons would pay off when it mattered.
“I knew we’d get to the point where we’d play five sets and I knew we’d get to the point where we’d become tougher,” Nailon said.
But what about when play stopped so the referees could convene on the final play - was she nervous then? Nope. The general has no time for lapses in confidence in the midst of the battle.
“We were dialed in so I felt like we were going to finish it either way,” Nailon insisted.
R.A. Long senior setter Lyla Khlee was in the middle of the action all night, finishing with 19 assists, eight digs and four kills. She says it was just a matter of refocusing that allowed the Jills to prevail in what Nailon described beforehand as a must-win match for a team with playoff aspirations.
“I think we definitely had to take a step back and realize that we had to play smart and not just keep going hard,” Khlee said. “We had to go in the middle, go in corners and just get them off their feet.”
Jillian Woodruff led the Jills with 11 kills, 15 assist, 14 digs and two aces. Macy Graichen added 10 kills with a dozen digs and two blocks, while Evelyn Ofstun chipped in eight kills with six blocks at the net.
“Jillian is definitely always consistent,” Khlee noted. “Macy had some really good kills tonight, Evelyn too, she was really smart with all her plays.”
And yet, with a strong contingent of traveling fans on hand the Beavers played a similarly thrilling brand of volleyball and looked at times as if they might simply run away with the win.
Midway through the third set Ella Petersen turned in the play of the night when she dove headlong toward the center of the court and managed to get a fingernail under a screaming spike from the other side. That effort allowed Petersen to pop the ball back up in the air for a spectacular dig that led directly to an emphatic point for the visitors and stole the momentum to their side.
“We work on stuff like that a lot so I honestly expect them to make plays like that,” first-year Woodland coach Kendall Rohrer said.
Rohrer played college volleyball at Grand Canyon University before joining the Antelopes coaching staff. Now that she’s coaching in Woodland, she’s working to figure out what works and what doesn’t in the 2A GSHL.
“I played Division 1 volleyball, so 2A volleyball is different than that,” Rohrer said in her most diplomatic tone.
Woodland was led on offense by Jenna Starr, who tallied 24 kills with a .237 hitting percentage to go with more than 20 digs. Ashleigh Calvillo also had a productive night near the net, hitting .364 on 11 kill attempts with several stuff blocks, while Ava Johnson hit .667 on six strategic swings.
“We talked a lot ahead of time about being smart because we noticed their defense was leaving the line open a ton so we were like, let’s just shove everything down the line,” Rohrer noted. “Ava johnson has been great for us at the net.”
Woodland (1-6, 1-4 league) will look to recalibrate prior to playing Hockinson and Washougal to complete their first trip through the 2A GSHL slate. It appears the Beavers have most of the pieces they need to make a strong second half run, and a focus on team-centric play has helped to make them more dynamic lately by getting more players involved in the action.
Against the Jills, Mackenzie Neibler notched a passer rating of 2.17 on 20 serve-receive attempts, while Taylor Thomas posted a 2.15 passer rating while redirecting 13 serves.
“Mackenzie Neibler, she passed at a really high clip,” Rohrer said. “We’ve really been trying to dial in that slide and she’s finally getting it, so I’m proud of her.”
After falling hard in the third set, R.A. Long put together an inspired run in order to steal away the fourth set by a score of 25-23. That rally was powered by real time adjustments from players like Graichen and Eve Huhta who worked in concert to lead the offense and defensive, respectively.
“I got on (Eve) pretty tough in the first set and she delivered after that,” Nailon said. “I think she finished with 26 digs and that’s a tough position to fill.”
Rachel Yeam added five kills for the Lumberjills in the victory.
Dusty In Here
Everyone in attendance was treated to a heartwarming surprise during the pregame Senior Night festivities. It was during that extended emotional moment that R.A. Long senior Kamrynne Miranda was greeted unexpectedly on the court by her father, Josh Miranda, who was making a long-awaited return home from military service.
Next Up
R.A. Long (3-4, 2-4 league) will now prepare for a home date with Mark Morris on Tuesday at 7 p.m. It will be the first volleyball Civil War of the season.
Woodland see the same faces next when they play in the Monarch Challenge tournament at Mark Morris starting Saturday morning on Ted M. Natt Court. The Beavers will return to league play at Hockinson on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Rest of the Reports
Hilanders row-‘Roe’ by Tumwater
Kelso was able to sweep Tumwater in non-league volleyball play, Thursday, by scores of 25-15, 25-20 and 25-15 on K-Court.
“Coming off the toughest pre-season in history playing multiple State ranked teams, it felt satisfying to see our game play in action,” Kelso coach Michelle Mury said.
Mury called Emily Roe a game changer for her strong play at the net and her smart decision making at critical times. She also tabbed Brooke Hefley as a key contributor thanks to her diligent ball placement at defensive blocks.
“Junior Brooke Hefley demonstrated unwavering consistency in both hitting and defense, while senior Emily Rowe displayed exceptional confidence in her blocking abilities,” Mury said.
Royal Grafton posted 10 kills with four aces for Kelso, and Josie Mcnew added seven kills with 17 digs. Halle Johnson led the Hilanders with 20 assists, while Izzy Moe added 16 digs, and Sheena McGregor turned in seven kills to go with a trio of stuff blocks.
“The players showcased their unity on the court, working together seamlessly to secure the victory,” Mury said. “The crowd was electrified by the performance of sophomore sensation Sheena McGregor, whose three stuff blocks ignited the atmosphere.”
Addie Hislop contributed five assists and two aces in the win,
Kelso (3-2) will play at Union on Tuesday.
Monarchs swept by Washougal
Mark Morris made a fruitless trek to Washougal, Thursday, falling to the Panthers in three sets of 2A GSHL volleyball play by scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-14.
“Tonight was a tough one. We have dealt with illness and a week full of three away matches,” MM coach Carmen Hewitt said. “Even through the adversity, I was proud of our scrappy fight. We hung with them most of the set, and then we would dig a hole we couldn’t get out of.”
Analiz Birrueta turned in a team-high 15 digs while Lexi Gunter added 11 digs for the Mark Morris defense. Zoe Cole led the Monarchs with 12 assists and Alena Anderson swatted five kills.
Aliyah Yaple had perhaps the most encouraging night for the Monarchs with a team-high five kills and a nice performance on serve-receive that saw her post a 69% passing rate.
“Aliyah had a great match all around and Alena Anderson had a strong night hitting,” Hewitt noted. “There are positives to take away from tonight.”
Mark Morris (3-5, 2-3 league) will host the Monarch Challenge tournament beginning Saturday morning at Ted M. Natt Court. The Monarchs will return to league play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday with a Civil War on tap at R.A. Long
Kalama clamps down on Fort Vancouver
The Chinooks coasted to a 1A Trico League volleyball victory at home, Thursday, dropping Fort Vancouver in straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-13 and 25-7.
Jacey Hutchinson led Kalama with 16 assists and five aces. Taylor Hoggatt added 10 digs and six aces, while Emily Capen notched a team-high 10 kills.
The Chinooks were helped out with seven kills and a half dozen digs by Sophia Trevino and Hannah Johnson posted two kills with a .500 hitting percentage.
Kalama (5-3, 2-3 league) will play in the Monarch Challenge at Mark Morris High School beginning Saturday morning. The Chinooks will return to league play at Columbia-White Salmon on Tuesday night.
Riverhawks swept away by Onalaska
Toledo played three close sets with the Loggers, Thursday, in Central 2B League volleyball action but couldn’t get the stops they needed in the clutch. Onalaska left Cheese Town with set wins of 25-20, 25-20 and 25-23.
Sidney Kruger led Toledo with 15 assists and Lexi Young added a team-high five kills.
“The girls played aggressive offensively but fell a little short defensively,” Toledo coach Kelli Larson said. “We will be looking forward to seeing them in Onalaska in a couple of weeks.”
Abby Umbriaco dropped in four aces for the Riverhawks and Ellie Fallon added four kills.
Toledo (2-4) will host Morton-White Pass on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Fighting Ducks knocked out at Adna
The Toutle Lake volleyball team missed the vibes from its legendary student section, Thursday, falling flat in a three-set loss at Adna in Central 2B League volleyball action. The host Pirates took all three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-13 and 25-18.
After picking up McKenna Torrey in a transfer from Mossyrock over the offseason, an already formidable Adna lineup has been giving everyone the business with a perfect 7-0 record to start the year.
Lainey Dean helped Toutle Lake attempt to find their missing mojo with eight digs and three kills, while Kendal Dean added six assists and two blocks to go with a perfect night at the service stripe.
Jillian Eytcheson and Aliya LIndsquist were also perfect on their serves for the Fighting Ducks, with three assists and three kills on their sheet, respectively. Anna Reinbold turned in five digs in the loss
Toutle Lake (3-3, 0-1 league) will play at Onalaska on Tuesday night.
Clatskanie handed first league loss in Portland
The odds finally caught up with the Tigers, Thursday, in a four-set loss at Portland Christian by scores of 25-14, 18-25, 25-21 and 25-20. The loss marked the first league defeat of the season for Clastkanie.
“Setter Addy Compton had an amazing game (with) 31 assists, six kills of her own, three aces and six digs,” Clatskanie coach Amanda Baker said.
Natalie Baker posted a team-high 16 kills for Clatskanie, along with nine digs, three aces and a block. Lacey Willis added 10 kills and three blocks, while Joey Sizemore notched five kills, six digs and three blocks.
Clatskanie (11-2, 5-1 league) will play at Vernonia on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
The Rest of The Scores
Rainier 3, Seaside 0
La Center 3, Castle Rock 0
Firm Foundation 3, Three Rivers 0
Ocosta 3, Naselle 1