The Huskies named three Most Valuable Players in varsity volleyball Monday evening during the team’s annual awards dessert: sophomores Shelbey Nichol and Bailee Hartsook and senior Sunhee Bitter.
Nichol was in a four-way tie for league Player of the Year, said Coach Mary Hutchins. Only after breaking the tie to reduce the total number, was she named first team all league.
“Shelbey is a force to be reckoned with on the court and in life,” Hutchins said. She has a high volleyball IQ, works really hard and had a great season.
Hartsook was named the Oregon West Conference Co-Player of the year with Kendra Sitz of Sisters, Hutchins said.
Bitter “leads by example,” Hutchins said of her team captain. Noting how she played while sick during the state tournament, Bitter demonstrated her fortitude and strength, and she emulates MVP qualities with her love and respect for the game and her teammates.
“It’s really hard to see her graduate,” Hutchins said. “She’s a huge part of Sweet Home volleyball.”
Averaging 19 digs per game – counting only difficult games – Graci Zanona received one of two Defensive Awards, Hutchins said. “She has a fierce competitive streak.”
Sophomore Savannah Hut-chins averaged 18 digs per game to earn the other Defensive Award, Coach Mary Hutchins said, noting that it’s difficult to talk about “your own” child.
She works hard, and she’s positive, Hutchins said. “I am really proud of her, and I don’t say it enough.”
Junior Allison Miner received the team’s Coach’s Award,” Hutchins said. “Everything I asked Allison to do, she would do.”
A second Coach’s Award went to senior Marissa Kurtz, Hutchins said. “She’s a fighter. She wants to win. She’s done whatever asked her to do. She had some impressive moments in games, She had some impressive digs. She was a key factor.”
Senior Aliya Boss was the Most Inspirational, Hutchins said. “She has the best heart, and she does have the heart, and she does have the heart of a champion.”
She was a leader in summer fund-raising, she said. “She dug some balls this season that were amazing. She’s just a joy to have (around), and I’m going to miss her.”
The Huskies had a big year, placing fifth in the state 4A tournament after going undefeated in league.
They’ve had a long-term goal of beating Sisters, Hutchins said. The Huskies hadn’t beaten Sisters in 15 years, and she remembered chasing that goal while coaching club ball, with most of this year’s team, and then with varsity coach Alicia Meiers four years ago.
Meiers, who was resigning as coach because she was moving, told Hutchins she needed to take the varsity team and beat Sisters. Hutchins remembered losing a match at Sisters 25-5, 25-7 and 25-5.
“Three years ago, our goal was to get 10 points on Sisters,” Hutchins said.
They did that and much more this year.
“It’s very exciting for me to have all these seniors have the end result we had,” Hutchins said. “We had a lot of amazing moments, probably too many to mention.”
After graduating seven seniors last year, Hutchins said she had people telling her it was going to be a building year. She said she didn’t think so. In the first coaches poll, Sweet Home didn’t even get one vote. She found that offensive.
“I really didn’t like all the negativity,” Hutchins said, and that motivated her as a coach. She used it to motivate her team, which beat Sisters 2-1 at a tournament held at Cascade.
“We felt like we had won the state tournament,” Hutchins said. “I had no idea what was to follow it.”
The team did so well, winning every league game and beating Sisters two more times, by the end of the state tournament, the Huskies were disappointed they didn’t beat the Outlaws as state and finish in a higher place, Hutchins said, noting the irony of it.
Earning their first letters in volleyball were freshman Jamie Seward, sophomore Teja Abbott, junior Miner and seniors Boss, Kurtz and Samantha Coats.
Earning their second letters were sophomores Savannah Hutchins, Nichol, Zanona and Hartsook.
Bitter lettered for the third time.