Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home volleyball team is young this year with just three players returning to the lineup from last year.
Returning players include seniors Sarah Rosa, Jess Seiber and junior Paige Niemi.
They are joined by seniors Michelle Morneault and Alex Thompson and sophomores Sam Johnson, Hillary McCartin, Alisha Huschka, Cassidy Sullivan and Tana Tyler.
“Having four seniors is good,” Coach Debi Danielson said. “But with only two having varsity experience, it means we’re young.”
But that means they’re improving every day, she said. A team of seniors can plateau in mid-season, while younger players have more room to grow.
Danielson plans to run Seiber and Johnson as outside hitters.
Niemi and Huschka will set, a new position for Niemi.
Middle hitters will be Morneault, McCartin and Sullivan, and Thompson and Rosa will play as defensive specialists.
The team will have no libero, a position recently added to the high school game in Oregon. Michelle Cliver filled the position last year.
The libero rotates through the back row and can come back in after sitting out one rotation.
“It’s great when we have an amazing passer,” Danielson said, and if someone begins to stand out as a passer, the team will begin using one later in the season. The position can change hands from game to game.
The team is working on building up its consistency from the service line, Danielson said. Good consistent serves are more important under rally scoring, where every play scores.
“Alex Thompson serves really well,” she said. “And Jess serves really well. Sam’s got a good jump serve.”
Most importantly, “we’re taking care of the little things right now instead of complex plays,” Danielson said, and those little things have started paying off already.
“Defensively, we’re moving better to the ball, reading better,” Danielson said. The team still needs some work on reading the ball, but that comes with game experience.
Offensively, “if Jess can hit well, she’ll be our big powerhouse,” Danielson said. “We’re going to focus on our outside hitters. The middles are working on different things.”
The team finished fourth in league last year, with the top two teams earning a spot in the state playoffs. This year, the top three teams attend playoffs.
“Central is always the top,” Danielson said. “They have huge kids and play club a lot.”
Newport will come out strong, she said. Taft graduated key players, and the Huskies will be competitive against Philomath.
Danielson is confident her team can handle Taft and Philomath, she said. “I think we can beat Newport if we’re defensive.”
Central will be the toughest, she said, but the Huskies should be able to finish in the top three and go to state this year.
To that end, the girls have been working with Tiffany Makin at Steelhead Gym on plyrometrics, their jumping ability, Danielson said, and it’s made a big difference.
“This group has great attitude, and they get along well,” Danielson said. That also will help.
Coaching staff includes Amanda Christenson, with the junior varsity and in her third year in the program, and freshman coaches Mary Hutchins and Shauna Baxter, both of whom have coached other teams together before. They are in their first year in the program.
The junior varsity includes Krystal Cowger, Katie Nicholson, Vianney Santana, Jessica Blankenship, Bayli Riggs, Alyssa Holder, Dawnita Justham, Amanda Hoover, Tori Lillich and Tasha Saunders.
Freshmen include Kalynn Cowger, Ashley Cochran, Brianna Yost, Mandi Binks, Emily Peabody, Tiffany Malloy, Meadeux Williams, Sirena Patricio, Mikaela Stoner, Bethany Marner and Kelika Kaniaupio.