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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 10, 2005 Grizzlies like their chances at state AHS volleyball team peaking just in time for home stretch By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings NATALIE LEFLER , Ashland High’s junior defensive specialist, bumps the ball during Tuesday’s practice. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings Josh Rohlfing wants to bring a first-ever volleyball state championship back to Ashland and believes he has the team to do it. He’ll find out for sure soon enough. Ashland High’s head volleyball coach leads the red-hot, No. 1-ranked Grizzlies into the 16-team OSAA Class 4A state tournament Friday at University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The two-day fracas wraps up with Saturday night’s state championship match. In order for the Grizzlies to make it that far they must first claim one of the top two spots in their pool, then win quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Saturday. Rohlfing likes his team’s chances, especially after an excellent practice Wednesday. “When we play up to our level and our capabilities it’s going to be difficult for any team to beat us straight up,” he said. Ashland, the Southern Oregon Conference champion, is 28-1 and riding an 11-match winning streak after last Saturday’s three-game playoff rout of Benson. The Grizzlies are in a pool with eighth-ranked Mountain View, Canby and West Salem. That draw appears to be a favorable one. The Grizzlies pulverized Canby earlier this season, split games with Mountain View despite playing without all-star hitter Sarah Holgen and have not played West Salem, the No. 2 team out of the Valley League. If Ashland grabs the top seed out of its pool, it will play the No. 2 seed from Pool 2 (third-ranked Gresham, fourth-ranked Jesuit, Marshfield or Lakeridge) in the quarterfinals Saturday morning. If Ashland advances as the No. 2 seed, it will face the No. 1 seed out of Pool 2 in the quarters. Thinking big Rarely has an Ashland team entered a playoff tournament with so much promise. The Grizzlies have been ranked No. 1 for the past three weeks, are undefeated when playing at full strength (Holgen also missed Ashland’s loss to Crook County) and are 3-0 against volleyball factories Gresham, Jesuit and West Linn, which have combined to win six of the past seven state championships. It’s no wonder, then, that the Grizzlies are shrugging off their draw and focusing more on fine-tuning. “We’re all mentally dialed in and now all we have to work on is the little stuff,” said senior outside hitter Jessica Walters, a four-time SOC all-star. “So now, we’re just tweaking little things to improve our game and make it tougher for the other opponent. I believe that if we do what we can and play our best, we shouldn’t be afraid of any team.” Rohlfing agreed, but added that the Grizzlies can’t fall into the trap of looking ahead — to the quarterfinals, or beyond. “Each match you have to prepare for that match because if you get stuck looking at how grand it is, you’ll never get there,” he said. “It’s too much for them to have to think about. We have to think about what we can control right now and everything else fall into place.” Leading ladies 4A State Tourney When: Friday and Saturday. Where: University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The Grizzlies certainly have the talent to match their high expectations. Led by SOC player-of-the-year Lindsey Stone, Ashland has five first-team all-SOC players on a roster that may be the most gifted in team history. Stone, arguably the best setter in the state, quarterbacks an offense that has evolved into a dynamic and often unstoppable double-threat — powerful enough to beat most blocks yet deceptive and quick enough to out-flank the speed teams. Walters (273 kills during the regular season) and junior middle blocker Maddison Thivierge (270) are the big hitters, while Holgen (153 kills, 215 digs) does a little bit of everything. Junior defensive specialist Natalie Lefler (181 digs) and sophomore middle blocker Ruby Stocking (167 digs) also earned SOC all-star nods. While the Grizzlies are focused on Friday’s first opponent (Mountain View at 8 a.m.) they will also try to enjoy their rare opportunity. That’s especially true of the seniors — Stone, Walters, Nicole Tobrock and Lauren Dow — who will be playing their final matches in Ashland uniforms. “Jessica and I were actually having a conversation (Monday),” Stone said, “about how we just need to sit back and take it all in and just enjoy every second that we’re here, because it’s really once in a lifetime. “This is our shot.” Sports editor Joe Zavala can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected]. 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