Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Two races set for council positions Deadly virus stalks Southern Oregon deer Police Log Oregon sues Oracle and executives over health insurance exchange website PDF: State of Oregon v. Oracle America Inc. complaint Education SOU ROAR's to life Middle schoolers get a taste of college living Environment Deadly virus stalks Southern Oregon deer National monument area still faces threats What do you think of the return of wolves to Jackson County? How has the drought affected you? Wimer organic farm reaches out for support Business Organic & Healthy Dobra serves up teas and tranquility Revised employment figures show job growth in Jackson County Store to receive national award Former Daily Tidings publisher named to head new Gannett print company Politics and elections Two races set for council positions Library district won't take maximum tax rate Commissioner Skundrick plans final four town hall meetings Taking an independent stand Library district board, county at odds over proposal State News Nation - World Obituaries Dr. William Lee Ninon Schults (Cont.) Ninon Schults Death Notices Frank Raymond Nadeau Sports Latest Stories No Mo’ne on mound, Philly loses to Chicago Giants fall short in suspended game, 2-1 Ashland sports calendar: Local events and sports on TV Foles, offense sharp as Eagles beat Steelers Manziel not ready for prime time High school Southern Oregon University Season of change Raiders lean on passing, strength up front Beavers will get another shot at Buckeyes SOU men voted CCC favorites Former Ashland High star Niki Small reunites with former coach Rohlfing at SOU Opinion Latest Stories Whither OSF? Two views City sets example on marijuana tax Opportunities for civic involvement are plentiful in Ashland Our View: Review the ordinance, not the site Letters to the Editor, Aug. 20 Editorial Whither OSF? Two views City sets example on marijuana tax Our View: Review the ordinance, not the site Our View: New twist on the flying wedge Proof is in the numbers Letters Letters to the Editor, Aug. 20 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 19 Letter at Length: Bravo to Ashland for water conservation Letters to the Editor, Tuesday, Aug. 12 Letters to the Editor Guest opinions Opportunities for civic involvement are plentiful in Ashland Hamas supporters spread anti-Semitism around the world A fresh start for the Tidings — and for Mount Ashland Republicans and the politics of cognitive dissonance Revels Latest Stories Community blog:Ashland Book and Author Festival Coming Soon Ashland's On The Fly Improv had the audience rolling Community blog:Poet Laureate Peter Sears in Ashland World of Wine celebrates local varietals 4 things to do this weekend Theater OSF adds 'Wrinkle in Time' Family Night Daedalus Project 2014 Randall Theatre opens 'Godspell' Music 'On the Fly' Live 'on the bricks' Sweet Ghosts at Oberon's Tavern Visual Art First Friday art walk in Ashland Movies Varsity Theatre, Ashland Street Cinemas movie listings: Aug. 22-26 'What If' hits the sweet spot Varsity Theatre, Ashland Street Cinemas movie listings: Aug. 15-21 'Boyhood' and 'The Hundred-Foot Journey' 'A Most Wanted Man' is full of complexities Food and Drink World of Wine celebrates local varietals Lifestyle Latest Stories Inner Peace: Being in conscious presence or peacefulness If pot is medicine, should it be taxed? Backstage: For TV, never go beyond take three Food Project is a success story Inner Peace: Spiritual maintenance Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries NEWS NOW Health officials detect West Nile Virus in another Jackson County sample ... CALENDAR ... Health officials detect West Nile Virus in another Jackson County sample ... CALENDAR ... WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Raiders lean on passing, strength up front SOU returns most of team that lost in 2013 CCC semis By Joe Zavala DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Posted Aug. 20, 2014 @ 4:59 pm Updated Aug 20, 2014 at 5:52 PM By Joe Zavala Posted Aug. 20, 2014 @ 4:59 pm Updated Aug 20, 2014 at 5:52 PM » Social News Southern Oregon University volleyball coach Josh Rohfling gets excited when he talks about what he says is one of the Raiders’ team strengths, its uncanny ability to turn a hard spike from an opponent into a picture-perfect pass. But SOU sophomore setter Lauren McGowne, the Raider most likely to be on the receiving end of most of those nice passes, can’t discuss the subject without delving into a little hyperbole. “They pass balls that I don’t even think are passable,” she said. “They just make miracles happen.” McGowne and company hope all those miracles can be turned into some quick-strike offense and, eventually, some key wins as SOU opens its 2014 campaign at the prestigious Biola Invitational beginning Thursday in La Mirada, Calif. The Raiders, who were unranked in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll, face California State-San Marcos and Westmont College (Calif.) on Thursday and No. 22 Vanguard (Calif.) and No. 2 Concordia (Calif.) on Friday. “We’re focused on San Marcos,” Rohlfing said. “We’re excited about that match, and after that we’ll see where we’re at.” Three weeks after the Raiders began preparing for the season Rohlfing is confident that the team will have at least two clear strengths — ball-handling and the middle blocker position, which is anchored by starters Nikki Keller and Emma Gasman. Keller, a 5-foot-11 senior, ranked first in the Cascade Conference in attack percentage (.384) and 12th in blocks per set (.84) last season, while Gasman, a 6-0 sophomore, ranked third in hitting percentage (.332) and ninth in blocks per set (.88). Also in the middle, Abbie Hanser, a 6-1 redshirt sophomore, and Sam Boehnke, a 6-0 senior, are expected to make regular contributions, giving the Raiders both depth and explosiveness on the front line. “We have two of the stronger middles around and I’m excited to see what they do in a match,” said Rohlfing, who’s entering his eighth season at the helm. “I really believe they could be fantastic; they could be all-world. They are pretty dominant.” SOU won’t be nearly as physically imposing on the outside, where hitters Paulla Pinheiro and Motade Atanda step into starting roles. But what they lack in size, Pinheiro and Atanda make up for in sheer athleticism. Pinheiro, a 5-9 senior from Brazil, is one of the Raiders’ two returning all conference players — McGowne is the other — after ranking ninth on the CCC in both kills per set (2.91) and hitting percentage (.261). Atanda, a 5-8 senior, saw only limited action last season but with her outstanding leaping ability and quickness she’s expected to add another dimension to the Raider offense. Pinheiro and Atanda also happen to be stellar passers, which should make the Raiders a tougher team to defend. But, Rohlfing added, nobody will know how SOU handles its lack of height on the outside until it’s forced to for the first time against live competition Thursday. “We’re pretty small on the outside, so how are we going to deal with that?” He said. “They jump well, but you just never know until you play someone who’s 6-4 and 6-4.” McGowne returns as SOU’s starting setter and stepping in as the starting libero is Brookelynn Cole, who replaces CCC libero of the year Renee Yomtob. Cole has big shoes to fill, but Rohlfing is excited about the possibilities.  "What (Cole) gives us is that tenacity," Rohlfing said, "a fire that is unreal." On the right side, Boehnke, an Ashland High alum, and 6-0 junior Tyana Andrews are still battling for a spot in the starting lineup. Rohlfing says his decision will come down to the last practice before Thursday’s season-opener, but he feels comfortable with both. While the Raiders are loaded in the quickness department, Rohlfing says it’s their communication that could set the 2014 Raiders apart from past versions. The starting lineup is similar to the one SOU used to begin the 2013 campaign, when it finished third in league play and fell in the CCC semifinals, but this year’s Raiders are more seasoned, more mature. “The volleyball IQ over the year has been a big focus for us, trying to understand what it is we’re trying to do, what our purpose is on the court,” he said. “I feel like we’ve made that big step and now it’s about what’s it going to look like when we play someone else. You always look good against yourself when you’re beating yourself up every other day. So now, what is it that other teams are going to pressure us into that we’re going to struggle with. Going into it, I like the things that we’re doing well that we weren't at this time last year. I just don’t know what it is yet that we need to work on.” Keller says SOU will impose its game upon opponents instead of the other way around. “I think that our strength is going to be how we’re consistently aggressive,” she said. “We are definitely an attacking team and our defense is unbelievable. So we’re going to go in playing as hard as we can against the best opponents and see how it goes. It’s about who’s fighting harder.” The Raiders play eight nonconference matches before hosting their CCC opener Sept. 4 against Corban University. SOU hosts 23rd-ranked Easter Oregon, rated No. 2 in the league’s preseason poll, on Sept. 26, and 18th-ranked and league favorite College of Idaho the following night. The Raiders have not formulated any season goals for 2014. For now, they say, their top priority is to play well against Cal State-San Marcos. For McGowne, who was voted CCC freshman of the year in 2013, that means communication is key. After that, she says, everything will fall into place. “My expectation is that we find a rhythm,” she said. “Last year I think, we were so new to each other that it was really hard to find our groove. And this year, I just want us to find our rhythm and go out and attack. And I think that we have that capability. I want to win, but I want us to find our rhythm to win.”   By Joe Zavala DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Posted Aug. 20, 2014 @ 4:59 pm Updated Aug 20, 2014 at 5:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Instant Fantasy Reaction for Brice Butler Aug. 23, 2014 at 12:27 am Instant Fantasy Reaction for Julian Edelman Aug. 22, 2014 at 11:29 pm Instant Fantasy Reaction for Allen Hurns Aug. 22, 2014 at 10:23 pm Instant Fantasy Reaction for Shane Vereen Aug. 22, 2014 at 9:52 pm Reggie Bush's Instant Fantasy Reaction Aug. 22, 2014 at 9:07 pm Instant Fantasy Reaction for MJD Aug. 22, 2014 at 8:33 pm calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501