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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 14, 2005 Grizzlies make history Ashland's bench erupts in cheers after a Grizzly score during Saturday morning's match against Jesuit on the second day of the OSAA/US Bank Class 4A Volleyball Tournament at the Chiles Center in Portland. The Grizz won the match and the championship match later in the day. All photos by Craig Mitchelldyer | For the Tidings Ashland High volleyball team clutches up, captures first state title By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings PORTLAND — Lindsey Stone spread her arms and screamed. Sarah Holgen leapt into the air. Jessica Walters threw one final fist pump. And their coach? He could hardly believe his eyes. “It’s kind of a foggy glow right now,” Josh Rohlfing said after the celebration, “and that’s how it was at that moment.” Foggy, but crystal clear in at least one astonishing reality: Ashland is the new king of Oregon prep volleyball. Combining clutch serving with nearly flawless execution, the Ashland High volleyball team staged an epic 10-0 rally in Game 3 to upend a shell-shocked Central Catholic squad, 28-26, 22-25, 15-5, and capture its first-ever state championship Saturday in front of 1,561 fans at the Chiles Center. The historic Class 4A title march was the first for a non Portland-area school since 1983 and first-ever for a team from the Southern Oregon Conference. It also marked Ashland’s last chance to win one at the state’s highest level before next year’s reclassification. LINDSEY STONE (4), ASHLAND HIGH’S SENIOR SETTER, CELEBRATES as Jamie Marvin, left, Sarah Holgen (3), Ruby Stocking (6) and Lauren Dow (12) react following Jessica Walters’ championship-clinching kill Saturday at the Chiles Center. The AHS volleyball team won the first state title in team history, first title in Southern Oregon Conference history and first 4A title for a non-Portland area school since 1983. Clutching up The top-ranked Grizzlies (34-1) called upon all of their talents and got a huge lift from an unlikely source to pull away late. ASHLAND HIGH’S RUBY STOCKING (6) and Jessica Walters (1) go up for a block against Central Catholic’s Audrey Brockman during Saturday night’s 4A state volleyball championship match at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. Ashland won in three games. With the Grizzlies nursing a slim 4-2 lead in Game 3, Ashland junior defensive specialist Jamie Marvin, a role player best known for her passing skills, stepped up to the service stripe and spearheaded the final charge. Consecutive kills by Walters started the rally, followed by an ace off the net cord by Marvin, a block by Ruby Stocking and another ace by Marvin. The second-ranked Rams (40-3) blew an easy pass on the next point and suddenly the Grizzlies, supported by some 200 screaming fans who made 300-mile trek north, were up 10-2 and on the brink of greatness. “We knew we were getting close,” said Ashland junior defensive specialist Natalie Lefler, who had 11 digs in the finals. “Our energy kept building and building and we just pushed them over.” The Rams still looked stunned coming out of the timeout and Walters made sure they stayed that way by blasting a spike off Central Catholic middle blocker Sarah Kelleher’s head on the very next point. A Central Catholic lift violation and another Marvin ace made it 13-2 before the Rams finally stopped the run with an Aria Mojima kill. The Grizzlies earned their first championship-point at 14-3 after Mojima’s miss-hit and the only drama left was which Ashland player would get the finishing honors. For Rohlfing, there was no question who his all-star setter, Stone, would go to. “I leaned over to (assistant coach Cecily Verloop) and I said, ‘You think Jess [Walters] is going to get stopped 12 times in a row because that’s how many times we’re going to set her right now.’” With the entire crowd on its feet, Stone proved her coach right. Walters, one of the state’s most powerful hitters, was stopped twice, but on the third try her blast down the right side caught the line for her 18th kill of the match and 59th of the tournament. “It just floored me,” Walters said of the clincher. “I’m like, ‘Is that it? Did we do it? Is it over now?” Party time The final whistle kicked off a wild celebration, as Ashland fans, mostly students, rushed onto the court. Oregon School Activities Association Officials tried to control the pandemonium, but it was no use, and the fans who stayed in their seats added to the Grizzlies’ bliss with chants of “We are Ashland” and “A-T-P” for A-town pride. SOPHOMORE MIDDLE BLOCKER RUBY STOCKING (6) and senior outside hitter Jessica Walters (1) attempt to block a shot by Central Catholic’s Audrey Brockman as Arielle Bettendorf (12) looks on during Saturday night’s Class 4A state championship match at University of Portland’s Chiles Center. Ashland held off the Rams to capture the state title. The players themselves formed a tight huddle as cameramen swarmed in from all sides. Some of the Grizzlies cried, others were laughing. Some were doing both. “You just couldn’t believe it,” said Holgen, who had a team-high 13 digs and 10 kills against the Rams. “You just felt like you had to keep fighting, but that was it. It was over, and you just couldn’t do anything but just break down in tears of joy because you knew that you just accomplished something so great.” “Tears just filled my eyes with happiness and I can’t get the smile off my face,” Stocking added. “It’s going to be here for a couple weeks.” When the celebration finally died down, Stone and Walters both were named to the all-tournament first team, while Ashland junior middle blocker Maddison Thivierge earned second-team honors. The Grizzlies withstood a valiant Central Catholic comeback to capture Game 1. Ashland scored nine of the first 10 points and still led 22-17 before the Rams scored five straight to tie the match at 22-all. The two teams then traded points, but Ashland never trailed and finally won the game on consecutive Walters kills. Holgen also had two clutch kills late. The Grizzlies beat fourth-ranked Jesuit in straight games (25-18, 25-22) and ninth-ranked McNary in three (25-18, 23-25, 15-11) earlier in the day to earn the program’s first championship-round berth. Jesuit pushed Ashland hard in the quarterfinals before succumbing to the Grizzlies’ first comeback of the day. The Crusaders went on a 10-1 run to take a 15-6 lead in Game 2, only to watch Ashland use a 13-3 run of its own to take a 23-20 lead. Jesuit closed to within 23-22 before Ashland sealed it with two more Walters kills. ASHLAND HIGH JUNIOR OUTSIDE HITTER Sarah Holgen sets up for a dig attempt as junior middle blocker Maddison Thivierge gets ready to go for a kill. Holgen saved her best for last, notching 13 digs and 10 kills in the championship match. McNary proved to be Ashland’s toughest test. The Celtics won Game 2 on Rebecca Proudfit’s game-ending spike and took a 5-4 lead in Game 3 before the Grizzlies again showed their grit. A timely dink kill by senior middle Lauren Dow put Ashland up for good at 6-5 and sparked a mini 4-1 rally. McNary won three straight points to creep back to within 11-10, but were called for three straight lift violations to give the Grizzlies four match points. On the second, Thivierge, who finished the match with 10 kills and two blocks, crushed Stone’s quick set to the floor, catapulting Ashland into the finals. Team of destiny Before receiving their state championship trophy, first-place medals and the championship bracket, the Grizzlies were awarded the tournament’s sportsmanship award. The announcement drew another loud ovation from Ashland’s fan base, which Stone credited with providing the Grizzlies with an extra edge. “They were there to re-energize us, they were there to encourage us, to boost us up,” she said. “They completed the experience.” Ashland’s four seniors — Walters, Stone, Dow and middle hitter Nicole Tobrock — accepted the bracket, which will be permanently displayed at Ashland High School. The win wraps up a nearly perfect season for the Grizzlies. They won all six of their matches at the state tournament and lost just one match during the regular season — and that was when Holgen stayed home sick. “I’m sure a lot of championship teams talk about destiny,” Rohlfing said, “but it seems like everything fell into place. We’re going to go 5A in a six classification next year. We’re a small school in with all these big schools — it’s a ‘Hoosiers’ scenario. “All these things just led to us believing that we were a team of destiny and I think that if anyone were to believe in it, I believe it now. Hard work and all of that creates your destiny and they’re just unbelievable, incredible kids.” Sports editor Joe Zavala can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected]. “ The energy on our side was just erupting every point and it was just rolling and rolling and Central Catholic just kind of went under the weight of it all.” Josh Rohlfing | Ashland High head coach “ You just couldn’t believe it . You just felt like you had to keep fighting, but that was it. It was over, and you just couldn’t do anything but just break down in tears of joy because you knew that you just accomplished something so great.” Sarah Holgen | Ashland High senior outside hitter “ Tears just filled in my eyes with happiness and I can’t get the smile off my face. It’s going to be here for a couple weeks.” Ruby Stocking | Ashland High sophomore middle blocker “ We knew we were going to win . We hugged each other and we were like, ‘It’s in our control. We can chose to win this right now,’ and I saw that look in those girls’ eyes, so I was not worried. I was like, ‘Hah, we got this.’” Lindsey Stone | Ashland High senior setter “ I haven’t recovered yet . I should be crying and I’m not right now and so it’s going to come pretty soon. I feel pretty cold-hearted, but I know it’s going to come.” Jessica Walters | Ashland High senior outside hitter Title Town What: No. 1 Ashland beats No. 2 Central Catholic to claim its first-ever state volleyball title and first for a non Portland-area school since 1983. Stars: Senior setter Lindsey Stone led Ashland in the tournament with 142 assists, while senior hitter Jessica Walters added 59 kills. Both were named to the all-tournament first-team. 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