Document text
May 28, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels March 12, 2004 Childress to join SOU netters By Rich Rosenthal For the Tidings Southern Oregon University volleyball coach Paul Elliott on Thursday announced former Lakeview High star Jessica Childress is transferring from Boise State University and will play for the Raiders this fall. Childress, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining and is expected to be an all-around player for SOU. "Jessica is well-known in Northwest volleyball circles, and she is a tremendous addition to our program," Elliott said. "She helps give us a great chance to go from rebuilding to being reloaded this season." Childress appeared in 26 matches and started nine at Boise State last season and finished third on the team with a 2.39 kill-per-game average, including a team season-high 26 kills in a four-game setback against Idaho State on Sept. 12. She collected 15 kills in a five-game triumph against Gonzaga the following day. The 2003 Bronco academic all-star was a three-time all-Skyline Conference selection at Lakeview High, where she helped lead the Honkers to Class 3A volleyball championships in 2000 and '02 and to a runner-up finish in 2001. The two-year all-state and all-state-tournament selection played two years on the Nike Northwest Elite club team. Childress qualified for the state meet as a 100-meter sprinter on the Honker track team and also played two seasons as a shortstop or pitcher on the varsity softball squad. Childress chose to transfer to SOU over Oregon, Oregon State and Eastern Washington. "I really like Paul's (Elliott's) style and I really like Ashland, and it seems like a perfect fit," Childress said. "I knew Paul even before I decided to go to Boise State, and he's always been honest, straightforward and supportive." The Childress family already has a storied Raider athletics background. Her father, Harvey, is SOU's first two-time football All-American (1981-82), and her uncle, Jack, was also an All-American linebacker in 1982. The brothers were inducted into the Raider Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Her cousin, J.R. Guthrie, was an SOU linebacker during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Southern Oregon returns eight players from last year's 24-8 Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I championship team, but Elliott must replace two of the program's greatest players: three-time All-American outside hitter Kristina Matchett and all-star middle Lindsey Aitchison. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams