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--> --> Nov. 1: SOU's superb setter By Bobby Heiken Ashland Daily Tidings "She's the hardest worker in the gym. She plays every point hard every day no matter if it's practice or a match. She's the type of player you want to go into battle with." That's how Southern Oregon University head volleyball coach Paul Elliott describes senior setter Sabrina Garboden. "Every player for the last four years has believed that she can come out and make plays," Elliott said. "That's impressive to have a team have that much confidence in you." Garboden and fellow seniors Shelley Gorin and Michele Dardis will play their final home match Saturday when the Raiders host Evergreen State at 7 p.m. Garboden burst on the scene as a freshman after a prep career at Aloha High where she was an all-conference setter. With All-American Erin Lytle engraved as SOU's starting setter, Garboden fought her way to a starting position as a defensive specialist two weeks into her first collegiate season. "I came in with the attitude that I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team," Garboden said. "I didn't care if it was playing setter or defensive specialist. I just wanted to come out and improve every day." The mentality worked as she finished third on the team in digs her first two seasons. As a junior she won the Cascade Conference all-defensive specialist award and also nabbed regional honors. With the graduation of starting setter Jamie Csoros, Garboden jumped at the opportunity to move back into the setter position. "I knew Paul was going to bring in another setter and there would be competition for the position," Garboden said. "I started to work hard to improve and finally decided that whatever position I was playing I was going to work hard at and accept whatever I got." Garboden won the setter job and is now pulling the strings on one of the most explosive offenses in the conference. "The first couple of matches I was really nervous," she said. "But I talked a lot with Jamie (Csoros) and that helped out a lot. The biggest thing was becoming a leader." The leadership role was new to Garboden. For three years she was the energizer on the squad. Now she has to run the ship. "The biggest difference is mental," Elliott said. "She had set a lot in practice over the years so the physical side was there, but it's a different mindset. Before she could come in and be a spark plug and use her energy to fire everybody up. Now she's more even-keel and poised." It's been full speed ahead for Garboden. This week she was named Cascade Conference setter of the week for the second time in three weeks and leads the conference in assists. And with her success, the team has also stepped it up a notch. After starting conference play with a 1-3 record, the Raiders (15-7, 10-5) need a victory Saturday night to wrap up the No. 2 slot in next weekend's Cascade Conference tournament - and earn a first-round bye. "The difference is now we are staying more focused," Garboden said. "We are communicating better and we trust each other. That helps a lot." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing