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Grizz hope to restore the roar Ashland netters eye first SOC title in five seasons By GREG STILES SOC Volleyball Coaches poll 1, Ashland (6)............................ 47 2, North Medford (2) ...................42 3, Roseburg ...............................36 4, Klamath Union .......................35 5, South Medford .......................24 6, Grants Pass ..........................18 7, Crater ...................................15 8, Eagle Point .............................8 First-place votes in parenthesis The Ashland Grizzlies may well be headed back to the head of the class in the Southern Oregon Conference volleyball hierarchy. The once-dominant Grizzlies, who have won more district championships than any other SOC school, haven't won a title since 1994. But thanks to a talented senior class, Ashland is favored to displace North Medford on the top rung of the conference ladder this fall. North finished third in the state last season and returns just two players from a senior-laden team. Nonetheless, third-year Ashland coach Josh Rolphing takes a cautious stance. "I think we've got a really good shot," Rolphing says. "But the way I look at it, North Medford is still the team to beat. "We watched the Ashland football team lose the majority of its players and then win the state title last year. If you have a good system, players pick it up. North Medford is still on top until someone proves they're not." SOC play begins with four matches tonight: Crater at South Medford, North Medford at Grants Pass, Ashland at Eagle Point and Roseburg at Klamath Union. All four matches start at 7:15 p.m. The Grizzlies have an edge in returning talent with first-team SOC all-stars Loriana Berman (5-foot-7, outside hitter) and Chelsea Morgan (5-9, setter) and second-team selection Amy Williams (5-10, middle). There are plenty of other veterans as well: Rachel Karlin (5-11 middle), Chelsea Johnson (5-8, outsider hitter) and 5-3 defensive specialists Jill Stranberg and Carrie Manning. "Ashland is going to come out of the gate stronger than most people," says North Medford coach Ron Beick. "Most people can't do what they're doing right now. They're athletic and experienced." A young Grizzlies squad made its presence known two years ago, going 11-5 and placing third. But Ashland failed to make further inroads last year and slipped to 10-4. "We had four sophomores on our team two years ago and we really over-achieved," says Rolphing. "We played a lot on emotions and in big games emotions hurt us. "The next year, we had high expectations for ourselves, but in actuality the league was better. We didn't reach our expectations. Our goals were unrealistic. We had lost a couple of key seniors and didn't have the maturity level we needed." Morgan played a key role as Ashland won the SOC basketball title last winter and figures to be instrumental in the Grizzlies' fall campaign. "Chelsea is that player that comes around occasionally," Rolphing says. "She's just amazing. She just does everything with aggression _ controlled aggression. Usually when a player like that ends one season, she drops the sport and picks up the ball the following season. But Chelsea continues to be a teammate throughout the year. She's an exceptional person in that area." Rolphing says he also expects big things from Berman and Williams. "This is their moment, not just for our team, but if they step forward it will help the SOC as well," Rolphing says. The Grizzlies will find out how they stack up against some of the West Coast's premier teams Saturday in a 32-team tournament in Tigard. North Medford made it to the Class 4A state semifinals last year and took home a third-place trophy. But only junior outside hitters Jill Carrigan and Haley Varley return with varsity experience. Helen Williams (5-11, right side) is the lone senior, while juniors Kaci Maldonado (5-7, setter), Kendra Mitchell (5-8, middle) and Kara Hwang (5-9, outside hitter) and freshman Stacey Casebier (5-9, outside hitter) face the challenge of completing North's playoff string throughout the 90s. "This is a strong group in terms of athleticism," Beick says. "But it's different than the teams in front of them as far as experience. They need to spend time on the court playing to get there." Roseburg nearly made it back-to-back district titles last year, handing North its lone SOC setback. But like the Tornado, the Indians were hit hard by graduation. Junior Megan Morley (5-10, outside hitter) earned honorable mention last year and figures to be a top threat at the net again. Senior outside hitters Julie Dancer and Stephanie Nicklason were set to take over setting duties, but injuries have forced coach Bruce Myers to make some last-minute changes. Before Malcom Munson moved across town from Mazama in 1997, Klamath Union had never made the state playoffs and had never beaten Ashland. In his first season, the Pelicans beat Ashland and earned a playoff berth. Now the Pelicans hope to make it three-straight state appearances and perhaps break into the top-three this season. First-team SOC all-star Kristina Matchett (5-10) is back in the middle and junior Kaylene Munson (6-1), the coach's daughter, is another solid middle threat. The Pels lost Amy Denson, who transferred to Crater and won't play this fall, but picked up transfer Kyley Bray from Lakeview. Senior Jen Brennan moves from defensive specialist to setter. Second-year South Medford coach Jerry Hagstrom returns seniors Crystal Peterson, Lynn Wooton, Annie Hoffmeier, Carrie Doren and Megan Barry, an honorable mention selection last year. At Crater, sophomores Sarah Yager, Brandi Hall and Addie Wiersma join juniors Jodi McLeod, Janelle Sapienza and Crystal Galedrige in the starting lineup. Galedrige is a transfer from St. Mary's. First-year Grants Pass coach Nickola Johnson has six returners from last year's team that finished sixth, including honorable mention all-star outside hitter Gabby Rathburn. She's joined by seniors Reshaun Lewis, Jennifer Mack, Christina Pierce and Kaci Williams. Junior Casey Higgins and Idaho transfer Rachael Behnke figure to also have a hand in the Cavers' fortunes. Eagle Point also has a new coach in Lisa Pedrojetti, who attended Ashland and North Medford and later was an assistant basketball coach at Crater. Senior Alaina Corliss was an honorable mention selection for the Eagles last season. Senior Misty Bernhardt, sophomore Kara Stuart and freshman Aubrey Harrington figure to play prominent roles for Eagle Point. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.