Document text
Net gains for Roseburg, North They top poll in coaches� early voting By Greg Stiles Ask Southern Oregon Conference volleyball coaches which team is the best and you find a house divided. But when it comes to the premier player in the conference, the house belongs to Roseburg senior Megan Morley. Talk to one SOC coach and you might as well pencil in Roseburg for the conference�s automatic berth to the Class 4A state tournament at the Chiles Center in Portland. To hear another opinion, you could pretty much engrave North Medford on the championship banner. Roseburg edged North in a poll of coaches to gain the favorite�s role. The way Crater coach Leaf Jensen figures, Roseburg � led by Morley and Shannon Burmeister � has the weapons to walk off with its first crown since 1997. "If you contain Morley, you have a chance, but it�s pretty hard to contain her," Jensen says. "She hits, blocks, plays defense, pretty much does it all." The other element Jensen sees propelling the Tribe to the top is that Roseburg�s younger players shined at a Davis, Calif., tournament in June. "They entered a 16-and-under team and did extremely well," Jensen says. "To do that without a select group of all-stars is really impressive." Junior Mary Junkin, who saw action when all-conference setter Julie Dancer was out last year, will run the offense while 6-foot-3 sophomore Kristen Bitter is going to have an impact. "Morley has a good supporting cast,�� says Ashland�s Josh Rohlfing. "They�re big and they�re not slow. They�re going to be hard to beat." Still, it would be no surprise to see the Black Tornado finish atop the conference as it has three of the past five seasons. "North replaces Ashland at the top and may be just as untouchable," says Klamath Union coach Malcom Munson, whose team finished second to the Grizzlies a year ago. "They have everybody back, played all winter together and competed at (the UC-Davis festival). I think they�re a (state) trophy-type team." It�s uncertain whether the Black Tornado�s ride through the SOC will be as smooth as Ashland�s 14-0 run last fall. What is certain, however, is that seventh-year coach Ron Beick returns a wealth of talent at North Medford. Beick says this Tornado team reminds him of the squad that came within a couple of points of reaching the state finals two years ago. "Actually, we�re very similar in terms of balance," Beick says. "We have a strong setter (Kaci Maldonado), good outside attackers (seniors Jill Carrigan, Kara Hwang and junior Beth Rathburn) and two middles (senior Kendra Mitchell and junior Chaley Higgins). Rachele Treger (a junior) gives us more depth there than I was expecting and (junior) Candace Fleener gave us a pretty good right side attack." Mitchell was a first-team SOC all-star, while Carrigan and Burmeister were second-team selections. The key will be getting the ball to the hitters with consistency. "Our ball control should be significantly better than a year ago. That was our nemesis. We hurt ourselves particularly in serve receive." Defending SOC champion Ashland won�t drop of the map despite losing the majority of a lineup that reached the state semifinals. Senior outside hitter Leslea Brown was a regular throughout the season and senior right-side hitter Heidi Lawrence came off the bench when Chelsea Johnson broke an ankle at the end of the regular season. Junior middle hitter Kacey Zundel, sophomore outside hitter Lichen Murray and senior defensive specialist Michelle Elston all lettered a year ago. Junior Molly Grossman and sophomore Megan Beugli are vying to follow SOC player of the year Chelsea Morgan at setter. Lawrence (5-10), senior middle hitter Stacy Foster (5-10), junior right-side hitter Ashley Fence (6-0) and sophomore middle Marla Morin (6-0) give the Grizzlies significantly more height than a year ago. "We�re bigger, stronger and faster than we�ve been," says Rohlfing, the Class 4A coach of the year in 1999. "Realistically, I think we have as good a shot as anyone, it just comes down to cohesion." Klamath�s 6-2 senior middle hitter Kaylene Munson was a second-team SOC all-star a year ago, but the Pels lost three starters to graduation after finishing a best-ever second. Junior Megan Leppert returns to the middle, while junior Maggie Fisher is back at setter. South Medford returns a veteran team, hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Senior Megan Barry, who gained SOC honorable mention last year, returns for her third year at setter. Carrie Doren and Kellie Thomas will haunt the middle for South, signaling a change from the outside attack that featured a graduated Crystal Peterson in 1999. "Megan Barry works very well with the middles," third-year South coach Jerry Hagstrom says. "She can set everything we ask her to set. She does a lot of shoots and misdirection sets." Senior holdovers Karla Zenz and Crystal Glover will provide an outside attack with Beth Mueller, a 6-2, sophomore, working out on the right side. At Crater, Jensen hopes to end a string of three fifth-place finishes and return the Comets to the playoffs for the first time since 1988. "We�re not real quick, but we have size and hopefully blocking will be our strength," Jensen says. Junior right-side hitter Brandi Hall and middle hitter Carissa Nafie are both 6-0. Senior outside hitter Janell Sapienza, senior setter Crystal Galdrige return along with junior defensive specialist Maggie Dunlap. Galdrige was second-team all-conference, while Hall earned honorable mention. Grants Pass returns two regulars � seniors outside hitter Johnna Nealy and middle/outside hitter Casey Higgins. Sophomore Ashley Bellum and junior transfer Apryl Allen from Walnut Creek, Calif., are the setters for second-year coach Nickola Johnson. Jessica Morton, a 6-0 sophomore, and senior Jocelyn Codington will help up front, while junior Ally Codington will be an outside hitter and defensive specialist. Second-year Eagle Point coach Lisa Hutchins is hoping to turn things around after two winless campaigns. "We�ve been in the gym year around this year and we came to daily doubles looking better than previous years," Hutchins says. Sophomore setter Aubrey Harrington and junior middle hitter Kara Stuart are returning starters. Senior middle hitter Adrian Lass, who underwent rotator cuff surgery last winter, is back, while Brynna Jacobson, an outside hitter from Minnesota, senior middle hitter Beverly Gonsalves and freshman setter Amanda Grieve should have impact on the Eagles� hopes as well. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA