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Phoenix�s Sutton on first team There won�t be a trophy in the display case. No Skyline Conference championship banner. Not much hard evidence that the Phoenix Pirates fielded their best volleyball team since perhaps 1983�s state runner-up team. But on further reflection, there weren�t many teams in the state better than the Pirates, who finished 28-11. "Nine of our 11 losses were to top-10 teams," Phoenix coach Tom Murphy says. Phoenix finished third in the Skyline behind Lakeview and Henley, who eventually collided for the state championship. The Honkers and Hornets dominated the Skyline all-conference team as well with Lakeview landing three players and Henley two on the first team. Phoenix senior Sutton Jackson landed the remaining first-team spot. "I was surprised with our team this year," Jackson says. "We did better than what people expected. When we played teams like Henley or Lakeview, we�d tell ourselves we have nothing to lose and to play our hardest." Rainier, which beat Phoenix in the state tournament opener, placed third. The Dalles, which eliminated the Pirates, won the consolation title. "We managed to lose to all four semifinalists this season," Murphy says. "We�re not quite into the elite top six or eight around the state, but we know we�re among the top 15 and just a little below that select group above us." For the second year in a row, Lakeview senior Jamie Ruda was voted player of the year by Skyline coaches. She was joined by sophomore teammates Megan Albertson and Jess Childress, Phoenix�s Jackson and Henley seniors Alice Myers and Breanna Maupin on the first team. "Ruda is the best all-around player in the Skyline," Murphy says. "Jess Childress may be a harder hitter, but Ruda could be first team if she played any of the six positions. She is very smart, very accurate and has tremendous ball control." Like Ruda, Jackson stands 5-foot-5. "We moved Sutton from the middle to outside this year," Murphy says. "She has a knack for seeing the floor and getting the ball down on the hardwood. She has great hands and picks up more stuff 3 inches off the hardwood than anybody I�ve seen." First Team Alice Myers, Henley, Sr.; Breanna Maupin, Henley, Sr.; Jamie Ruda, Lakeview, Sr.; Megan Albertson, Lakeview, So; Jess Childress, Lakeview, So.; Sutton Jackson, Phoenix, Sr. Second Team Katie Johnson, Henley, Sr.; Samantha Young, Henley, Jr.; Erika Clements, Henley, Sr.; Kristi Albertson, Lakeview, Sr.; Kelsey Russell, Phoenix, So.; Kelly Simmons, Rogue River, Sr. Third Team Frances Hartman, Lakeview, Jr; Megan Britton, Mazama, Jr.; Nicole Roberts, North Valley, Jr.; Megan Coston, North Valley, Sr.; April Darby, Phoenix, Jr.; Becky Grinde, Rogue River, Sr. Honorable Mention Staci Maupin, Henley, So.; Jennifer Brown, Hidden Valley, Sr.; Rylee Davis, Hidden Valley, Sr.; Cathy Nadow, Illinois Valley, Sr.; Kim Hamilton, Illinois Valley, Fr.; Tiphani Pope, Illinois Valley, So.; Jacque Johnson, Lakeview, Sr.; Krystal Lawrence, Mazama, So.; Jerie Mishler, Mazama, Sr.; Katie Strahan, North Valley, Sr.; Tiffany Ross, Phoenix, So.; Emily Sutherland, Rogue River, Sr.; Asleigh Artoff, Rogue River, So. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.