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71 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 11, 2004 A fifth-place finish at the Pan Am Games in 2003 stands as Michelle Morse�s self-described �biggest achievement� in athletics. Morse digs life at the beach By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune Michelle Morse’s path to professional volleyball resembles a finely woven mystery novel. Following her graduation from Crater High in 1987, Morse gave no indication of the strange plot twist she would soon author. With no prep or collegiate experience in the sport, a then 22-year-old Morse up and left Oregon State University for a life in beach volleyball. Now, at 34 and residing in Redondo Beach, Calif., Morse is still a very recognizable name on the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour. "It’s a little strange how it worked out," she says. "I was definitely behind and wasn’t as fundamentally sound as the other people who started younger. I was just jumping in (to volleyball) feet first." Advertisement Morse has since been all over the country playing in various tournaments and has traveled to events in Mexico and Canada. Her sponsors have included Coors Light, Body Glove and Oakley, and she’s attracted attention from other big names, as well. "When people randomly call you and ask you to be in a Pepsi commercial," says Morse, "that’s pretty humbling. A lot (professionally) can come out of (being in a commercial)." Morse and teammate Liz Pagano of Seattle, who she’s teamed with for the last four years, earned a berth in the 2003 Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The duo finished fifth. "Pan Am was really amazing," recalls Morse, who is, along with Pagano, recovering from injuries that have kept the two sidelined for the last few months. "It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. "I mean, it’s an amateur event so there’s no money, but just to represent the U.S. like that ... it’s definitely my biggest achievement." But volleyball wasn’t even in the script for Morse during her time in the Rogue Valley. Morse attended school in Oregon from sixth to 12th grade. She was at Scenic Middle School and then spent her final three years at Crater. "The funny thing was that I didn’t even play (volleyball) in school," says Morse, who did compete in the 100-meter, javelin and high jump for the Comets’ track and field squad. "I wanted to try it but I couldn’t make it to the practices." Morse worked at a mill in Albany and majored in business while at OSU but described her philosophy at the time as "winging it." "I didn’t have any parental supervision for the first time in my life," says Morse, whose mom, Sally, lives in Gold Hill. "I would say that for the first five years (out of high school) I didn’t really have a plan." That changed soon after she met Paul Boyd. The two became acquainted while playing volleyball at a friend’s house and later entered, and won, a novice tournament in Portland. "I had been playing for a while and she was just getting started," says Boyd, who graduated from Butte Falls and attended Southern Oregon University (then Southern Oregon State College). "We started hanging out more and practicing together." Boyd and Morse left for Redondo Beach to further their volleyball careers. Morse was still finding her niche in the sport. "(In Oregon) I was playing in some indoor leagues," she says. "I was still terrible by California standards, but (volleyball) just took hold of me and I never let go." Three years after reaching California, Morse was competing in pro tournaments. Her coach at the time, Anna Collier, spent nearly three years fine-tuning Morse’s game. Collier has worked with some of the bigger names in beach volleyball, including Holly McPeak, the women’s career leader in victories, tournaments played and prize money. "Michelle was definitely a work in progress when I first started working with her," says Collier, who is now retired from coaching and is the director of the kinesiology, dance and recreation department at Santa Monica College. "She really worked hard for me. "Michelle improved tremendously with her serve and her defense." The success Morse obtained in volleyball hasn’t necessarily translated into monetary gain, however. To help support her day job, Morse has worked in the restaurant business as a server, bartender, and for the past three years as a manager. Last year, Morse added another helping to her already full plate of activities. She began attending classes and playing tennis at El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif. "I’m going to play one more year of tennis at the JC level," says Morse, now majoring in Spanish. "Hopefully I can translate that into a scholarship at a four-year school." She adds: "Volleyball doesn’t have the longevity of tennis. Tennis is something I can do when I’m 80, and I do want something to fall back on." And keep her fans guessing until the very end. Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities