This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.
David Beasley, Sports Editor
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Volume 47, Issue 1
Sports
Wednesday vs. New HopeThe stars seemed to align over Randall gymnasium last Wednesday evening, when CCC’s volleyball team defeated the New Hope Christian College Beacons in a non-league match.
The Cougars came out strong from the start. Early in the first set, No. 11 Kiki Stonebraker, drove down a powerful spike to put the team at a 3-0 lead. Stonebraker is one of only two sophomores out of the 12 team members.
“I’m the only returner, it’s brought a completely new chemistry and it’s refreshing,” said Stonebraker.
The game was fast paced and the Cougars commanded the lead. No. 14 Courtney Lofton scored with a nice spike and brought the score to 8-6. With another highlight, No. 3 Megan Minke launched a well-placed spike earning 12-8 over the Beacons. The Cougars won the first set 25-13.
In set two, the Cougars started strong again and kept the lead, using great communication and teamwork. The Beacons hit quite a few outs and the Cougars used good judgment letting the ball go out. The Cougars dominated 25-10 in the second set.
“I feel like we improve every day. Practices are intense, it’s really important for a championship NWAACC team. We have a solid group of girls who work really well together,” said No. 2 Taylor Balkan.
Set three started more even and the Beacons stepped it up. But the Cougars picked up more steam and grasped the lead. It was a very close set. A hard-won Cougar spike after a long volley brought the score to 11-9. The match became more competitive in the third and the Cougars took their first three time-outs. The score read 19-16 at the last TO. The Beacons fought hard but the Cougars finished 25-19 in set three and won the match.
“It was fun, we’re really thrilled with the season so far,” said head coach Kathie Woods.
The Chemeketa Tournament in August was a rude awakening for the Cougar volleyball team as they endured a 1-4 in the competition. The team has been very active since their first games. They have had ample time to figure out how to fight as a team.
“We had a slow start but now we are 21-7, 3-1 in league,” said Woods.
The Cougars squad gained momentum in their second tournament of the season, taking home four wins to one loss at the Spokane Falls Tournament. They went on to remain undefeated throughout September.
“For me, the highlight of the season was the Spokane tournament,” said Balkan. “We learned to play together; it was a fun learning experience for everyone.”
The Cougars’ only loss since the Spokane Falls Tournament came Oct. 2 against Linn-Benton. Wednesday night’s win gave Clackamas confidence for their next game, a league match against top regional rival Mount Hood Community College.
“It’s really awesome; we’re on fire this year,” said Stonebraker. “We had a 15 game winning streak until Linn-Benton, but we’re back on track and ready for Hood on Friday. It’s gonna be a good game.” Friday vs. Mt. HoodIn association with cancer awareness month, Friday marked the annual Diggin’ Pink event. The fund raiser and proceeds from the game benefited pets with cancer, diabetes and other illnesses.
“Diggin’ Pink is huge for us,” said Woods. “We raised $2,300 last year. We’re over $1,000 as of today [Oct. 11] and we are raising money all of October. Go to the athletic office to donate.”
Friday night was for fighting as the Cougars and Hood battled it out for regional supremacy. It was a rose-tinted evening as both teams sported pink jerseys in honor of cancer awareness. The Cougars even had pink shoelaces and spotted animal-print shorts.
“We call them Cougar shorts; they went well with the theme of tonight,” said No. 10 Hanna Olson.
While the Cougars were behind for much of the game, they had some nice plays and remained competitive. The Randall bleachers were full, the crowd was big. The team played well together often. One of the individual successes was Olson’s great block towards the end of set one, putting 16-20 on the scoreboard.
The Cougars suffered a hard- fought loss as set one ended in a close 21-25. They came back stronger in the second set. They gave Hood a run for their money, but even with the loud cheers and support from the Clackamas fans, Hood was able to steal the win for set two. The Cougars looked like they had a chance to win it after a great serve by Stonebraker, making it 22-24. They had great momentum, getting closer at 23-24, but were edged out 23-25.
After the second set of the Diggin’ Pink match, 2012 CCC volleyball alumna Annie Cook read a tribute in memory of coach Woods’ beloved pet dog Cougie and told the crowd about the fundraiser for animal cancer support and cancer awareness. The Cougars were down but not out; they still had desire to win. The third set was by far the most exciting and intense.
“It’s a big match for us, so we had to give it our all,” said Olson.
And they did. They managed to slide ahead on the scoreboard taking a 7-6 lead. There was a back and forth battle, with Hood getting the better of an epically long volley for 7-8. The Cougars later gained an 11-9 lead.
“I thought we played well, but inconsistent, we fought hard,” said No. 13 Bre Gibbons.
The fighting continued as Hood came back with a vicious five point lead in the remainder of set three. The game ended in a clear win for Hood at 19-25 of the third. The Cougars are now 3-2 in NWAACC league, but also an impressive 21-8 season total.
There is much to come from the championship-minded CCC team and the next home game is a league match against Chemeketa. The Cougars defeated Chemeketa before their match against New Hope and look to repeat that performance.
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