TCP; Cougars finish in Top 10 at NWAACC Championship

This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.

David Beasley, Sports Editor
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Volume 47, Issue 7
Sports

The regular volleyball season was over, but last weekend the Cougars kept swinging. The NWAACC championship was held at Mt. Hood Community College. The tournament featured 29 teams from the North west. Clackamas placed seventh in the competition.

Thursday, Nov. 21, the Cougars faced Shoreline for their first game of the championships. The game against Shoreline was an excellent example of the Cougars’ intensity and patience. Clackamas measured Shoreline’s attacks well and let the ball go when Shoreline hit it out. The game was one of attrition, so the Cougars patience really paid off. Set number one ended with a trio of well-aimed serves by Clackamas freshman Sierra VeraCruz. The Cougars 25th point ending the set was scored after a hard-fought long volley. The first set was 25-16.
Another long volley beginning set two cost the Cougars a point and Shoreline gained a slight edge with four points to nothing. Kiki Stonebraker started the comeback with a kill, and some inspiring teamwork brought Clackamas another point, bringing the score to 2-4.

Shoreline still held the lead at 4-9, then more Cougar teamwork put the points at 5-9 with a set by Alexa Toth to Bre Gibbons’ kill. VeraCruz continued the momentum with a couple of surprisingly effective back-to-back digs. Toth made great use of the second dig with a marvelous set over the net that scored. Clackamas kept catching-up at 8-9.

The set continued competitively with the score tied a few times. Stonebraker faked a spike and instead tipped the ball over the net, breaking the tie at 13-12. Shoreline ran ahead with a series of scores and was able to win the second set at 20-25.

Shoreline came back for the third set with three straight points, but Clackamas answered with three of their own to tie it up at 3-3. The Cougars held on to a good run, scoring four more before Shoreline was able to get a shot through. Gibbons fired right back with a kill earning the score of 8-4. Gibbons later powered another kill through to put the numbers at 17-13 in the Cougars’ favor. Another Gibbons power shot blasted through at 19-15. Clackamas stayed dominant in the third and won 25-18.

“Bre had like eight serves in a row,” said Stonebraker. “Stringing points together changed the momentum.”

A fourth set was played for the game, and freshman Hanna Olson scored the Cougars’ first point.

“The fourth game we got our momentum back up and when we had really good kills that got our momentum back up too,” said Olson.

It was a close set. The score reached 5-5 and a serve by Gibbons was sent back by Shoreline, meeting the great teamwork of Clackamas. The team’s perseverance gave Gibbons another opportunity to score and she landed another kill, gaining the lead at 6-5. Gibbons’ next score came from her following pin-point serve.

Celena Maxwell hit the next shot after great team set-up. The score was 8-5, but the Cougars didn’t let-up. Maxwell tipped the ball over at 13-5 and Gibbons continued to serve. Maxwell scored again on the run with a great kill, securing 20-5 before Shoreline was able to score again.

“I think the fourth set was the best because we had really good energy and came out and showed them Cougar volleyball,” said Maxwell.

When Shoreline finally did rack-up a few shots, Clackamas viciously battled back with tenacious teamwork. The scoreboard read 23-10 for Clackamas and Olson landed a solid kill. The next point won the set 25-10 for Clackamas and effectively the match was theirs, winning 3-1.

They next faced Blue Mountain. Olson was pumped coming off the game against Shoreline, she said. “I can’t wait, it’s exciting to be here,” she added.

Blue Mountain played a flawless season, entering the tournament with zero losses.

“They’re a solid team but if we come out on fire we can get ‘em,” said Stonebraker. “Anything can happen here. Lower Columbia beat Spokane. We just have to come out ready.”

The Cougars needed strong resolve and faith in their team if they wished to be competitive against the league leader.

“Oh my gosh, it felt so good to win,” said Maxwell. “The last game was a good way to end. We’re gonna come out strong with good intensity.”

Returning to the court Friday morning Nov. 22, the Cougars dropped the game against Blue Mountain, losing 1-3. Clackamas started strong and they were able to grab a victory in the first set with 25-20, but Blue Mountain secured the following three sets 15-25, 20-25 and 15-25. Clackamas was down, but not completely out as they geared-up for the losers bracket. Blue Mountain went on to win the championship against Olympic on Sunday.

The Cougars played Chemeketa later Friday evening. Using great teamwork, the ladies of Clackamas won 2-0 with 25-11 in the first set and 25-19 in the second. The team advanced and looked to keep a winning streak as they faced Spokane Saturday.

Saturday’s match decided who moved on and who dropped out. It was a very close game, but Spokane emerged victorious with the Cougars losing 1-2. Clackamas started strong with 25-22. It was a fast-paced, intense game and the Cougars seemed to have the upper hand until the score was tied 21-21 and Spokane ran ahead with a vengeance. Set two ended in 23-25. The final set went to Spokane, 11-15. Clackamas was officially out of the competition and placed seventh.

The Cougars had some excellent moments throughout the tournament. Gibbons lead the team in kills with 14 against Shoreline, 12 vs. Blue Mountain,  nine against Chemeketa, and scored 13 on Spokane.

Sunday, Gibbons and VeraCruz played for the South Region’s first team in the All-Star matches. Olson played on the second team. The North All-Stars defeated the South All-Stars 1-2 with 22-25, 25-21 and 15-11. The South All-Stars also lost to the West All-Stars 0-2 in a couple of close sets with 19-25 and 23-25.

TCP; Clackamas Volleyball beats the Storm

This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.

David Beasley, Sports Editor
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Volume 47, Issue 3
Sports

Last Wednesday the Cougars volleyball squad brought down their opponent the Chemeketa Storm.

The match was a competitive fray of defense and offense with a few long-winded volleys.

Bre Gibbons played a very active game with some solid blocks, well placed tips over the net, 12 kills and 17 digs.

Taylor Balkan served an excellent scoring ball in the second set, she had 20 assists throughout the game.

Megan Minke got her hands on a few really nice plays in the third set.

“It feels good to be playing in the middle again. Getting a kill in the middle is more intense and fast paced than the outside,” said Minke. “I think that were starting to get back in the groove, were on the uphill. Hopefully the goal is to win NWAACCs and to come out on top in league.”

Hannah Olson set up some good plays from a couple nice serves, she had 10 kills and some good tips over the net. Chemeketa attempted to return one of her serves in set three, but it was blocked by the double wall of  Gibbons and Minke.

“I have a hurt shoulder right now, so it was pretty good, it was one of my better games,” said Olson. “We are working really well together, it’s nice to have a team that gets along.”

Chemeketa tried to come back in the third, bringing the score dangerously close at 24-21, but the Cougars won the third set and the game was theirs at 25-20, 25-15, 25-21.

The Cougars head coach Kathie Woods was impressed by her squad’s hard work so far this season.

“Were ranked seventh right now, were 24-10,” said Woods.

Dressed as the Harlem Globetrotters, the Cougars competed over the weekend at the Mt. Hood Dorian Harris Halloween Classic.

The Cougars won on Friday against Edmonds and Tacoma.  They won again against Columbia Basin.

In the semi-finals the Cougars lost to Olympic College and placed third in the Halloween Classic.

The Cougars play SWOCC Friday in Coos Bay at 6 p.m.

Wed Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. will be the last home game.

TCP; Cougar volleyball team digs deep

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.