There are times the returning Issaquah volleyball players think about just how close they were last season.
What if they would have defeated Kentwood in the first round of state? Could their fifth-place finish have amounted to more?
But, instead of dwelling on what could have been, the Eagles are using the past as motivation for the new season.
“There’s definitely a lot of hunger, especially having nine seniors on the team,” said captain Sarah Hanna.
Hanna, an explosive 6-foot outside hitter, is one of six Issaquah seniors who’s played on varsity since her freshman year. Setter Riley Sorenson, outside hitter Rachel Roeder, defensive specialist Maddy Emerson, defensive specialist Maggie Reingold, and libero Alexa Bataquin also enter their fourth varsity seasons.
“I feel like our team’s really strong this year,” Sorenson said. “It should be pretty interesting, I’m really excited.”
The Eagles lost three key components from last year, however. Six-footers Stephanie Stoll (University of Washington), Alyssa Schultz (University of Idaho) and Chrissy Dickinson (Stevenson University) all graduated.
“That’s hard but we still have a good core group left,” head coach Todd Parsons said.
Parsons said that the middle blocker position will be filled by senior Jenna Pang, and sophomores Kirsten Fischer and Cassie Elenes. Junior outside hitter Sam Rogers will take over for the position vacated by Stoll.
“We’re better at defense than we’ve ever been, and our hitting is absolutely amazing,” Sorenson said. “You wouldn’t expect that out of such a small team, but we’re doing pretty well.”
While they might consider themselves “small,” the Eagles still have two players in Hanna and Roeder listed at 6-foot-1.
“A lot of schools don’t have any,” said Parsons, smiling.
While the athletic ability is certainly there, it’s attitude that Parsons is relying on to put his team over the top this season.
After suffering a tough five-set loss to Kentwood in the opening round of last year’s 4A state tournament, Issaquah fought back to beat one of the state favorites Richland — a battle Parson’s called the match of the state tournament. The Eagles then rattled off wins over Woodinville and Jackson to finish fifth overall.
“I hope that’s our strength this year,” Parsons said. “We had that heartbreaking loss and then turned right back around and found a way to be resilient. I hope that passion and that resiliency is with this group, and that’s going to carry us a long way.”
Issaquah opens its season at 7 p.m., Thursday in its new gymnasium against Kentwood.
Eastlake reloads roster
Lowdown: There are a lot of new faces on the Eastlake volleyball team this season, including first-year head coach Janna Tonahill. The Wolves graduated most of their roster from last season’s 7-10 team. They do return starting outside hitter Sarah Pellicano, however.
Outlook: “We are excited for a fresh start,” Tonahill said. “All the girls work hard and give 100 percent at practice. We look forward to a successful season.”
Skyline returns solid core
Lowdown: Skyline returns four starters from last year’s team — a group that finished at 7-4 in league and 8-9 overall. Junior outside hitter Maddie Magee, sophomore setter Madison Stoa, senior outside hitter Paige Haas and senior defensive specialist Andrea Chon all earned league honors last season. Head coach Mark Peterson had to step down for the second straight season due to family reasons. Assistant Laura Gacayan will fill the role as interim coach.
Outlook: With a mix of experience and new faces, the Spartans could surprise some KingCo 4A opponents in 2010. “We have a lot of talent on the team and a lot of new faces that will push the team to be better,” Gacayan said. “We have some amazing defensive players this season and I think we will frustrate a lot of teams by keeping the ball alive.”
Eastside Catholic poised for playoff run
Lowdown: Eastside Catholic returns eight players with starting experience from last year’s 13-6 team — a group that finished just shy of the state tournament. Leading that group are 6-foot-2 middle blocker and Boston College recruit, Kameron McLain, and 5-10 outside hitter, Cami Silverman.
Outlook: With a solid core of returners and impact newcomers, the Crusaders will be in the hunt for a Metro title in 2010. “We look good and should be a strong defensive team,” head coach Andrew Ness said.
