In bracket play, Red took the first match against a strong Purple team.  Then they got their revenge from the morning pool by dispatching Canby in 2 games.  This put Red in the Championship Match against MAC Jrs.  Red lost the first game, but then came back with determination to take the second game, setting up the 3rd game.  The team fought hard but came up 2 points shy of taking it all.

It was a great day for Red because they kept up their enthusiasm and spirit all day long.  They stayed positive and focused as a team.  Their success was a total team effort with everyone stepping up their level of play.

This was a great team to work with this season and we still see a lot of potential to come!  It's amazing how far this inexperienced team came along.  They worked so hard in practice, had fun with each other as a team, and always stayed positive with their teammates.  The parents were awesome, being supportive and patient all along while realizing our efforts at developing the girls' talents.  It did happen!

We're going to miss this group, but we'll be looking forward to their success in their volleyball future.  Rick and I wish these girls the best.  Thanks for a great season!

Red started out slow against Forest Grove in a three-team pool. Then they woke up and played well but dropped the match 3-2 after fighting hard to get back in it. Then Red romped in a 3-0 win over Salem. Red was done in pool by 12:30 and then refereeing and waiting forever until 4:30 to begin bracket play. By the time Red got to play again the team was ready and dispatched Cascade Reign easily in two games. Against Canby in the Championship game, tiredness took its toll and Red dropped the first game, but Red showed a lot of character by digging deeper and playing through it to get the win 2-l.

BriAnne lit it up with her serving all day plus playing a key role in setting. Kacie had that determined look in her eye whenever she went to serve and hit. She also showed some of that aggressiveness that setters need. Kalee was all over the floor turning any pass into a nice set for the hitters. We always know she's going to get to that second ball. Sarah kept us in the first match of the day with a long string of good serves when the rest of the team was struggling with their serves. It's so nice to know you have a libero who will deliver that nice pass right on target like Sarah does. Alyssa and Jenna were all over the net putting down overpasses and being very aggressive hitting the ball. What an improvement from the last tournament. Liz was given the challenge of playing all around some games and it was great! She loved playing defense. When Stefani plays defense nothing gets past her. Red can count on her great passes and hustle to give the team a boost in tough games. Jessie as always served tough but in this tournament she hit the ball hard at outside with many crucial kills. Emily had another outstanding tournament. She has total focus on the floor and always plays with boundless enthusiasm.

Winning is a great reward for the many hours in the gym, but another reward is seeing the improvement this team has made. But more important is seeing the commitment the girls made to win as a team, not individuals. Everyone was important in Red's success this tournament by doing their part whenever they were called upon to do so. Rick and I couldn't be prouder.

Then Red played High Desert and played even better, winning in two games. Everyone played outstanding volleyball to contribute to the win. It was by far the best match Red had ever played. It was so neat for Rick and I to sit back and watch Red be aggressive, enthusiastic, and motivated in a team effort.

After that, Red lost to a team that was disorganized and we had trouble adjusting to that. That put us into a 3-way tie for second, but we ended up 4th after tiebreak points. After that the girls had trouble getting momentum going again.

We are so proud of these girls for their accomplishments this weekend. They stayed positive and supportive of each other throughout the weekend, playing with determination to get better.

We are fortunate to have Kalee and Kacie handling the majority of the setting with their quickness in getting to every ball, giving the hitters lots of good sets. BriAnnne did an awesome job at two positions, setter and outside, and played with tremendous energy which gave the team a boost. Liz continues to be a valuable hitter and defender at middle although weakened by a long bout with illness (coughing fits between each play). Alyssa showed her tremendous athletic ability by skying high above the net to block and hit to holes. Opposing teams are starting to try to avoid her in the middle. Jenna made great strides at understanding the game and made some key passes at game point time. Another sick one, Jessie got aggressive at the net and also made several key defensive plays. Stefani is developing into a complete all-around player, making several kills at the net. We love having her in serve receive because we are so confident in her great passing ability with her super form. Coming back from a broken finger, Emily was a consistent hitter all weekend no matter where the set - she went for it and was successful. Her serving was almost 100%. (We should break everyone's fingers?) Sarah used her head (literally) all weekend and hardly got a rest at libero. She was up to the task.

It was a fun weekend. Lots of volleyball and camaraderie. Thanks parents for all you do - you're a great group!

Against Forest Grove Red started slow but won the last 2 games to win the match behind the tough serving of Kalee Parker with 4 aces and 13 of 15 good and Jessie contributed 6 aces. Alyssa Wistrick put down some nice tips in the holes.

In a tough match against Cascade Juniors, Stefani Hail and Sarah Charette were doing their all to pass every ball but our serving went south so we couldn't pull it out, so Red ended up second in pool.

In the first bracket game against North Coast, Red lost to a team that they should beat but they got out-hustled on defense.

Learning a lesson, Red played their best game of the day against Cascade Reign. Serving was great with BriAnne Culbertson leading the way with 8 aces and 16 of 19 good. She also had some excellent hits at the net. Passing was super, so Kalee and Kacie could put up really nice sets that the hitters hit smart, tipping when necessary. Kacie and Stefani led serve receive while Liz had a great all-around match. Sarah gets better at libero each tournament with some awesome saves and passes all day.

If Red can keep the momentum of this last match going to Yakima they will have an awesome tournament next week. Special thanks to injured Emily Damschen who took stats and cheered the team all day.