Terrific trio

Spectacular, steady and smooth are traits that define each of three seniors who led Lewis and Clark this year to league, district and regional volleyball championships and into the Tigers’ fourth straight State 4A tournament.

Outside hitter Oceana Bush has been spectacular for four years, playing with an explosiveness that belies her 5-foot-5 stature. Middle blocker Chloe Rowand is LC’s steadying influence, coach Julie Yearout said. Smooth setter Hilary Koenigs, according to Yearout, plays the position so effortlessly that people sometimes fail to notice her.

With them on the floor, the Tigers have finished second in state behind Mead the past two years (they were fifth when Bush, playing alongside sister Ivy, was a freshman) and they are currently ranked No. 1 in state heading into competition Friday at Kennewick’s Toyota Center.

“In their respective positions they are among the top three or five players in the state,” Yearout said. “When you put everyone in there, there is no one like Oceana. With Chloe in the middle, no one can stop her. Hilary is so graceful and has the purest hands I’ve seen. I believe she’s truly the best setter in state.”

Bush is being wooed as a defensive specialist/libero by Washington State and New Mexico State. Rowand has made an oral commitment to Auburn. Koenigs, who didn’t give college volleyball much thought, is now leaning to continue playing at an East Coast Division III college while she majors in biology.

Each has a story to tell.

Bush is a legacy who said she thought she would play basketball like her dad but ended up choosing volleyball like her mom, beginning at age 8.

Older sister Shayla led Ferris to a state title in 1997, but when Ivy opted to become a Tiger, she said, “We are closer than close. There’s no way I was going to separate from her.” Both older sisters went on to play college volleyball.

Even though she has been a member of two state finalists, Bush said a career highlight was that fifth-place state team her freshman year.

“The best time I had was being able to play with my sister,” she said. “It was always what I wanted. I’m so grateful, I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Oceana displayed inordinate leaping ability and power at an early age and played up in age.

“I thought I’d be a defensive specialist or setter,” she said. “Then my coach wanted me to start hitting.”

As she matured, so has her game – not only at the net, but all-around. She will hit for power or touch. But she’s also become the team leader, blocker and defender nonpareil, said her coach.

“You never take her hitting for granted,” Yearout said. “Especially when you’re sitting there and she’s jumping above you. When she really gets up a lot of times on the bench you go, ‘Holy Cow, did you see that?’ It’s incredible.”

Koenigs has been setting and playing club volleyball since age 13. She said she likes being in control of things and liked how setters are thoroughly involved in the game.

“I don’t like the limelight so much,” she said, preferring instead to assist others assume that role.

If she makes setting look easy, it is because of the time put in and her teammates.

“I’ve just done it for so long, I guess,” said Koenigs by way of explanation. “The team’s good, so it makes it look easy.”

As a sophomore she was LC’s third varsity setter, but she finished out every game, Yearout said. She moved into the starting role last year.

“She still doesn’t know how good she is, and hasn’t put her name out there much (for college),” Yearout said. “She’ll get a lot of attention this weekend.”

Rowand came to volleyball after being spotted by ex-Ferris coach Stacey Ward as a lanky cross country runner at a youth meet. She was asked to tryout for her River City club team. Gradually, volleyball took precedence over other sports.

“I enjoyed it the most,” she said. “I’ve been playing it forever, had good coaches and it was what I was best at, too.”

She worked her way into the varsity lineup as a sophomore, first at right side, then switched to the middle.

“I actually played a lot,” Rowand said. “The first couple games I subbed in and then ended up starting a little bit.”

Yearout calls her one of the most determined and improved players on the team.

“I’ve seen this composure, that if she gets blocked, we’re down or behind that she refuses to lose,” Yearout said. “She was unstoppable last weekend.”

When the trio joined forces in high school on a team Rowand called “just a great group of athletes,” good things happened.

“You always hope to be on a great team like this,” added smooth Koenigs.

Bush said the most satisfying ending to their careers would be finishing one place higher than the previous two years.