Western Washington Vikings volleyball thrives with players from Eastern Washington
The Western Washington volleyball program is among the elite in the nation year after year. Last week the Vikings were ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II and are Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions for the eighth time.
At the heart of that success this season are four players from the Spokane area – the Buckner sisters, senior opposite Joellee and junior libero/defensive specialist Aubrey from Colville, sophomore middle blocker Joslyn Bopray from Lewis and Clark and sophomore outside hitter Kazlyn Roullier from Central Valley.
“The Spokane area has always been a hotbed for volleyball and it continues to grow with each passing year,” said 18th-year WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams.
The Buckners and Bopray are starters and Roullier provides a spark off the bench.
Joellee is among the GNAC leaders in hitting percentage, digs, kills and points, and in the Vikings’ title-clinching sweep of Northwest Nazarene last week recorded her 1,400th career dig. At 1,404 she’s fifth in school history.
Aubrey, one of the top defensive specialists in the region, was GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 6-12 after she had 41 digs – 5.12 per set – in a two-match road sweep. It was Aubrey’s first weekly honor. Joellee has had three this season.
“The Buckner sisters really bring a competitive fire to the court,” said Flick-Williams. “As similar as they are, they are also very different and each provides a unique asset to our team. Joellee is one of the best all-around players in the league and is a calming presence for us. Aubrey has developed into a fine defensive player and has had a really great season.”
Bopray is having a breakthrough sophomore season, averaging 1.50 blocks per set.
“Joslyn has really developed and worked extremely hard to get to where she is at,” said Flick-Williams. “Her name is at the very top of the rankings for blocking in the nation, and that doesn’t happen without hard work, determination and a relentless drive.”
Roullier has appeared in 14 matches, averaging 1.62 kills per set while hitting .266.
“All four of these players have helped create a winning program,” said Flick-Williams.
The Vikings’ 18-player roster is made up entirely of players from the state of Washington, nearly half from Eastern Washington. “These players know how to flat-out play ball,” the coach said. “Because of the atmosphere they grew up playing in, (they) can thrive at the collegiate level.”
College scene
It was a week of honors for Joey Biel, the Monmouth College sophomore double-duty kicker from Northwest Christian.
Monday, the left-footer, who the Midwest Conference release called “a weapon on Saturday,” received his second straight Special Teams Player of the Week award following the Fighting Scots’ conference-clinching 9-3 overtime victory over St. Norbert College that sent them into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Biel hit a 39-yard field goal with 6:09 left in regulation to tie the game 3-3 and give Monmouth a chance to win in overtime, but more importantly said the MWC release, was his punting. He averaged nearly 46 yards on seven punts, landing one inside the two with two others going for touchbacks, including a season-long 70-yarder in the third quarter. He added a 49 yarder with 3:39 left in the game that pinned St. Norbert at its seven.
Then Wednesday, Biel was named to the MWC All-South Division first team for the first time. He was third on the team in scoring with 64 points, and second in the conference in kick scoring, after connecting on 8 of 17 field goals and 40 of 43 extra points. His 39.9-yard punting average was No. 2 in the MWC. He had six inside the 20 and four of 50 yards or more.
In their first-round playoff game, the Fighting Scots lost 63-24 to Trine. Biel made a field goal and three extra points.
—- Isaiah Watkins, a senior at Pacific Lutheran from University High, and Whitworth’s Ian Kolste and Rehn Reiley were the Northwest Conference student-athletes of the week in football for the week of Nov. 5-11.
Watkins, a linebacker, earned defense honors after he had a game-high 14 tackles, including four sacks, and forced a fumble in the Lutes’ 40-24 win over Lewis & Clark.
Kolste, the Pirates’ senior quarterback, was Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 69 percent of his passes and threw for five touchdowns in the first half in a 57-24 win over Willamette.
Pirates kicker Reiley (Moses Lake) earned special team honors after he hit all seven of his extra points, finishing the season 42 for 42, with seven touchbacks on nine kickoffs and a 30.7-yard punting average.
—- Reilly Hennessey, a Central Washington junior quarterback and transfer from Eastern Washington, was named Newcomer of the Year and selected to the All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference first team in football after leading the Wildcats to an 11-0 record and first-round bye in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Two other transfers from area schools who played key roles for Central, Austin Pernell, a senior running back from Washington State, and Max McIntosh, a senior defensive back from Idaho, were second-team selections. McIntosh also was a second-team choice in 2016.
Kendall Rew, a senior offensive lineman at Azusa Pacific from Ferris, received honorable mention.
—- Taylor Martin, a Central Washington sophomore from Sandpoint with a 3.28 grade-point average, and a pair of sophomores at Western Washington from the Greater Spokane League were named to the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic team in volleyball.
Western’s Joslyn Bopray from Lewis and Clark, who has a 3.54 GPA, and Kazlyn Roullier from Central Valley, with a 3.25 GPA, were also honored.
—- Whitworth landed four players on the first team, two on the second and one on the honorable mention list when the All-Northwest Conference men’s soccer team was announced.
Junior midfielder Jonah Snyder and senior forward Moi Diaz were repeaters on the first team, joined this year by senior midfielder Eric Espinoza, who was a second-team choice last year, and senior defender Austin Cassity.
Junior midfielder Kyle Cacoyannis repeated on the second team while senior defender Kyle Morris had been a first-team choice in 2016. Senior midfielder Micah Weller from Cheney was honorable mention.
—- JD Hauenstein, a Montana State Billings sophomore forward from Central Valley, was named to the All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference second team in men’s soccer while former CV teammate Jake Levine, a freshman forward at Northwest Nazarene, was honorable mention. Hauenstein had been honorable mention in 2016.
—- Liam Cossette, a Western Washington sophomore from Ferris with a 3.36 GPA, was named to the men’s team and Rachel Bayly, a Western Oregon sophomore from Moscow, Idaho, with a 3.95 GPA, were Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic selections in cross country.
—- Three area freshmen at Pacific Lutheran, Hannah Beach from Rosalia and Mariah Pena and Michaela Peterson, both from Medical Lake, are members of the Lutes’ novice 8+ crew that was Northwest Conference team of the week in rowing for the week ending Oct. 16.
Letters of intent
Washington State baseball – Brandon Lees, INF, Pullman; Koby Blunt, OF/RHP, Clarkston; Connor Barison RHP, Redmond, Washington; Kyler Bush, LHP, West Haven, Utah; Abel Carter, INF, Carson City, Nevada; Grant DeLappe, INF, Tahoma HS/Bellevue Community College); Payton Flynn, INF, Kamiakin; Tyson Guerrero, OF/LHP, W.F. West (Chehalis, Wash.); Trevor Ichimura, RHP, Mililani, Hawaii; Sam Lauderdale, LHP, King’s Way Christian (Vancouver, Wash.); Zane Mills, RHP, Lincoln (Portland); Anthony Notaro, C, Anacortes, Wash.; Bradley Polinsky, C, San Diego, Calif.; Tyler Russell, RHP, Battle Ground, Wash.; Trent Sellers, RHP/INF, Kennewick; Brandon White, RHP, W.F. West (Chehalis).
Washington State track & field/cross country – Ray Wells, sprints, Renton, Wash./Central Arizona College; Emma Jenkins, distance/cross country, Camas, Wash.; Geneva Schlepp, distance/cross country, Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline).
Eastern Washington volleyball – Parker Buddy, OH, Reno, Nevada; Kennedy Kaminsky, MB, Chandler, Arizona; Alexis Keith, OH, Gilbert, Ariz. Walk-ons: Katie Coulter, DS, Phoenix, Ariz.; Kaitlin Sugai, RS, Puyallup, Wash.
Gonzaga volleyball – Dani Batenhorst, OH, Katy, Texas; Kennedy Croft, OH, Tumwater, Wash.
Idaho women’s basketball – Lauren Gustin, P, Salem, Utah; Chayse Milne, G, Honolulu, Hawaii; Gina Marxen, PG, Eastlake (Sammamish, Wash.); Janie King, G, Eagle, Idaho.
Idaho men’s golf – Sean Langham, Sydney, Australia; Joel Veenstra, Smithers, British Columbia.
Eastern Washington men’s tennis – Manuel Balce III, Pasig City, Philippines.
Eastern Washington women’s tennis - Maddie Lamoreaux, Mesa, Ariz.
Rowing
A half-dozen former and present Washington State Cougars competed in the 2017 RCA National Rowing Championships, the Canada Cup, at Burnaby Lake, British Columbia, Nov. 7-12, sweeping gold, silver and bronze medals in the women’s pair.
Lisa Roman (2010-12) captured gold while former Cougar Nicole Hare (2013-15, ’17) placed second by less than a second for the silver. Former Cougar Morgan Cathrea (2014-16) earned bronze. Roman and Hare were paired with Canadian National Team teammates.
WSU senior Emily Thomson and sophomore Ivy Elling Quaintance combined to win the B Final, placing seventh overall. Cougars freshman Emma Gribbon placed 19th in pairs.
Softball
Gale Hart, who died Aug. 11, was recognized as the Campbell-Stewart Award recipient posthumously at the Spokane Softball Umpires Association awards banquet on Nov. 11.
Hart, who started umpiring in the early 2000s, had been involved in the association in several capacities, including serving on the board of directors, and on the training, evaluation and appeals committees. He officiated in the State 2B tournament this past spring.
The award, initiated in 1975, honors two former Spokane umpires in chief and recognizes an official for longevity, dedication and service to softball umpiring in the Spokane community.
Other awards went to Carl Durr, Presidential Pride; Jake Perry, Umpire of the Year-Adult; Dennis Keys, Umpire of the Year-Youth; John Klemish, Most Improved; Nic McIndoe and Ashley Finn, co-Rookies of the Year. Bud Meagley of Award Masters received the Home Run Award that goes to a nonmember for their contribution to the sport and the association.
• Bryan Raschka was elected vice president, Jeff Camp was re-elected secretary and Keys and Sean Harrington were selected to at-large positions at the annual SSUA elections.
Other board members are Steve Quaid, president; Gary Kuck, at-large; and Ron Snyder, past president.
Volleyball
Barb Silvey and Dale Goodwin, who have 79 years of officiating experience between them, were inducted into the Spokane Area Volleyball Referees Association Hall of Fame Nov. 13 at the association’s annual awards banquet.
Silvey, who has officiated volleyball for 42 years, was Spokane’s first national-rated official. She has worked five NCAA Division National Championship tournaments and three NAIA National Championships and has received a 25-year Award from the Inland Northwest Sports Writers and Broadcasters.
Goodwin has officiated the sport for 37 years, working 10 NCAA Division I tournaments. He was a co-founder of SAVRA’s advanced training program in 1994 and served on the executive planning committees for the Washington Centennial and Goodwill games.
Both have refereed numerous state high school tournaments and served as association president a number of times.
SAVRA also handed out its annual awards, selecting Goodwin the Official of the Year and his son, Ben Goodwin, the Partner of the Year. Brent Radford was named Rookie of the Year, Alex Douglas was both Most Improved and the top second-year official with Jason Gonwick and Veronica Douglas receiving top third-year official awards. William Hyatt was named high school line judge of the year.
Incoming officers for 2018 are Patty Kells, president; Keith Ward, vice president; Heide Wehr, past president; Ben Goodwin, secretary; and Devon Darrough, Linda Kildew, Shawna Sheehan and Juli Jones, members at large.