Sasquatch Go For 2 In A Row Ccs Back To Defend Nwaacc Volleyball Title

Community Colleges of Spokane volleyball coach Irene Matlock and her team are going to Disneyland.

Well, the Sasquatch are actually headed to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Championship Tournament to defend their 1994 title at Gresham, Ore. The tournament runs Thursday through Saturday.

CCS defeated Columbia Basin College at Spokane Falls last Friday 15-9, 15-4, 15-5 to secure the East Region’s No. 1 seed to the tournament.

The Sasquatch (40-12 overall, 10-1 NWAACC East Region) play the winner of Thursday’s Skagit Valley vs. Lower Columbia contest Friday morning at 11:30.

At the start of the season, some sports reporter said Matlock could bring in a cast of Disney characters and make them competitive.

It wasn’t meant to imply she runs a Mickey Mouse operation, however. The point was, Matlock has the ability to get the best out of whatever talent she has.

“We’re doing great; I’m so excited for this team,” Matlock said. “Technically, they have surpassed my expectations. We’re a young team. We only had one returning starter (Lori Peters) from last year’s team.”

One of the biggest keys to the success of the Sasquatch has been the play of freshmen middle hitters Stephanie Short and and Jenni Rosselli.

Along with Peters and Kaya Allen, the Sasquatch have a nucleus of players that should contend for the ‘95 title.

And the way the ‘95 team has responded to any potential comparisons of last year has also been a pleasant surprise to Matlock.

“Most of our opponents get up to play us because we are the defending champions. Sometimes I watch the way teams with lesser talent and skill level play against us and I wonder, ‘Why is this team playing so good right now?’ Well, they’re fired up to play against our reputation - and we’ve responded.”

Still, the playoffs are a different season. Matlock said she is a little concerned about her team’s lack of postseason experience.

“That’s the biggest obstacle we’ll have to get through,” she said.

And if the Sasquatch do get through any potential nervousness, come Saturday night, their carriage may not turn into a pumpkin on the way home.

, DataTimes