The Sky’s The Limit For Pirates Whitworth Looks To Share In Northwest’s ‘Year Of Volleyball’

Hiram Naipo wants his team to be a part of the excitement.

“This is the year of volleyball here in the Northwest,” said Whitworth College third-year volleyball coach Naipo, his enthusiasm spilling out with every syllable.

Indeed. There’s Washington State, which moved up to No. 6 in this week’s USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll; Idaho and Eastern Washington, both expected to have winning seasons; Gonzaga, a team off to a 2-1 start; Community Colleges of Spokane, perennially successful; and Whitworth.

The Pirates, coming off a 9-19 record, 5-11 in the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges, haven’t qualified for the conference’s postseason since 1992. However, a strong finish and the team’s nucleus returning has everyone thinking positive.

They begin their 1997 season this weekend playing host at the two-day Whitworth Invitational. Sixteen schools will compete, beginning with Friday morning’s pool play.

“We have great people coming back and we have two or three freshmen who can step in right away,” said senior defensive specialist Brenda Clinesmith. “Our overall ball control is so much better this year than I’ve seen it.”

Clinesmith, a All-NCIC honorable mention last year, is an expert concerning the Pirates’ past. The Mead High School graduate is one of two seniors, the other being left-side hitter Mandy Decious.

“Brenda’s stuck it out with the team and been a real team leader in a way a coach really appreciates,” Naipo said.By all early indications, this year’s supporting cast will be just that - more supportive.

Clinesmith, Decious and junior middle hitter Katie Jo Borgmann return to the starting lineup. Borgmann, of St. Maries High School, had 104 kills last season, the most of any player returning. Sophomore Nicole Bruner of Wenatchee will replace former captain Renee Williams, who accounted for a team-high 141 kills last season.

If the Pirates expect to pull themselves out of the conference’s lower division, the veterans must step up their offense. Sherri Northington, the team’s second-leading hitter last year (137 kills), graduated. Sonya Schaumberg, the team’s third best hitter (124) is not coming back.

Naipo will rely on the newcomers, particularly freshmen April Clark and Brook Evans.

Clark is expected to push junior setter Mary Hubele. The 5-foot-7 freshman from Bend, Ore., was an Oregon Class 4A honorable mention as a senior.

Evans, a 6-2 middle hitter, is from Northern California. However, her family moved to Tacoma last year where she played at Curtis High School and was named second team All-Puget Sound League.

Naipo regards both as blue chippers and huge additions to the Pirates program.

After a week of practice, the coach described his team as “a much better offensive team.

“We’re passing and we’re getting better sets,” he added.

The true test begins Friday when the Pirates meet Albertson College (10 a.m.), Western Montana (noon) and Simon Fraser (6 p.m.).

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: These 3 sidebars appeared with the story:

1. WHITWORTH VOLLEYBALL ROSTER Name Ht. Year Pos. Hometown Jessica Aarhuas 5-11 Jr. OH Newport Nika Blackman 6-2 So. RS Colville Katie Jo Borgmann 6-0 Jr. MH St. Maries Nicole Bruner 6-1 So. MH Wenatchee, Wash. April Clark 5-7 Fr. S Bend, Ore. Brenda Clinesmith 5-5 Sr. DS Spokane Mandy Decious 5-7 Sr. OH Gresham, Ore. Brook Evans 6-2 Fr. MH Tacoma, Wash. Stacey Funderberger 5-11 Fr. MB Ocean Shores, Wash. Mary Hubele 5-11 Jr. S San Bernardino, Calif. Lindsay Hunter 5-11 So. OH Edina, Minn. Carlee Klingeman 5-9 Fr. OH Othello, Wash. Lynette Lohse 5-5 Fr. DS Fairbanks, Alaska Hilary Martin 5-7 Fr. S Juneau, Alaska Emily Myers 5-9 So. OH North Bend, Ore. Amanda Nichols 6-0 Fr. OH Wenatchee, Wash. Alisha Simchuck 5-7 Fr. OH Spokane Kori Walter 5-8 So. S Odessa

2. WHITWORTH VOLLEYBALL GLANCE Head coach: Hiram Naipo (third year) 1996 record: 9-19 (5-11 NCIC, seventh place) Record at Whitworth: 14-42 Assistant coaches: Meghan Binger, Michael De Hoog Players to watch: Sr. DS Brenda Clinesmith; Sr. MH Mandy Decious; Jr. MB Katie Jo Borgmann; Sr. S Kori Walter. Key newcomers: Fr. S April Clark; Fr. MH Brook Evans. Spikes and digs: The Pirates finished last season by winning five of six home matches… . Whitworth has not qualified for the postseason since 1992. The top four teams advance. Outlook: Naipo is looking for his Pirates to move into the NCIC upper division, but the task is big. Willamette (24-6, 14-2) is looking for its sixth straight conference crown and the Bearcats’ biggest roadblock is expected to be Puget Sound (20-9, 13-3).

3. WHITWORTH VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 6-7 Whitworth Invitational all day Sept. 13 at Pacific 1 p.m. at George Fox 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Whitman 7 p.m. Sept. 26 vs. Willamette 7 p.m. Sept. 27 vs. Linfield 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at Northwest 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Pacific Lutheran 1 p.m. at Univ. of Puget Sound 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at Lewis-Clark State 7 p.m. Oct. 10 vs. Western Montana 7 p.m. Oct. 11 vs. Lewis and Clark 2 p.m. Oct. 15 vs. Whitman 7 p.m. Oct. 17 vs. Pacific 7 p.m. Oct. 18 vs. George Fox 2 p.m. Oct. 25 at Linfield 1 p.m. at Willamette 7 p.m. Oct. 31 vs. Pacific Lutheran 7 p.m. Nov. 1 vs. Univ. of Puget Sound 2 p.m. Nov. 8 at Lewis and Clark 1 p.m. at Concordia 7 p.m.