Oregon high school volleyball playoffs: Highlights from Day 1; vote for Wednesday's top star (10/30/2024)

Here are some of the highlights and top performers from the first night of action in the 6A volleyball playoffs

The 6A Oregon high school volleyball playoffs opened Wednesday. / Photo: Bobby Medellin

The 6A Oregon high school volleyball playoffs opened Wednesday with first-round matches. Here are some of the highlights and top performers from the first night of action. 

Don't see any details for your team's match? Email some notes and/or stats to rferran.scorebooklive@gmail.com. 

CLASS 6A VOLLEYBALL ROUND 1

Form nearly held in the first round of the OSAA Class 6A volleyball playoffs Wednesday, with only one lower seed winning among the 16 matches.

That lower seed — No. 17 South Eugene, which defeated No. 16 Sandy in four sets — will travel to top seed and defending champion Jesuit on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the main tournament site next weekend at Forest Grove High School.

The Crusaders rolled past Gresham 25-6, 25-15, 25-18 in one of 10 three-set sweeps on opening night. Sadie Ross led Jesuit with 11 kills, Iman Foster added eight, and Alex Douglas had seven (hitting .636) with three aces and a 3.00 serve receive rating. Kiana Johnson had 11 digs, and Addy Azavedo had nine digs and two aces.

“The team played well,” Crusaders coach Teresa Zimmerlee said. “We know we have to get a little better with each touch of the ball.”

Oregon City 3, Lincoln 0

University of Arizona commit Paige Thies had 17 kills, and Joy Shamrell served five of Oregon City’s 13 aces as the second-seeded Pioneers cruised to a 25-12, 25-9, 25-11 home win.

Grace Landon added nine kills, Jordyn Marquett had eight and Lucy Leasure seven for Oregon City, which lost to Jesuit in five sets in last year’s state final. 

“We played well the entire match,” Pioneers coach Erica Frafjord said. “The win was a team effort.”

Forest Grove 3, Lakeridge 0

Paola Reyes Figueroa had 10 kills and 13 digs, and Sydney Chrismer added nine kills as the 15th-seeded Vikings swept Lakeridge, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20.

Sofie Fox added 27 assists, 14 digs and three aces for Forest Grove, which travels to Oregon City for Round 2 on Saturday seeking to make the final site for the first time since 2000.

Grant 3, Roseburg 0

The eighth-seeded Generals swept to a 25-15, 25-22, 25-19 victory in Northeast Portland thanks in part to senior setter Maggie McCarthy’s 17 digs and 15 assists and a big night from middle blocker An Roesinger (nine kills, three blocks).

Grant, which advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year, will play host to Sheldon on Saturday looking to make the final site for the first time.

Sheldon 3, Sherwood 1

Janie Eschrich had a team-high 16 kills, and Bailee Line added 31 assists and three aces to lead the 2022 state champion Irish to a 25-7, 14-25, 25-18, 25-20 victory in Eugene.

Savannah McKibben had 25 digs and four aces for No. 9 Sheldon.

Sprague 3, Clackamas 0

Brooke Friesen hit .588 with 10 kills, 10 digs and three blocks, and Evie Morrissette dished out 29 assists and had five kills in the third-seeded Olympians’ 25-11, 25-10, 25-13 victory in Salem.

Khloe Livingston had six kills and 12 digs, and Charlotte Ponier added 16 digs for Sprague, which takes on crosstown rival West Salem in Saturday’s second round.

South Salem 3, Sunset 2

Briella Mathis’ seven-point service run in the fifth set helped the sixth-seeded Saxons escape against the Apollos, pulling out a 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-9 victory.

Mathis led South Salem with 23 kills and six aces. Nadiah Luna added 21 kills, Avery Axmaker had 21 digs, and Kamree Orizotti handed out 58 assists for the Saxons, who take on Barlow in Saturday’s second round.

Barlow 3, Beaverton 0

Alexa Bell had 10 kills for the 11th-seeded Bruins, including several critical swings in the third set to help close out their 25-19, 25-18, 25-23 home win.

Addi Knight led Barlow with 12 kills, four aces and three blocks, and Ashlynn Blake had a key four-point run at the net “at a pivotal time to keep us in it,” coach Lihau Perrreira said.

Nelson 3, Lake Oswego 1

Hawks coach Lisa Flaherty-McBee praised senior defensive specialist Rhyan Tanferani for having “an exceptional night putting up two and three passes on serve receive and defense all night long” to help the No. 4 seed recover from dropping the third set to win 25-17, 25-16, 24-26, 25-14 at home.

The Hawks will play host to North Medford, a four-set winner against Mountainside, on Saturday seeking a third consecutive trip to the final site.

Emily Kitchen led the Lakers with nine kills and four blocks, right-side hitter Charlotte Cory added eight kills, seven blocks and three aces, and Bethany Nazemi had 25 assists.

Lake Oswego coach Alex Hasenstab noted how her team won the third set despite losing their libero after she was hit in the face, forcing middles Gabby Troche (four kills, four blocks) and Sabrina Montgomery (two kills, four blocks) to play all six rotations.

South Medford 3, McMinnville 0

Mayenabasi Akpan had a match-high 22 kills and six blocks, and Julia Mitchell added six kills, five aces and two blocks as the 12th-seeded Panthers swept to a 25-21, 25-16, 25-15 home win.

Daija Malcom added six digs, three kills and two blocks, and Julia Slaughter had 29 assists, seven digs and three blocks for South Medford, which travels to No. 5 West Linn on Saturday seeking a second trip to the final site in the past three years.

Westview 3, Wells 0

Sophomore libero Mady Lebeck had 18 digs, two kills and a 2.69 serve receive rating, and classmate Ashlyn Pedersen dominated the middle with 15 kills and four aces to help lift No. 7 Westview to a 25-12, 25-13, 25-21 home win.

Steel Sinai added 10 kills and three blocks, and Aya Pantell had 28 assists, nine digs and eight aces for the Wildcats, who will play host to No. 10 Central Catholic in Saturday’s second round.

Central Catholic 3, Tigard 1

Malia Fehr had eight of her team-high 10 kills in the third set as Tigard fought its way back in the match, but the host Rams closed the Tigers out in four, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 26-24.

Addy Witt had 24 digs, and the Tigers served 15 aces with a 94% service rate.

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