River rattled? Not a chance.
River rolling? That can be hard to stop.
Tuesday, the Columbia River volleyball team encountered one of those rough spots that comes during a match.
The Chieftains had squandered a lead and trailed Union 20-16 in the second set. The sets, serves and spikes were just a little bit off.
But instead of flipping out, River flipped the switch.
The Chieftains scored nine of the next 12 points to win the set 25-23. They cruised through the third set 25-12 to sweep the visiting Titans 3-0.
“Calm intensity” is printed on the back of the T-shirts River’s players wore Tuesday.
That slogan was fitting. River was calm under pressure and relentless when the chance arrived to put away Tuesday’s match.
Those traits have come with time and tribulation. River returns 10 players from last year’s team that placed third in the Class 3A state tournament.
“In previous years we’ve been a little bit too intense and frantic on the court,” senior setter Page Heller said. “This year, we’ve finally realized that being calm but also having that intensity is what we need to win.”
Heller, who had 20 assists and six digs, is one of six seniors who set the tone for River. That group includes two-time 3A Greater St. Helens League player of the year Evi Wilson, who has committed to play at Eastern Washington.
“It’s not just one person who takes it over,” Wilson said. “That’s really nice and rare to have. We’re all extremely close, closer than a regular high school team. We’re all sisters. We can tell teach other anything. It’s not a fake love.”
River coach Kaitlin Johnson said her team isn’t thinking about the state tournament, where the Chieftains will be a top contender for the title. Their focus is on the day-to-day grind.
“I believe with preparation we can get to where we ultimately want to go,” she said.
Columbia River’s net play was a strength on Tuesday. Middle blockers Esti Wilson and Abby Wilmington combined for 10 blocks.
“We definitely teach that aggressiveness at the net and staying with it every time until the whistle blows,” Johnson said. “I was very proud of them tonight and how they kept pushing no matter what.”
While River (4-0) is the favorite in the 3A Greater St. Helens League, Union (1-1) is no slouch in the 4A GSHL.
While Battle Ground is the league favorite, the Titans, Skyview and Camas are expected to be in a tight bunch behind the Tigers.
Tuesday, Brooke Mosier led Union with nine kills and six digs, Hailey Haggard added six kills and Maddie Kearsey added eight digs.
