The fall season for collegiate sports is ramping up.
For two Clark County soccer players at Corban University in Salem, Ore., the season is already off to a good start.
Riley Smetzler, a junior defender from Ridgefield, scored a goal in the Warriors’ season-opening 3-2 win over Ottawa (Ariz.) on Aug. 18.
For the men’s team, Levan Zhividze had two assists and four shots in a 2-0 win over Linfield. The freshman forward was the Columbian’s All-Region boys soccer player of the year last spring at Evergreen High.
The win over Linfield lifted Corban to 2-0 on the season.
Corban’s women’s team is 1-1 this season after a 2-1 loss to Willamette on Aug. 25.
Smetzler played the past two seasons at Clark College, where she was namedNorthwest Athletic Conference’s South Region MVP as a sophomore.
There are several local ties to the Corban women’s soccer program.
Julia Kashubin, a senior from Heritage, and Rylee McDonald, a freshman from Camas, both start in the midfield. Madison Veltkamp (King’s Way), Nicolle Ohama (Columbia River) and Heidi Fronk (King’s Way) are also on the roster.
Women’s Soccer
Taryn Ries, a sophomore from Ridgefield, has two assists through three games for the University of Portland women’s soccer team. The starting midfielder assisted goals in both a 2-0 win over Northern Arizona and a 1-0 win over San Jose State, tallying three shots in each match. The Pilots are 2-1.
Sarah Davidson, a sophomore from Camas, has played in every match for the Washington State women’s soccer team, which is 3-0. The defender logged 27 minutes as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Seattle University on Aug. 17. Two days later, she played 19 minutes in a 1-0 win over Grand Canyon University.
Taylor Kernion, a junior from Skyview, played 20 minutes for the Gonzaga women’s soccer team in a 1-1 draw against Oklahoma on Aug. 26.
Taylor Hallquist, a senior from Columbia River, assisted on Western Washington’s goal in a 1-0 exhibition win over the University of Victoria on Aug. 24. Hallquist was a second-team all-conference defender last season.
Volleyball
Brooke Van Sickle, a redshirt sophomore from Battle Ground, is a key starter for the No. 18-ranked Oregon volleyball team. She combined for 11 kills and 17 digs in losses against No. 3 Texas and No. 2 Nebraska on Aug 24-25.
Evi Wilson, a junior from Columbia River, had 27 kills for Montana State over three matches at the Cleveland State Tournament last weekend in Ohio. The Bobcats went 2-1.
Esti Wilson, a junior from Columbia River, had seven digs and three assists over four matches as Chico State swept the Norcal Volleyball Classic Aug. 23-25.
Ashley Watkins, a junior from Battle Ground, is the starting setter for the Montana volleyball team. She has averaged 40.7 assists per match for the Grizzlies (0-3).
Nina Bailey, a junior from Prairie, tallied 11 blocks, 10 kills and 7 digs for Eastern Oregon’s volleyball team during four matches at the Big Sky Invitational Aug. 24-25 in Butte, Mont. The Mountaineers are 5-3.
Olivia Coale, a senior from Skyview, has helped Washington State’s volleyball team start 2-0. The defensive specialist had six digs in a 3-0 win against Virginia Commonwealth on Aug. 25. The next day, she had five digs and an ace in a 3-1 win over North Carolina State.
Men’s Soccer
Ben Stevenson, a senior from Prairie, made two saves in The Evergreen State College men’s soccer team’s 2-0 win over Pacific on Aug. 26. Stevenson has not allowed a goal in two matches.
Thomas Ewert, a redshirt freshman from Skyview, and Brandon Wolter, a redshirt freshman from Union, split time at goalkeeper in Western Washington’s 5-0 exhibition win over Puget Sound on Aug. 25. Wolter made two saves.
Ahmon Afenegus, a senior from Mountain View, and Mitchell Pinney, a senior from Hockinson, both started for the Southern Oregon men’s soccer team in a 1-0 loss to Menlo on Aug. 24.
Know of an accomplishment by a collegiate athlete from Clark County? Please send updates to sports@columbian.com.