A bit of grit and a little grace.
Enough experience and a spark of youth.
There’s not one specific aspect of the Prairie volleyball team that stands head and shoulders above the rest. That in itself might be the Falcons’ superpower.
Fresh off a fifth-place finish at the Class 3A tournament, Prairie is looking to maintain the standard that netted the program’s 13th state trophy last year.
The first two matches of this season offer plenty of reason for optimism. Thursday, Prairie handled Class 4A Skyview in four sets (25-7, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21).
That home win came two days after the Falcons swept Columbia River, which has won the past three Class 2A state titles.
Prairie coach Jen Palmer sees this year’s team as a well-rounded squad with an excellent attitude. It’s an identity she’ll gladly accept.
“There’s been teams in years past where I have to be the cheerleader and bring the energy up,” said Palmer, now in her eighth year at Prairie. “It just hasn’t happened with this team. It has been a breath of fresh air to just coach the strategy and the physical aspects of the game.”
Prairie is trying to replace four graduated players, including three who earned first-team all-league honors for a team that went 21-4. That includes 3A Greater St. Helens League co-MVP Ali Millspaugh.
Enter do-everything player Claire Neuman. The senior has played nearly every role on the court, from middle blocker to a defender on the back line.
“I’ve had Claire since she was a freshman and every year I have used her in a different way,” Palmer said.
A returning first-team all-leaguer, Neuman has year-by-year increased her presence as a vocal leader. Her team entered the season-opening match believing it could win, something no team had done against Columbia River in the regular season since September 2021.
“If we have confidence in what we do, we’re going to win,” she said.
Neuman is not alone in her versatility. Multi-faceted players Gracie Jacoby, Marissa Raley, Avery Enterno and Alivia Snyder give Palmer the luxury of rarely needing to substitute.
“I have four or five six-rotation athletes I can leave on the court,” Palmer said. “They’re really athletic and their chemistry is beyond what I’m used to, especially this early in the season.”
Thursday, Neuman and Jacoby each had 13 kills. Jacoby, a 6-foot sophomore, has become a primary attacking option.
It’s a role she embraces.
“I tell them, get me the set and I’ll execute for you,” Jacoby said. “If it doesn’t work, keep going.”
Palmer said Jacoby’s volleyball IQ is catching up to her precocious athletic abilities.
“Gracie, she’s incredibly talented and has been that way for quite a while,” Palmer said. “Sometimes I forget that she’s young.”
After being overmatched in the first two sets, Skyview showed plenty of tenacity in winning the third set. The Storm played excellent defense highlighted by London Hutchinson, who had a team-high 13 digs and anchored Skyview’s disruptive play at the net.
The teams were close through the fourth set, but Prairie’s energy and effort was enough to outdistance the Storm
“Even when we lost that set, there was never a time when I was disappointed in what we were bringing to the court,” Palmer said. “I’m thankful for that set and that opportunity so early in the season to fine-tune some things.”
