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Photo by Brett Stanley/The Advocate
MHCC freshman Jazmin Orozco (left) and sophomore Jaci Chew-Dorsey go up for block during the Dorian Harris Halloween Classic.
Volleyball goes undefeated in Southern Region
The Advocate
The Saints wrapped up league play Tuesday against the Chemeketa Storm, winning in three sets to go undefeated in the Southern Region and earning the conference title.
“How can I not be excited?” said volleyball Head Coach Chelsie Freeman. “Mt. Hood volleyball is back after last season.”
Last season, the Saints won one conference match and went 8-26 overall for the worst season in Saints history.
The Saints won beat the Storm 25-20, 25-17, 25-19.
“It was awesome to get the victory,” said Freeman. “I was talking with Chemeketa’s coach at the end and he said they have won 25 of their last 26 matches at home, and we were that loss, so it feels awesome.”
The Saints never struggled in the match, according to Freeman, who said the Saints had one of their best matches of the season.
“We definitely showed up to play,” said Freeman. “We never stopped playing.”
As for the match against Clackamas Community College last Friday, the Saints struggled but pulled out the victory in five sets, 25-13, 21-25, 25-15, 23-25, 16-14.
“We started off well but then it was a roller coaster ride,” said Freeman. “But that is how our season has gone. We play well then we don’t, then we do, then we don’t. It is just hard to watch us play well and then not play as hard as I know we can.”
With the end of conference play, five Saints earned individual honors. Sophomore Jaci Chew-Dorsey earned honorable mention in the Southern Region and gets to play in the All-Star Match at Big Bend Community College. Freshman Audrianna Patterson earned second-team all conference, while freshmen Kyra Speer, Kelsey Kai and Esmeralda Orozco earned first-team all conference. Speer also earned the most valuable player award for the Southern Region.
“It was really funny at the meeting,” said Freeman. “All the other coaches were giving me a bad time because I was nominating freshmen and they all nominated sophomores.”
The Saints head into the NWAACC tournament as the number one seed from the south and will face off Thursday at 2 p.m. against either Walla Walla Community College or Columbia Basin Community College. Those teams are tied with a 7-7conference record and will meet in a playoff game to see whom the Saints will face off in the first round.
“I am going to respect either team will play,” said Freeman. “Both coaches have been around for a long time and know how to prepare their teams. We are just going to come in focused and play one match at a time.”
The NWAACC Tournament starts Thursday in the MHCC gym and runs until Saturday.
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