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Sasquatch stomp Saints in NWAACC finals
The Advocate
After a strong season that returned MHCC volleyball to the elite of Northwest teams, the Saints came up one victory short in the NWAACC Championships just before Thanksgiving break.
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“We pulled through a lot of matches this season,” said Head Coach Chelsie Freeman. “Things just didn’t go our way this time,” she said after the women lost to the Spokane Community College Sasquatch in the championship final in the MHCC gym.
The Saints cruised into the quarterfinals, with wins over Columbia Basin Community College and Whatcom Community College, and squared off against the Blue Mountain Community College Timberwolves. In a hard- fought match, with the final two sets requiring extra points, the Saints won in three sets, 25-14, 32-30, 28-26. The Saints had earlier beaten the Timberwolves in the championship match of the Dorian Harris Halloween Classic, also in the MHCC gym.
In the semifinals, the Saints were sent to the losers bracket by Spokane after a two-hour battle where the Saints had the lead in the fifth set at 13-10 but couldn’t finish. The score was 25-23, 25-23, 12-25, 22-25, 15-13.
“We just couldn’t finish the match,” said Freeman. “We were up and just didn’t finish. We made some errors which cost us the match.”
Blue Mountain, meanwhile, was working its way through the losers bracket and found itself pitted against the Saints for a shot in the finals against Spokane. In another close match, the Saints edged Timberwolves after dropping the first set (25-27, 25-19, 16-14).
The final against Spokane was MHCC’s third match of the day, but the Saints dug down deep, according to Freeman, only to lose in four sets (25-11, 21-25, 25-14, 25-20).
“Spokane is a good team,” said Freeman. “You could tell we were exhausted. I want it to be said that nobody is to blame. The girls were tired and we fought hard. They were exhausted but never stopped fighting. They showed me passion.”
Earning first team All-NWAACC honors were freshman Esmeralda Orozco and Kyra Speer. Sophomore Liz Williams and freshman Jazmin Orozco were named to the second team.
“She (Speer) had a great season for us,” said Freeman. “Es(meralda) and Jaz(min) also played great for us. I am proud of what they did for us this season.”
The Saints finished with a perfect 10-0 record in the Southern Region and an overall record of 33-11 in Freeman’s first season as head coach.
“Now that I have had a week off because of the holiday (Thanksgiving break), I am already fired up for next season,” said Freeman.
With only losing three players (Jaci Chew-Dorsey, Liz Williams and Kelsey Bordewyk) to graduation, the coach said the Saints are already excited for next season.
“The girls are fired up,” said Freeman. “Haley (Leithem) is extremely fired up for next season.”
Freeman said no newcomers have yet committed to play for the Saints in 2010, but added that she is out scouting for next year.
“I have been out recruiting and players have been contacting me,” said Freeman. “We have our team meetings this week and then I will know what I need for the team next season.”
Freeman said she is excited and proud of the 360-degree turnaround the team made this year after posting a 1-9 league record (8-26 overall) in 2008.
“Mt. Hood volleyball is back where it should be,” said Freeman.
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