The Darrington senior class is deep and talented and will look to make a lot of noise in the northwest A-2B League this year.
You never know what youre going to get as a coach. Some years the team is young, some years youve got more experienced players than positions on the court. Such is the fortune of Greg Powell, head coach of the Darrington Loggers volleyball team. Powell has nine seniors on his squad who finished second in the Northwest A-2B League last season.
One of the key returnees, Maggie Wicken, will handle the middle blocker duties.
Maggie is a strong, smart hitter, said Coach Powell. Shes able to put the ball in spots all over the floor.
Fellow senior Kimi Woodward will start in the back row for the Loggers.
Kimi has gotten very good at passing and digging. Shes a confident player.
Two seniors will also start in outside hitting positions, with Kaitlin Pendergrass and Natasha Green each taking swings.
Kaitlin has come on strong as a senior, she has long arms and is very athletic. She gives us good offensive punch, said Powell. Natasha is a returning starter and has been hitting the ball well in practice. Shes an excellent athlete.
Jordan Corley will also be getting involved at outside hitter. Corley, also a senior, is a hard worker and a solid hitter who, according to Powell. goes after everything.
Junior Mandy Powell will be the teams setter. Powell wrapped up her sophomore season with an first team all-league award.
Shell be primarily our setter but Id like to get her to occasionally hit the ball as well, thought Powell. Mandy is one of the best volleyball players in the region.
Kristin Cabe, Jamie Johnson, Shayla Hooper and Karissa Clark will also see plenty of time on the court as seniors. Cabe plays primarily as a defensive specialist and will help out in the back row. Johnson will see action as a right side hitter. Hooper will be the backup setter and also get time in the back row. Clark will impact the team from an outside hitter position.
The wildcard of the group may be the youngest player on the team. Freshman Haley Wales has already made a big impact on the club with her 511 frame and overall athletic ability.
Haley picks things up quickly, said Powell. Her all-around game is advanced for her age.
With all the talent on the court, Powell has plenty of reason to be optimistic.
We have a lot of returners, with some of the juniors having improved dramatically. Last year we finished tied for second in the Northwest A-2B League behind state champion La Conner. I see us as a strong team, though La Conner is still the favorite in the league. Until somebody knocks them off theyre the team to beat.
Powell does believe hes got a tall enough, talented enough team to make a big run of their own.
We are going to try to run a faster paced offense this year than last year. This year I have more height than Ive had in several years. We can do more things with our hitting and blocking schemes.
In 19 years at Darrington, Powell has seen his share of success. He likens this years team to the 2003 team that won a league championship and was a favorite leading up to the state tournament.
We can make a run at that kind of season. On paper and the way weve been practicing the team is good enough. The expectations are high but all the intangibles have to fall into place.