The Nelson girls volleyball teams hopes to get past the semifinals this year at state. (Photo by Lisa McBee)

Only five years into varsity athletics, there’s been no better program for Nelson than its girls volleyball team.

The first season for the Hawks in 2021 saw them reach the second round of the state playoffs, and then for the past three years they’ve finished the year going to the semifinals at state and taking third place.

Now in 2025, the Hawks are heading to the 6A state tournament once again at Forest Grove starting Friday, Nov. 7. And this time, they hope to see something a little better than bronze.

“They are very focused on pushing past where we’ve been, we call it ‘Groundhog Day,’” Nelson head coach Lisa McBee said. “They really have their sights set on pushing this a little further, particularly with who we have there (as seniors).”

There’s five seniors in total on the Hawks’ squad, which includes Michigan State-commit Madi Andrews.

The outside hitter has 1,757 career kills with the Hawks, is nearly at 1,000 career digs, 400 aces and around 120 assists. 

Simply put, she’s been a force since she stepped onto the Happy Valley campus as a freshman.

“(Andrews) is, I call her once-in-a-coach’s-lifetime kind of athlete,” McBee said. “People (in Oregon) are getting different looks now, I think they’re looking at Oregon. She’s really done some great things for volleyball in the state and she’s such a great kid. She’s kind of humble, and goofy and great and smart.”

Andrews’ running mate for the past three years has been middle blocker/outside hitter Lainey Day, who spent her freshman year at Damascus Christian and helped the Eagles go 36-0 in 2022 and win the 1A state title.

Day, a Saint Mary’s commit, was also a standout basketball player, but made the commitment to volleyball during her time at Nelson after discovering her love for it in high school.

Now the senior hopes she can add title No. 2 before heading south to California next year.

“I was like, ‘(Day), I love the fact that you love basketball, but man, you’re pretty good at volleyball. Maybe you should think about this,’” McBee recalls. “(Day) has really just exploded. … The sky’s the limit for her. She’s really only been playing volleyball for about four years.”

Two more of the seniors include libero Avi Trees and opposite hitter Saraiah Fernandez. Senior Reese Kincaid is also a vital part of the squad after transferring to Nelson over the summer from Central Catholic.

For Trees, McBee has been blown away by her evolution as a libero, and Kincaid has been a natural fit into the Hawks’ scheme.

“Just (Trees’) ownership of the game and the process and the program and the goals, her digs are at about 750 for lifetime and then over 150 aces with a boatload of assists too,” McBee said. “Obviously (Kincaid) is a great hitter. … Her blocking is spectacular, she can play right side or outside, it just depends on who we’re playing.”

Putting it all together is setter Cara Bennett, a junior who has taken off this season with around 800 assists.

But for all of them, non-seniors included, winning at the highest level in the state has been the norm, and McBee has been impressed with what the team does in practice to stay sharp throughout the years.

“They have such a high volleyball IQ that we can do a lot of different things,” McBee said. “I think it’s really important to keep engaging them because they have done this over and over again. Just to keep them engaged and really having fun with the game and being a little bit more strategic and tactical has been great.”

The No. 5 seed Hawks will have to get through No. 4 Sheldon first in the quarterfinals, set for 1:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 at Forest Grove High School.

No match at state is a gimme, something the veteran Hawks core knows all too well. And winning will certainly be on all of their minds.

But at the end of the day, the team continues to build a strong foundation for years to come at Nelson girls volleyball, which is the ultimate prize to McBee.

“When they stay true to the values, are consistent with their values and check in with those, I think it’s been really exceptional to see how that’s arched over the last several years and really built something,” McBee said. “I think people want to be a part of it, and that’s really exciting.”

Quarterfinal matchups

6A

No. 1 Sprague (25-3 overall, 11-1 Central Valley, first place) vs. No. 9 South Medford (23-5 overall, 8-4 in Southwest, third place)

Sprague last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

South Medford last appearance (state titles): 2022 (none)

The No. 1 seeded Olympians are looking to get back to the state title match for the first time since 2018. Senior Emma Brewer, a transfer from Salem Academy who’s committed to San Diego, leads Sprague in kills this season with 364 and digs with 224, and brings plenty of state tournament experience to a squad that already had it in spades with junior captains Brooke Friesen and Khloe Livingston. Friesen is a setter who does it all with 683 assists, 120 kills, 48 aces (team high) and 44 blocks (team high) this season. Meanwhile, Livingston is an outside hitter and one of the Olympians top hitters with 163 kills.

For the Panthers, they are making their second-ever state tournament appearance after reaching it for the first time in program history in 2022. Senior Mayenabasi Akpan is committed to San Diego State and leads South Medford in kills (818) and digs (556) this season. Senior Julia Slaughter, an Alabama State commit, has 626 assists in 2025. Senior Haddassah Pannell leads in blocks with 86 and is tied for Slaughter for the aces lead, each having 47.

No. 4 Sheldon (27-4 overall, 12-0 Southwest, first place) vs. No. 5 Nelson (22-4, 14-0 Mt. Hood, first place)

Sheldon last appearance (state titles): 2022 (1)

Nelson last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The Irish return to Forest Grove for the first time since winning the state title in 2022. Senior Yana Tuioti had 23 kills and 10 digs in Sheldon’s round two matchup while freshman setter Nia Tuioti had 40 assists. Junior Addy Zauner and freshman Brynn Smith are two more hitters to keep an eye on this weekend.

No. 3 Jesuit (24-3, 12-0 Metro, first place) vs. No. 11 Oregon City (18-6, 11-1 Three Rivers, first place)

Jesuit last appearance (state titles): 2024 (9)

Oregon City last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The two-time defending champion Crusaders are back with 6-foot-2, senior outside hitter Sadie Ross. The New Mexico State commit had 14 kills in Jesuit’s state title win last year and was named to the All-Tournament first team. Jesuit also returns senior OH Jada Johnson, who had 13 kills in the title match a year ago and is committed to UC Davis, as well as senior Iman Foster, who had nine kills in that match and is one of the best track and field jumpers in the state. 

Oregon City lost two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Paige Theis, but the Pioneers brought back plenty of firepower. They upset No. 6 Forest Grove to get here and have been led by sophomore Kendall Clark in terms of kills with 261 in the regular season. Junior middle blocker Addison Hopwood leads in blocks with 22 and has chipped in 139 kills. Sophomore Tabitha Westermeyer and senior Allie Oliver get it done in the passing game with 360 and 268 assists, respectively. 

No. 2 South Salem (26-4, 10-2 Central Valley, second place) vs. No. 7 South Eugene (22-3, 10-2 Southwest, second place)

South Salem last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

South Eugene last appearance (state titles): 2016 (none)

Another team looking to get over the hump in 2025 is the No. 2 seed Saxons, a program that has never reached the state title match. Senior Kamree Orizotti hopes to change that in the season where she became the new Oregon high school leader in career assists, currently sitting at 3,418 for her career and 877 this season. She’s had a good hitting partner over the years in senior Briella Mathis, who’s 371 kills this season has her close to the top 10 all-time in state history. Mathis also leads the team in digs with 235 and aces with 57. Juniors Avery and Addison Herber have been electric as well with 282 and 233 kills, respectively.

The Axe are back for the first time since 2016 and in the second season under Ron Beick. Running the team is junior setter Lucy Alkire who’s put up 797 assists on the season, most of those going to senior Caroline Combs who has 344 kills. Sophomore Sawyer Hanley and junior Sofia Collins are great options as well with 237 and 162 kills, respectively. Junior Kylie Smith leads the other two main counting stats with 57 aces and 414 digs.

5A

No. 1 South Albany (22-1, 13-1 Mid-Willamette, first place) vs. No. 8 Wilsonville (19-5, 14-2 NWOC, first place)

South Albany last appearance (state titles): 2024 (1)

Wilsonville last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The RedHawks are back to defend their 5A state title from last year and they have senior Taylor Donaldson, a Wyoming commit, there to help. She’s second on the team in kills with 247 and is hitting .293 for the season. Junior Audrey Webb leads with 324 total kills for a South Albany team that hasn’t played many sets this season. The RedHawks only lost four sets across 23 matches. Also helping achieve so many set wins are setters Brooklynn Dodge, a sophomore, and Kaylee Cordle, a senior, who have 346 and 338 assists, respectively. 

The Wildcats are chasing their first state title behind freshman phenom Luci Heu-Weller. The hitter has a team-high 207 kills this season and is swinging .262 while also putting down 28 blocks. Sophomore Lauren Brandes is next on the kill list with 168 while junior Sadie Larkin leads in assists with 352. Senior Liv Clark is vital in the back row with 252 digs to lead Wilsonville and she also has 38 aces on the season. 

No. 4 Crater (18-3, 11-1 Midwestern, first place) vs. No. 5 Summit (19-7, 11-1 Intermountain, second place)

Crater last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

Summit last appearance (state titles): 2023 (2)

The Comets are back behind senior middle blocker Courtney Cox and her 75 blocks on the season. Fellow senior in setter Kendall Stidham has been dealing with 734 assists on the season, then the Crater team gets younger elsewhere. Freshman Brynlee Young leads in kills with 380 and aces with 49. Sophomore libero Tatum Richmond also has 49 aces, and leads the team in digs with 385.

Kevin McColloch took over the Storm this year and has them back in Forest Grove. Junior setter Jessie Doorn stirs the drink with 377 assists from IMC play. Junior Ellie Correa had a .232 hitting percentage in league play along with 111 digs, meanwhile senior Grace Ozolin hit .117 with 134 digs. Junior middle blocker Tori Grange had 25 blocks against Bend foes and junior libero Makenzie Price led in digs with 156.

No. 3 Bend (20-7, 11-1 Intermountain, first place) vs. No. 6 West Albany (14-8, 11-3 Mid-Willamette, third place)

Bend last appearance (state titles): 2024 (2)

West Albany last appearance (state titles): 2023 (3)

The powerhouse Lava Bears are once again making an appearance at state, but did lose two All-Tournament team seniors from 2024. Stepping into the fold this season has been freshman setter Lucy O’Connell who has 478 assists, 258 digs and 35 aces. Junior Brooklyn Fobi and freshman Kailyn Cooper are the leading attackers with 232 and 196 kills, respectively, while both are over 200 digs and have 45 aces. Senior Makena VandenBos has held down the middle with 39 blocks and 134 kills, along with freshman Riley Isfeld who has 90 kills and 27 blocks.

The Bulldogs are back at state after a year's absence with senior setter Bryn Nieman helping lead the way. She had 38 assists in West Albany’s round two win along with seven digs and a couple of kills. Sophomore MB Ava Thompson had a big match with 15 kills, four aces and four blocks and should make some more noise in the quarterfinals. 

No. 2 Crescent Valley (21-3, 13-1 Mid-Willamette, second place) vs. No. 7 Corvallis (17-7, 9-5 Mid-Willamette, fourth place)

Crescent Valley last appearance (state titles): 2024 (2)

Corvallis last appearance (state titles): 2024 (5)

There’s only a couple seniors on the Raiders’ squad, but under first-year head coach Paul Ossowski, they are looking every part of state title contenders once again. Junior Niana King is back after being picked as an All-Tournament second-team player last year as a sophomore. The two seniors include Emma Yenchik and Ashlin Lockman, Yenchik being a middle and Lockman an outside hitter.

The Spartans continue to be a force with another state tournament appearance, this time being led by senior setter Sophie Riggs. She has a team-high 45 aces and is second in digs with 219. Junior Kendall Bly has been the top attacking option with 202 kills and a .221 hitting mark. Senior Josie Fries has 118 kills and Riggs is third with 113 kills. Senior Karlee Swensen holds the back line with 295 digs and junior Addie Copeland has an unofficial 55 assisted blocks this season.

4A

No. 1 Marist Catholic (22-1, 8-0 Sky Em, first place) vs. No. 8 Astoria (17-5, 12-0 Cowapa, first place)

Marist Catholic last appearance (state titles): 2024 (4)

Astoria last appearance (state titles): 2012 (none)

The Spartans are looking for title No. 5 with junior hitters Lauren Rohman and Kimmy Spurlock leading the way. Rohman has 268 kills and hits at .327 this season while Spurlock isn’t far behind with 261 kills and a .269 hitting percentage. Rohman also sets in the 6-2 system and has 296 assists, alongside Anna Edwards with 384. Rohman also leads in blocks with 34 while senior Kegan De Lee has 482 digs and leads in aces with 60, the latter being a second-team All-Tournament selection last year.

The Fishermen had the longest drought of state tournament appearances of any team playing this weekend. Helping end that streak was sophomore Kyah Gohr who led Astoria in kills while playing middle blocker, setting in two rotations and anchoring the middle back defensively. A couple two-sport athletes are powering Astoria as well with senior Emery Young, who’s second in kills and started for the Fishermen girls basketball team that made the state basketball final. Junior Lyla Carlsen plays softball for the state champions in Astoria and leads the team in assists. Then there’s senior MB Ameila Nemlowill, who leads in blocks and is fourth in kills.

No. 4 Cascade (16-5, 9-1 Oregon West, first place) vs. No. 5 Philomath (16-6, 8-2 Oregon West, second place)

Cascade last appearance (state titles): 2024 (1)

Philomath last appearance (state titles): 2021 (1)

The Cougars have a couple big weapons in their attack, but it starts with senior setter Irene Rocha-Ibarra. She has 649 assists on the year, as well as 108 kills, 76 aces, 203 digs and 14 total blocks. The big hitters are senior Emma Kirschenmann with 256 kills and 260 digs, and freshman Kade Lane with 250 kills and 34 total blocks. Senior Hailey Abundiz can’t be forgotten either with 189 kills and 44.5 blocks. Junior Macie Thies holds the back line with 304 digs on the season.

The Warriors and Cougars split their season series with Philomath winning the last match, and it hopes to keep that going in the quarterfinals. Junior Nora Stanley and senior Shaylee May are two first-team All-Oregon West selections thanks to 316 kills from Stanley and 223 from May. Stanley also has 44 aces on the year with 132 digs while May has 198 digs and 30 aces. Senior Avery Smith guides the offense with 697 assists this season and was an all-league second-teamer, and senior libero Isabelle Muir holds the back line with a team-high 248 digs.

No. 3 Pendleton (21-3, 6-0 Greater Oregon, first place) vs. No. 6 Henley (21-3, 8-0 Skyline, first place)

Pendleton last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

Henley last appearance (state titles): 2024 (3)

The Buckaroos are looking to prove themselves behind big swinger Avery Brown. The senior middle blocker leads the team in kills with 296 and has 72 blocks on the year. Freshman MJ Gomez is next on the kills list with 229 and she also leads in aces with 61 and has 138 digs. Junior Caitlin Cooley is the setter with 605 assists in 2025 while junior Finley Evans leads the back row with 382 digs. 

The Hornets return to Coos Bay with a three-headed attack in sophomore Makayla Schroeder (287 kills), senior Kahlia Cage (185 kills) and junior Abby DuBose (183 kills). Feeding all those arms is junior setter Hailey Paulson, who has 752 assists on the season along with 53 aces and 180 digs. Schroeder also leads the team in blocks with 70 while junior Jenna Melsness and DuBose are strong in the back row with 256 and 250 digs, respectively.

No. 2 Marshfield (13-8, 5-3 Sky Em, second place) vs. No. 7 The Dalles (16-5, 8-0 Tri-Valley, first place)

Marshfield last appearance (state titles): 2024 (2)

The Dalles last appearance (state titles): 2024 (1)

The defending champion Pirates lost an important senior class, but they’ve reloaded and will have home court advantage throughout the tournament. Sophomore Caroline Knutson has taken over attacking duties with a team-high 287 kills, while senior captain Chloe Runn has 156 kills, a team-high 326 digs and a team-high 71 aces. Senior Mackenzie Fitzgerald-Thornton is a 5-foot-11 MB with a team-high 58 blocks and has chipped in 139 kills. Two setters run the offense with sophomore Kendall Johnson posting 243 assists and freshman Tia Reiber owning 241. 

The Riverhawks might have the best pound-for-pound player in the 4A field with sophomore Jazlynn Morris-Holmes, an All-Tournament first team selection last year as a freshman. In 2025, she’s hitting .300 with 307 kills along with 179 digs and 59 aces. Senior Cleo Corbin and junior Evelyn Rogers are two more attackers with 118 and 96 kills, respectively. Senior Caitlynn Gatton is the setter with 299 assists and 112 digs on the year.

3A

No. 1 Valley Catholic (24-4, 10-2 Lewis & Clark, first place) vs. No. 9 Catlin Gabel (15-9, 9-3 Lewis & Clark, third place)

Valley Catholic last appearance (state titles): 2024 (4)

Catlin Gabel last appearance (state titles): 2021 (none)

The Valiants are defending champions and will get a familiar foe in league rival Catlin Gabel to start. These two have met four times already this season with the last two matchups going five sets, the first won by the Eagles and the second taken by the Valiants. Junior Maeve Albert, a 6-foot middle blocker, has had an electric season with 417 kills and 58 blocks to lead Valley Catholic. Freshman Emma Sarantakos is another hitter to keep an eye on with 168 kills and a team-high 70 aces. Sophomore Hadley Entizne has 185 kills on the season, and junior Jaya McGregor is the engine with 768 assists.

No. 4 Sisters (20-4, 10-0 Mountain Valley, first place) vs. No. 5 Dayton (20-4, 16-0 PacWest, first place)

Sisters last appearance (state titles): 2023 (7)

Dayton last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The Outlaws are one of the best programs in the state’s history and they make their return to state under new head coach Mahryahna Callegari. Junior setter Paityn Cotner has battled through an ankle injury to get over 700 assists and has three senior teammates at the core of the group in outside hitter Malia Hernandez, libero Emma Long and right-side/defensive specialist Audrey Sybesma.

The Pirates went 0-2 at state a year ago and are ready to make a bigger splash in 2025. Sophomore Gabby Chupp leads in kills with 288 and aces with 76, meanwhile senior Katie Freeborn and sophomore Kalysta Summerlin are also over 100 kills. Junior Maddie Miguez is the setter with 427 assists on the season.

No. 3 Burns (28-1, 10-0 Eastern Oregon, first place) vs. No. 6 Cascade Christian (17-6, 9-1 Southern Oregon, first place)

Burns last appearance (state titles): 2024 (8)

Cascade Christian last appearance (state titles): 2023 (2)

The Hilanders are looking for state title No. 9, which would tie them for the most in state history. They have three hitters who have gone over 300 kills this season in senior Jocelyn Graham (384), sophomore Megan Weil (383) and junior Amaya Ballard (327). Weil has also been a force at the net defensively with 91 blocks. Senior Taylor Trent is the setter and has 999 assists on the season and will certainly cross 1,000 in Coos Bay. Libero Bailey Temple, a junior, leads in digs with 553.

The Challengers respond with three strong attackers themselves who have all gone over 200 kills. Those three include sophomore Hadley Wilcox (256), freshman Avery Hunter (232) and 6-foot sophomore Kyla Kleinsasser (200). Cascade Christian is young overall, but the back row is experienced with senior libero Grace McCauley, senior DS Blakely Schauffler and senior DS Ella Stofflet. The final senior is setter Rylan Hunter who has 772 assists on the year.

No. 2 Westside Christian (23-2, 11-1 Lewis & Clark, second place) vs. No. 10 Salem Academy (18-7, 13-3 PacWest, second place)

Westside Christian last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

Salem Academy last appearance (state titles): 2024 in 2A (5)

The Eagles were the last team in Oregon to lose a match this season, and now they hope to be one of the six to end the year with a win and a blue trophy. Senior Sam Shepard leads the attack with 225 kills with senior Kyler Hildenbrand (184) and sophomore MB Brooklyn Postma (175) not far behind. Senior Ella Perry sets the offense with 686 assists this season and has chipped in 205 digs. Senior libero Louise Steyn leads that department with 267 and Shepard also has 201 digs. Hildenbrand is the aces leader with 72 and Postma has posted 41 blocks. And fans can’t forget about Kinley Deewall who has dealt with injuries this season, but will certainly be a force in her all-around game.

The Crusaders aren’t new to the state tournament, but are new to Coos Bay after moving up to 3A this season. Sophomore Jordyn Copeland, the PacWest Player of the Year, is the go-to for them with not only a team high in kills with 355, but also the team-high in digs with 335. Senior Perri Showalter isn’t far behind in digs with 305 and maintains a 1.78 passing rating. Senior Maya Cooke directs the offense with 660 assists on the season.

2A

No. 1 Crosshill Christian (26-3, 10-0 Valley Coast, first place) vs. No. 8 Weston-McEwen (15-10, 8-3 Blue Mountain, first place)

Crosshill Christian last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

Weston-McEwen last appearance (state titles): 2024 (3)

The Eagles are back for another run at the state title after finishing as runnerups in 2024. Seniors Ellie Bartel and Zoey Baker were second-team All-Tournament players last year and lead the attack for Crosshill with 288 kills for Bartel and 270 for Baker. Baker also has 22 blocks while freshman Payton Kaufman has 26. Senior Hannah Dripps has guided the offense with 478 assists while sophomore Sadie Troyer also has 268 assists. Senior Sierra Poush has 100 aces and 190 digs to guide the back row, but Bartel also leads in the digs category in 234 of them.

The TigerScots return to the state tournament and will be a little closer to home with the 2A tournament at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Junior Charlotte Hansell is the big arm with 378 kills this season, followed by junior Addy Hall with 182. Hansell also leads the team in digs with 450 on the year, also followed by Hall with 388. Senior Mya Bryan and sophomore Reagan Pickard handle the offense with 360 and 337 assists, respectively. Senior Brielle Ward leads in blocks with 38 and Bryan is the aces leader with 61.

No. 4 Delphian (20-4, 13-1 Tri-River, first place) vs. No. 5 Heppner (23-7, 9-2 Blue Mountain, second place)

Delphian last appearance (state titles): 2013 (1)

Heppner last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The Dolphins have returned to the state tournament after a 12-year absence after winning the Tri-River Conference title. Senior Liv Curry was named the league’s Player of the Year as the MB had 202 kills and 53 aces in 14 league matches. Junior Mila Vysotska was a first-teamer in league with her 121 kills, 74 aces and leading the Dolphins in digs. Senior setter Amelia Peterson had a strong league season as well with 280 assists, 119 kills and 47 aces.

The Mustangs have their eyes set on state title No. 1 with a couple strong hitters coming to EOU. Sophomore Isa Payne has 379 kills on the year and her running mate is freshman Catherine Lindsay with 268 kills. Both of them also lead the team in blocks with 47 apiece. Junior Maya Payne is the setter with 603 assists in 2025, and junior Avree Lathrop is the top server with 62 aces. Lathrop also leads in digs with 422, just barely beating out sophomore Cici Stefani with 420 and Isa Payne with 403.

No. 3 Myrtle Point (23-1, 10-0 Sunset, first place) vs. No. 6 Clatskanie (22-4, 13-1 Northwest, first place)

Myrtle Point last appearance (state titles): 2014 (1)

Clatskanie last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The Bobcats are in the 2A state tournament after spending 2022 and 2023 at the 1A level. Leading the charge to the top of 2A has been a strong core that includes outside hitters in junior Taelyn Farmer and senior Raylee Murray who play all the way around. In the middle is senior Bailie Detzler and freshman Delaney La Franchi, and setting it all up is junior Lauren Lively.

The Tigers are back with senior Joey Sizemore having a stellar season with 305 kills, 32 solo blocks, 88 aces and 192 digs. But she isn’t the leading hitter with junior Lacey Willis putting down 320 kills on the season, along with 26 solo blocks, 45 aces and 162 digs. Junior Addy Compton puts it together at setter with 717 assists, and she also has 65 aces and 182 digs. McKinsey Doyle is the junior libero with 287 digs.

No. 2 Trinity Lutheran (18-4, 10-0 East Cascades, first place) vs. No. 7 Portland Christian (18-3, 13-1 Northwest, second place)

Trinity Lutheran last appearance (state titles): 2023 in 1A (none)

Portland Christian last appearance (state titles): 2024 (4)

The Saints are in the 2A state tournament for the first time in program history after moving up to 2A in 2024. The team as a whole has 729 kills and is hitting .110. They have 117 blocks and 1,415 digs on the defensive side.

The Royals are hoping to repeat their 2023 success and win state title No. 5, led by standout junior Addison Johanson, a Biola University commit. The all-around MB has 358 kills, 248 digs, 142 total blocks and 86 aces on the year. Finley Marine is a senior who’s committed to Corban for beach volleyball and has 210 kills in 2025, along with 315 assists, 164 digs and 53 aces. Olive Clapp anchors the back row as the senior libero with 360 digs.

1A

No. 1 Crane (24-5, 5-0 High Desert, first place) vs. No. 9 Joseph (28-7, 8-2 Old Oregon, third place)

Crane last appearance (state titles): 2024 (2)

Joseph last appearance (state titles): 2023 (none)

The Mustangs enter the 2025 state tournament as back-to-back reigning champs, and they haven’t lost to a 1A opponent since dropping the 2022 state title match. That’s 61 consecutive wins over 1A opponents. 

The Eagles took out North Douglas on the road in the second round to earn their spot in La Grande. Senior Caleigh Johnson is the leading attacker with 396 kills, followed by senior Annie Rose Miller (213) and senior Marley Hayes (207). Freshman Rylee Meyers has stepped up as the setter and has 804 assists coming into the state tournament, and senior Emmerson Hook anchors the back row with 440 digs. 

No. 4 Umpqua Valley Christian (23-3, 10-1 Skyline, first place) vs. No. 5 Powder Valley (28-4, 10-0 Old Oregon, second place)

Umpqua Valley Christian last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

Powder Valley last appearance (state titles): 2024 (1)

The Monarchs are led by junior Meagan Hellenthal and her 397 kills in 2025 so far. She’s also posted 225 digs and 42 aces as an all-around force. Freshman Julia Johnson is another big attacker with 205 kills and she gets it done in the back row with 257 digs. Seniors Avery Renyer and Ali Saylor run the two-setter set up with 372 and 320 assists, respectively. Senior Kayleigh Johnson leads in digs with 269.

The Badgers are back with a new-look roster that is led by all-around MB senior Sky Nesser. She’s put down an incredible 585 kills in 2025, along with posting 280 digs and 74 blocks. Senior OH Kellee Dixon isn’t too shabby either with 269 kills and 304 digs. Senior Janie Bingham runs setter with 882 assists on the year, and junior libero Avrie Anderson has added 302 digs.

No. 3 Central Christian (24-5, 11-1 Mountain Valley, first place) vs. No. 6 North Lake (21-7, 11-1 Mountain Valley, second place)

Central Christian last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

North Lake last appearance (state titles): 2024 (none)

The Tigers have become a volleyball force with a return to the 1A state tournament. They’ve got three hitters all over 200 kills on the season with junior Stella Adams (260), senior Tabitha Terry (244) and senior Tatum Wills (242). Junior Joslynn Terry is the setter with 808 assists, meanwhile Tabitha Terry is the leader in blocks with 96. Joslynn Terry also has 54 blocks on the season.

The Cowgirls have some depth and it starts with a strong core of five. Freshman MB Naomi Roth leads in kills 248 and also has 77 blocks and 124 digs on the season. Her older sister in junior Acacia Roth isn’t far behind with 232 kills, 37 aces, 46 blocks and 174 digs as one of the team captains. Sophomore setter Viktoria Baker has 349 assists to go along with 194 kills and 139 digs, and junior Emma Baker, a captain, is another setter with 464 assists, 55 aces and 112 digs. Junior Cynthia Tobiasson is another captain and has 222 digs and 118 kills.

No. 10 Imbler (24-7, 10-0 Old Oregon, first place) vs. No. 15 St. Paul (21-10, 14-0 Casco, first place)

Imbler last appearance (state titles): 2024 (3)

St. Paul last appearance (state titles): 2024 (2)

The Panthers upset Dufur in the second round to earn a spot at state. Junior Isla Howard powered the Panthers to a four-set win with 11 kills and 27 digs. Sophomore Kali Camp had 11 kills as well along with four blocks. Senior Maggie Pahlow kept the block party going with six of them and six kills.

The Buckaroos are the lowest seeded team across all classifications to make a state tournament this year, but they’re far from underdogs as a 1A powerhouse program. Sophomore Emery Williams is the leading attacker with 228 kills, and not far behind is sophomore Sienna Meza with 199 kills. Junior Lila Wolf is the top server with 51 aces, and also helps in the passing game with 302 assists. Sophomore Annie Cavazos has 273 assists and 37 aces as well. Sophomore Lola Hiller anchors the back row with 386 digs in 2025.