GROGGY FISH OUT IN QUARTERFINALS AT MARIST
In what they hope is a final tournament tune-up for the "Big Show" at Lane Community College in November, the shorthanded and energy-depleted Astoria Lady Fishermen bowed out to Stayton in a 2-game quarterfinal loss.
Astoria was without senior all-league middle blocker Wendi Agalzoff, who was taking her SAT test. The rest of the team was simply out of gas after homecoming festivities Thursday and Friday, a 4-hour bus ride to Eugene after little sleep and some stiff pool competition.
"We jus ran out of steam," said head coach Angee Hunt, whose squad travels to Scappoose Tuesday before a big home game with second-place Tillamook Thursday night. "When I went to get them to play for brackets, they were all asleep on the floor. We were just kind of running on fumes most of the day anyway."
Those fumes were strong enough to boost Astoria to the head of its 4-team pool after straight set wins over Cascade and Sisters and a split with Corvallis-area 3A volleyball power Santiam Christian. Juniors Meredith Barnes and Alex Hillard gave a preview of what next-year's front line will look like when Agalzoff graduates.
"It was a good opportunity for Meredith and Alex to get some quality playing time," said Hunt. "They stepped up with some big plays and gained confidence throughout the day.
"Stayton came up with some good plays. We just weren't as sharp as we normally are. If you take out that match, it was a good day considering what we were working with."
With a 2-game lead in the Cowapa League, Astoria has four games remaining. Barring an upset loss at Scappoose Tuesday, Astoria can clinch the Cowapa League championship for the second time in three years with a win over Tillamook on Thursday. After barely surviving a five-game match at Banks, the Fishermen celebrated a Banks 3-game sweep at Tillamook Thursday to open the door for the Lady Fishermen.
"They [Banks] played us tough on Monday," said Hunt. "They are very capable of playing well. They have all the physical components. We just have to play our game and stay focused on our goals.
It's kind of a new position for us to be in where we can control our own destiny. Two years ago there was a little luck involved."
A new playoff format means the league champ will have to host a subtournament playoff game to get to the state finals, unlike 2004 when Astoria got a bye to the tournament by winning the league.
Astoria was without senior all-league middle blocker Wendi Agalzoff, who was taking her SAT test. The rest of the team was simply out of gas after homecoming festivities Thursday and Friday, a 4-hour bus ride to Eugene after little sleep and some stiff pool competition.
"We jus ran out of steam," said head coach Angee Hunt, whose squad travels to Scappoose Tuesday before a big home game with second-place Tillamook Thursday night. "When I went to get them to play for brackets, they were all asleep on the floor. We were just kind of running on fumes most of the day anyway."
Those fumes were strong enough to boost Astoria to the head of its 4-team pool after straight set wins over Cascade and Sisters and a split with Corvallis-area 3A volleyball power Santiam Christian. Juniors Meredith Barnes and Alex Hillard gave a preview of what next-year's front line will look like when Agalzoff graduates.
"It was a good opportunity for Meredith and Alex to get some quality playing time," said Hunt. "They stepped up with some big plays and gained confidence throughout the day.
"Stayton came up with some good plays. We just weren't as sharp as we normally are. If you take out that match, it was a good day considering what we were working with."
With a 2-game lead in the Cowapa League, Astoria has four games remaining. Barring an upset loss at Scappoose Tuesday, Astoria can clinch the Cowapa League championship for the second time in three years with a win over Tillamook on Thursday. After barely surviving a five-game match at Banks, the Fishermen celebrated a Banks 3-game sweep at Tillamook Thursday to open the door for the Lady Fishermen.
"They [Banks] played us tough on Monday," said Hunt. "They are very capable of playing well. They have all the physical components. We just have to play our game and stay focused on our goals.
It's kind of a new position for us to be in where we can control our own destiny. Two years ago there was a little luck involved."
A new playoff format means the league champ will have to host a subtournament playoff game to get to the state finals, unlike 2004 when Astoria got a bye to the tournament by winning the league.
posted by Matt Richert at 9:43 PM
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