Volleyball News

Crowder & Johnson to play at next level

January 24, 2008
Oregon City, Ore. – Sophomore co-captains Carla Crowder and Carley Johnson, former standout players at Canby Union High School and Gladstone High School, have been recruited by 4-year schools. Crowder will suit up for San Diego Christian College next season and Johnson will continue her career locally at George Fox University located in Newberg.

 

Both players were key components in successful seasons in 2006 & 2007. The ’06 Cougars were 41-9 and reached the NWAACC Championship match, finishing 2nd place of 29 league teams. The ’07 squad again made it to the league playoffs, finishing 7th overall. Johnson and Crowder were named to the All-Southern Region teams this season.

 

Crowder, a versatile setter of the Cougars, will follow Cougar alumna Meggan Chapin who transferred to San Diego Christian last season.

 

“They love Meggan at San Diego Christian and the coach had previously said that he would take any Cougars like Meggan who had her heart and played hard like she did,” stated coach Kathie Woods. “Well, Carla fits that perfectly. Carla is such a dedicated and hard worker! Meggan and her are friends so it just seemed like a perfect fit.”

 

In 224 games over the past two seasons, Crowder had 1185 assists with a 33% efficiency. She also possesses a great jump serve and dished out 55 aces on a 95% serving efficiency.

 

Crowder departed Clackamas last week to start attending SDCU. The school, in an effort to get her acclimated with the hitters on her new team, offered scholarship tuition for the remainder of this year.

 

“I’ve been here a week and the weather is great! San Diego Christian also has small classes and I really enjoyed that about Clackamas,” said Crowder. “It’s great to be playing in a league that is on a national level. There are three schools in this conference that ranked in the NAIA’s top five last year – so the competition is high.”

 

Johnson had several interested schools to review over the holiday break. She ultimately chose George Fox University, a highly regarded academic institution with an emerging volleyball program.

 

“I am very thrilled with her decision,” exclaimed Woods. “She is such a good student and I think she will thrive there. Steve Grant (the George Fox coach) is a great person and he was really interested in Carley, both as a volleyball player and as a person and leader on the court. That is her strength and I think she will enjoy it there.”

 

Johnson spearheaded the outside hitting force this season. In 208 games over the past two seasons, she had 384 kills and 537 digs. Her 323 kills and 451 digs were both second highest totals for the Cougars in 2007.

 

“I enjoyed attending Clackamas. The one-on-one instruction in class combined with the discipline of our volleyball program helped me prepare for a 4-year school,” commented Johnson. “I’m excited about transferring to George Fox and continuing my degree program. I really like Coach Grant and look forward to playing for the Bruins.”

 

Clackamas Closes Successful Season with 7th Place at NWAACC Tournament

November 18, 2007

It was a season of ups and downs for the 2007 Cougars.   A young team with only three sophomores from the 2006 NWAACC runner-ups, the Cougars had to work extremely hard from the start of the season to be competitive in the 29-team league.

 

And the hard work returned handsome dividends at the NWAACC tournament.  The Cougars opened Friday with a tough 3-1 loss to this year's NWAACC runner-up Whatcom. The loss dropped them into the loser's bracket in the double elimination tourney where they faced and defeated Pierce in two games.

 

On Saturday, the Cougars upset eighth-ranked Bellevue in two close games to survive to the tournament's final day.  Sunday's match-up pitted Clackamas against cross town Clark College.   The Cougars took the first game on the Penguins with a 31-29 win, but lost the second two
30-25, 15-9.  

 

Clackamas' performance earned them a respectable 7th place finish in the Tournament.

 

"The NWAACC tournament was an example of how this season has gone.  We had some very fine matches and then we seemed to let up a couple of times too.'" remarked Coach Kathie Woods.  "We had a roller coaster season.  Finishing in a tie for 7th is nothing to be ashamed of from a young team, however."

 

"We did pull it back together at the NWAACC's for a couple of matches and we played very well against a strong Bellevue team to get the win.  We managed to climb the ladder and we are proud of the teams we were associated with."

"It was a very strong field this year at the tournament and any team could have done well out of the 16 teams present.  It was a classy tournament and making it to the last day was one of our goals and we accomplished that.  I am looking forward to building onto that experience for next year.  It was a good year."

 

Cougars Land Three Region All-Stars
Hall, Johnson and Crowder will represent at All-Star game

November 14, 2007
Vancouver, WA. - The NWAACC announced the league's all-star squads and Clackamas sophomores Sarah Hall and Carley Johnson were first and second team selections.

 

Hall, a middle blocker, enjoyed a great season on the front line. In 120 games, she had 295 kills on 680 attempts for a 31% kill efficiency, 97 blocks - including 32 solos, 29 service aces on 98% serving efficiency and 84 digs.

 

Johnson, an outside hitter, also had an exceptional season. In 115 games, she had 323 kills, 13 service aces on 99% serving efficiency, 451 digs, 43 blocks and had a 2.18 serve-receive average.

 

Setter Carla Crowder will join the all-star squad as the first alternate.  She had 802 assists on 2590 attempts for a 31% efficiency, 36 service aces on a 96% serving efficiency and 326 digs.  Crowder also played big on the net with 68 kills and 25 blocks.

 

The All-Star game will take place at Pierce College [directions] on December 1st at the following times:
North vs. East (12:00 pm)
South vs. West (12:00 pm)
South vs. East (01:30 pm)
North vs. West (01:30 pm)
West vs. East (03:00 pm)
North vs. South (03:00 pm)

 

Cougar Players of the Week

Melita Elliot and Marcy Heidenreich were selected Cougar Player of the Week for the week ending October 30th.  Melita was steady and consistent and served very well.  Marcy recovered from being ill and stepped in when the Cougars needed her.  "She did a great job and her confidence is starting to show and she has improved greatly," commented Coach Kathie Woods.  

 

The week ending November 7th, Carla Crowder and Kristel Baeckel shined for Clackamas against Linn-Benton.  "All we can say is that they had great leadership and Kristel led in offense with help from Carla's setting.  Carla also had good serving and Kristel blocked well," said Woods.

Chemeketa Defeats Cougars 3-0
Both schools now tied for region's third place

October 31, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - The Cougars looked out-of-sync all evening as the Storm were able to control the match and win in three games 30-25, 30-22, 30-24.

 

"I was deeply disappointed in my team's play tonight," commented Coach Kathie Woods.  "We are not playing with the passion and purpose that I was expecting. We have a lot to figure out before we make our appearance at the NWAACC tournament. No other comment."

 

The offense struggled with several top players performing well below season averages. Melita Elliot dished out 11 assists while Carla Crowder, who is back in the line-up after recovering from an auto injury, had 7.   The Cougars, always a strong defensive team, managed to stay in the match with defense as Carley Johnson had 17 digs while Taya Clark (13) and Alaura Little (10) were also in double figures in digs.  Little also produced a 2.19 serve-receive.

 

Next Up: The Cougars (5-5, 20-19) travel to Bellingham, Wa. to participate in the Whatcom Crossover Tournament.  Play begins Friday, November 02. The Cougars will open with Yakima Valley at 11am, play Walla Walla at 2pm and end the day with Edmonds at 5pm.  Day two will be bracket play based on Friday's pool play results [view day 2 bracket]

 

NWAACC Defensive Player of the Week
Carley Johnson

October 30, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Carley Johnson has been selected the NWAACC's Defensive Player of the Week and Cougar Player of the Week. This is Johnson's second Cougar POW selection this season.  She was also a regional offensive player of the week selection earlier this season.

 

In 21 games this weekend at the Dorian Harris tournament, Johnson had 47 kills, 6 service aces and 100% serving percentage.  She also had 33 digs,10 blocks and a 2.28 serve-receive average (out of 3).

 

"Carley is so consistent.  She stays the same emotionally whether she had a good point or not," commented Coach Kathie Woods.  "She is a fighter and a leader for this team.  She will not give up!! I appreciate her dedication to the program and her willingness to continue to do what is right.  She is a good example for the others to follow."

Cougs go 3-3 at Halloween Classic

October 27, 2007

Gresham, Ore. - It was a mediocre weekend for the Cougs as they had hoped to do better at the Dorian Harris Halloween Classic, but only managed to win three of six matches.  The Cougs won in matches against Lower Columbia, Bellevue & Green River and were defeated by Tacoma, Highline & Skagit Valley.

 

"We have done so much better in the past at this specific tournament.  I like the timing of this tournament to show who we square up against at this time of the season," said Coach Kathie Woods. "We were trying to duplicate our successes there again this year but we fell short.  Without setter Carla Crowder (still out with an automobile injury) we just couldn't find the lineup that would do it!  We were flat the entire tournament.  We had a few highs but we couldn't seem to hang onto them.  The only thing that stayed fairly consistent were our serves."

 

"Carley Johnson, Sarah Hall and Kristel Baeckel were the high points for the Cougs.  I was disappointed because we did not step up. It is at this point of our season that is going to define us.  I certainly hope the next 2 weeks are different as we still have something to prove before we make our final showing at NWAACC's."

 

Clackamas Downs Multnomah Bible College in Three
Cougs now turn attention to Halloween Classic at Mt Hood.

October 24, 2007

Oregon City, Ore. - The Cougs defeated Multnomah Bible College in three games 30-16, 30-12, 30-13. 

 

"It was a solid game for the Cougars with everyone seeing action tonight," said Coach Kathie Woods.  "Carla Crowder is out for a while with whiplash from a car accident during the weekend, so [freshman setter] Melissa Fay stepped in and did a great job in her place.  I felt she came in with much more confidence than she has showed in the past and really made some things happen."

 

"Both her and Melita [Elliot] had 16 assists each for the Cougs.  Kristel [Baeckel] again had her usual hard hitting night accumulating 9 kills with a 39% kill eff.  Carley Johnson also had another solid performance with 9 kills and a 30% kill efficiency.  Carley had a great game.  She was working hard on her defense and it showed.  She was really moving her feet and she helped pick up the entire team."

 

"Melissa also led the Cougs in digs with 15 while Lindsay Ables stepped in on the front line delivering 3 blocks along with Kristel who also got 3."

"The team had a great night passing the ball with a team high 2.32 passing average on a 3 pt. scale.  With passes like that the offense is bound to have a good night.  I was pleased with the way the girls stayed consistent throughout the match.  It was a good showing for us as we prepare for this weekend's Dorian Harris [Halloween] Tournament."

Cougar Player of the Week
Kristel Baeckel

October 22, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Kristel Baeckel is this week's Cougar Player of the Week.

 

In a four game match with Mt. Hood this weekend, the middle hitter had 18 kills on 45 attempts for a 22% hitting efficiency and 7 blocked shots.  She also served up an ace and collected four digs.

 

"Kristel is selected player of the week for her determination in the front line," said Coach Kathie Woods. 

 

"She played a very aggressive game against Mt. Hood and stayed consistent throughout the match.  She held her own against a taller blocker and had some great blocks of her own.  It was a good match for Kristel."

Eight Points Separate Mt. Hood and Clackamas
Cougars lose 3-1 in 4-game squeaker

October 19, 2007
Gresham, Ore. - Second-ranked Mt. Hood was just good enough to take the seventh-ranked Cougars 30-28, 28-30, 30-27, 30-27 Friday in Gresham.  Clackamas, with only three sophomores, were only slightly out-matched by the more experienced Saints squad, who have a sophomore laden team and are the defending NWAACC Champs.

 

"Tonight's match against Mt. Hood was a typical rivalry from start to finish," said Coach Kathie Woods.  "The Cougs played tough and I am proud of our progress.  Of course we would like the win, but it was a good match.  We were close in every game, fortunate to win the second game, but with the others it was the experience of Mt. Hood that was the difference."

 

"We would make the crucial errors at the most inopportune time (the last 2 points of each game).  Those errors will decrease with every day of practice as we continue our goal to the NWAACC championships."

"I am proud of this team and what they have done.  We are molding into a great team and I am excited about the next couple of weeks in league play and then finishing strong at the NWAACC Tournament."

 

Kristel Baeckel led the attack with 18 kills, Taya Clark had 14 kills while Carley Johnson and Sarah Hall added 13 apiece. Setters Carla Crowder and Melita Elliot had nearly identical assists numbers combining for 53 and a 28.5% efficiency. Five Cougars were in high double figures for digs as Elliot, Johnson, Clark, Crowder and libero Alaura Little combined for 111 digs.  Little led the pack with 28.  Baeckel and Clark were big on the net tonight collecting a combined 13 blocks. Little and Johnson had 2.28 and 2.25 serve-receive averages (3-pt scale) on 49 attempts.

 

NWAACC Offensive Player of the Week
Sarah Hall

October 15, 2007
Vancouver, Wash - Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Hall was selected as the NWAACC Offensive Player of the Week for week 6.  In eight games this past week, Sarah had 25 kills with a 50% hitting efficiency and 15 blocks.  She also had 4 service aces and 100% serving percentage.

"Sarah is just getting better and better as we go along." commented Head Coach Kathie Woods.  

 

"Her aggressiveness and intensity really helped spark the win for the Cougs on Friday night against the Lakers.  When it came down to the wire we knew we had to go to Sarah to help get the job done, both offensively and defensively.  It is nice to have her healthy this year.  She is a driving force!"

Cougar Player of the Week
Taya Clark

October 15, 2007

"This week's Cougar Volleyball Player of the Week is freshman outside hitter Taya Clark. 

 

"Taya has been progressing very nicely the last several weeks.  She has come completely into form and is playing much more aggressive and confident." commented Head Coach Kathie Woods.

 

"She was loud the entire weekend and she really turned it around when we played Umpqua, having no errors in hitting out of 30 attempts and launching 10 kills in that match.  She also passed a 2.67 serve- receive.  Taya is stepping up in her role and we are happy about that as we enter the second half of the season."

 

Cougars Win on Road at SW Oregon and Umpqua
Cougs move into 2nd place tie with Linn-Benton in Region

October 13, 2007
SW Oregon - W 30-14, 27-30, 30-26, 22-30, 15-12
Umpqua      - W 32-30, 30-6, 30-14

 

The Cougars opened the weekend against Southwestern Oregon and some of the most rowdy fans so far this year.  The fans were close to court side and were very loud, but the Cougs held their composure and reeled in the big win.  The Cougs had to depend on their middles for the offense as the Lakers were able to hold the Cougar outside attack to a mere 3% kill efficiency.  Good serving and passing kept Clackamas in the game. 

 

Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Hall had a great game with a 29% kill eff. and 3 service aces with no errors in serving. Freshman outside hitter Kristel Baeckel was right behind Sarah in kill eff. with a 27% kill eff.  also had 9 blocks in the match.

At Umpqua, the five-game SW Oregon match took some energy out of the Cougs and they had to refocus after a very slow start against the Riverhawks.  After getting on-track in game two, the Cougars were back to playing some very good volleyball, recording what could have been one of the largest scoring margins in Clackamas volleyball history in a 30-6 win.

 

Kristel had 12 kills with a 31% kill eff., Sarah had 11 kills with a whopping 63% kill eff. and 5 blocks and freshman Taya Clark had 10 kills with no errors out of 30 attempts with a 33% kill. eff.  Sophomore Carley Johnson had 17 digs and had a spectacular serve-receive stat of 2.45 on a 3 pt. scale out of a team high 11 receives.

 

Cougar Player of the Week
Lindsay Ables

October 09, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Freshman (redshirt) Lindsay Ables is this week's Cougar Player of the Week.  During the recent crossover tournament, Lindsay had 100% serving on 37 attempts with 7 aces.

 

"Lindsay was a great help for the Cougars this week and especially in the Clackamas Crossover," said Head Coach Kathie Woods. 

 

"Lindsay came in off the bench to spark the Cougar's when they needed it with her sensational serves.  Her serves stopped the momentum of whoever we played and got us back on track to victory.  That is a strength of Lindsay (her serves) and when we need a change in momentum and strategy, I do not hesitate to put her in.  She went in confidently and played good defense too.  It is important for our team to know how important each player is and for Lindsay to come in the way she did...it was amazing! Everyone knows how important Lindsay is to this team and we would not have our successes without her."

Clackamas Crossover
Cougars take second place

October 08, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - The fifth-ranked Cougars took second place in the two day Clackamas Crossover featuring eight teams from various NWAACC regions.

 

Day one was pool play to determine line-ups for day two bracket play.  The Cougars opened the tournament with a win over Big Bend 30-18, 32-30 before losing to eighth-ranked Whatcom 30-19, 30-22 in the second match.  The Cougs concluded the day with a win over Green River 30-22, 30-11.

 

In day two action, the Cougs opened with consecutive wins over Highline
31-29, 30-26, 30-28 and seventh-ranked Linn-Benton 23-30, 30-27, 30-11, 30-28 to make it to the championship match against Whatcom. 

 

The Cougs were on their game taking a 30-27 game one win, but then lost steam in three straight losses 30-20 ,30-28, 30-22.

 

Freshman outside hitter Taya Clark and middle block Sarah Hall were selected to the tournament all-star team.  Clark had 51 kills, 54 digs and a 2.22 serve-receive.  Hall had 67 kills and an amazing 45% kill efficiency. She also added 18 blocks.

 

"For the majority of the time we played very well this weekend," commented Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "We are pressing to become better with each victory.  It was a step forward to come back and beat Linn-Benton, a very good team, just after losing to them earlier this week.  It just goes to show you that anything can happen in this league."

 

"It was also nice to win over Highline, another team we had lost to earlier this year.  Right now we are having a difficult time getting past Whatcom (who are 3-1 against the Cougs).  They have such a strong front line that we find difficult to get by.  We will be working on that, as well as each and every part of our game.  We did do better on passing in this tournament and that is something we want to even get better at.  The main thing is the team is improving and we are still within reach of our goal. We are a good team that has the capabilities of being a great team and that is what we are working on right now.  Getting second place in our own tourney gives us that motivation to keep on scratching and clawing.  It was a good tourney for us but we still want the top.  I am happy with this team."

 

Next Up: The Cougs travel to SW Oregon on October 12 and Umpqua on October 13. Game times are 7pm.

Linn-Benton Tops Cougars in Four
Clackamas slips to third in the Region.

October 3, 2007
Albany, Ore. - The Cougs were went up against Linn-Benton to determine who would be the 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the first half of league play.  Linn-Benton came out on top by the scores of 27-30, 30-13, 30-27, 30-26.

"Linn-Benton are much improved over the last few years and they have a very complete team," commented Head Coach Kathie Woods.  " They came out with confidence and aggressiveness that we did just not match up with tonight.  The games were good and at times it could have gone any direction.  Again, we need to pass better and play more aggressive with our focus if we are going to continue to grow and develop. We now have seen each team in the South and we know what we are up against.  It is now our turn to step up and make improvements and make a difference for the second half." 

 

Leading the team in kills was Kristel Baeckel with 14 and Carley Johnson with 11.  Carla Crowder fed the offense with 25 assists while Melita Elliot scored on 4 services aces and led the team in digs with 15.  Sarah Hall had 5 blocks.

Cougar Player of the Week
Melita Elliot

October 02, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - This week's Cougar POW is freshman setter, Melita Elliot. 

 

"Melita has been steadily improving and showing more confidence in the system more and more every day, said Head Coach Kathie Woods.

 

"She is understanding her role and executing it.  This last week she was 100% serving out of a total of 39 serves and had 6 aces.  She also had a 33% and 34% assist percentage, respectively, this week, which is very consistent and where she should be at this point.  We are very happy with Melita.  She is a great person as well as a volleyball player!"

 

Cougars Battle Hard Against Second-Ranked Saints

September 28, 2007

Oregon City, Ore. - In a battle of two squads undefeated in league play, The Mt. Hood Saints (5-0, 11-1) took the Cougars (3-1, 10-11) in four games 30-21, 30-18, 22-30, 20-23.

 

"It was an amazing game with a lot of long rallies that had everything in it." commented Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "We were scrambling on defense and then we also had some tricks of our own offensively. It just wasn't enough on this Friday though." 

 

"We are improving so much every day and we were beaten by a better team tonight.  However, I am looking forward to the future.  If we keep improving at the rate we are, we will be working our way up even more," speculated Woods. 

 

"Right now we have to improve our passing and then also minimize our unforced errors.  The unforced error 'thing' is something that most teams have their troubles with.  As we mature we will be limiting those errors and building our confidence so we can execute better."

 

"Carley, Kristel and Sarah were again our go-to hitters and they had 16, 12 and 8 kills respectively.  Melita and Carla had 22 and 21 assists.  Carley led the team in digs with 22 and the team had a game total of 5 blocks."

 

"I would have really liked the win but we will have to wait until next time.  We can use this defeat as a learning tool for the knowing what kind of game we need to play day in and day out, if we are going to make it a realistic goal of making it back to the NWAACC Championship game.  That is the goal we are shooting for as Cougars!"

 

Next Up: The fifth-ranked Cougars will travel to Albany, Oregon to take on the seventh-ranked Linn-Benton Roadrunners (3-1, 12-5) in a league match-up on Wednesday October 3rd. Match time is set for 7pm.

 

2007 Media Guide & Computer Wallpaper

Click on the media guide image to read more about our 2007 Cougar team.

2007 Cougar Wallpaper 1680x1050 • 1280x1024 1024x768 • 800x600

 

Cougars Win in Three at Multnomah Bible College

September 25, 2007
Portland, Ore. - The Cougars (3-0, 10-10) cruised to a 30-21, 30-19, 30-18 win over the Lions (0-11) in a non-league contest at Multnomah Bible College Tuesday evening.

 

Carley Johnson and Sarah Hall combined for 18 kills and Carla Crowder dished 18 assists.  Melita Elliot had 4 service aces and Alyssa Hernandez added 3 of her own.

 

 

Cougars Move Into NWAACC's Top Eight
Columbia Basin tops list in volleyball rankings

September 24, 2007

Vancouver, Wa. - Columbia Basin (4-0, 13-0), with it's perfect record, leap-frogs Mt. Hood (4-0, 10-1) for the top spot that third-ranked Walla Walla (3-1, 15-3) vacated since the September 08^th Horizon Air/Coaches Poll. Columbia Basin collected five first place votes with Ht. Hood claiming the other three.

Spokane (4-0, 13-5) moves up a spot to fourth. Clackamas (3-0, 9-10) and Tacoma (2-0, 8-1) tied for fifth. Clackamas was been on a roll after a rough start. This is Tacoma's second week in the fifth spot. Linn-Benton (1-1, 10-5) rose a spot to seventh while Whatcom (2-0, 8-9), a new entry in this week's poll, rounds out the top eight. Complete Poll

 

Cougar Player of the Week
Kristel Baeckel

September 24, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Kristel Baeckel is this week's Cougar Player of the Week.  In four-game barnburner of a match with Chemeketa, the Cougars' only contest of the week, Kristel had 13 kills with a kill. eff. of 50%. She also recorded 5 blocks and was 100% serving.

 

"Kristel had a solid performance in that entire match.  She was aggressive in both hitting and blocking," said Head Coach Kathie Woods.   It is also nice to have a middle that can play her share of defense in the back row, when needed.  She is a great server and really focuses on her role on this team.  Kristel is earning much respect in the league already.  She does a great job day in and day out."

Cougars Prevail Over Storm in Five
Extend Win Streak to Four

September 21, 2007
Salem, Ore. - The Cougars got their best Regional test when they took on
I-5 rival Chemeketa (0-3, 12-8) in Salem.  The Cougars won a very tight game one 31-29 before the Storm provided something for the home crowd to get excited about when they easily handled the Cougars 30-23 in the second.

 

The loss sparked Clackamas in the third and they hammered Chemeketa 30-16 in the third. The Storm took the next match 30-26 to set up the 'rubber match' which was a nail -bitter with the Cougars pulling out the match win, 15-13.

 

"It was a great and needed win for this Cougar squad, exclaimed Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "We are still trying to find out who we really are and I am pleased with our progress at this time.  We have a lot of work to prepare for our next league win, which will be our rival Mt. Hood...but right now I am happy with the win over Chemeketa."

"Kristel Baeckel had an amazing kill efficiency of 50% and 5 blocks to help lead the offense.  Carla was spectacular again with 31 assists, 2 ace serves and 100 % serving in 27 serves.  Carley was again solid with 10 kills and 15 digs.  Taya and Sarah also stepped in with 12 kills apiece.  Lindsay and Melita each had 3 ace serves and Lindsay had a solid attack from the back row.  It was a solid team effort."

 

Cougar Player of the Week
Carley Johnson

September 20, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Sophomore outside hitter Carley Johnson was selected as Cougar POW by the coaching staff.

 

In three Clackamas victories over over Clark, Southwestern Oregon and Umpqua,  she totaled 22 kills, had 100% serving on 34 serves, tallied 29 digs and received the serve for an average of 2.22 on a 3 point scale.

 

"Carley has been our 'main- stay' so far this year," said Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "She is very consistent, especially on serve-receive.  She is a great team leader and is one of the most responsible players I have ever coached."

 

Southern Region Offensive Player of the Week
Sarah Hall

September 20, 2007
Vancouver, Wa. - Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Hall has been selected as the NWAACC's Southern Region Offensive Player of the Week for week two.

 

In three Cougar wins last week, Sarah averaged a 41% kill efficiency, had 4 serving aces with 100% serving efficiency, 5 blocks & 7 digs.

 

Cougars Dominate Weaker Region Rivals
Take Southwestern Oregon and Umpqua in three

Sept 15, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. -
Cougs def. Southwestern Oregon: 31-29, 30-27, 30-19

Cougs def. Umpqua: 30-14, 30-16, 30-17

Cougars Avenge Early Season Loss at Clark
Take three straight over 7th ranked Penguins

September 11, 2007

Oregon City, Ore. - On September 04, the Cougars left Clark College knowing they had plenty of ground to make up to be one of the forces in the league in 2007.  On Tuesday evening they were able to measure progress when Clark visited Clackamas for a best of five match.

 

The score line looked much like the result at Clark seven days earlier - except this time it was the Cougars winning in three 30-23, 30-25, 30-25.

 

Taya Clark led the offense with 17 kills followed by Sarah Hall and Kristel Baeckel with 7 apiece.  Carla Crowder served up the attack with 28 assists and chipped in 13 digs.  Alaura Little and Carley Johnson led the defense with 16 digs and Melita Elliot added 10.  Elliot and Crowder also added on offense with a combined 7 service aces.

 

Cougar Player of the Week
Sarah Hall

September 11, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Hall has been selected as Cougar of the Week for week two.  In 23 games at the Spokane Tournament she turned in 43 kills and a team leading 24% hitting efficiency, 9 service aces and 24 block shots.

 

"Sarah was amazing this week in her improvement of her blocking.  She has increased her speed and is closing blocks and putting them down.  She is becoming a very aggressive player and an important player that the Cougars will depend on this year," said Head Coach Kathie Woods.

Southern Region Players of the Week
Defense: Carla Crowder - Offense: Carley Johnson

September 10, 2007
The Cougars swept Southern Region Player of the Week honors for week one.  Sophomore setter Carla Crowder won the defensive award and sophomore outside hitter Carley Johnson claimed the offensive nod.

Crowder Stats:
Chem. Tourney: 34% assists, 11 Kills, 33 Digs
Spokane Tourney: 29% assists, 98% serves, 85 digs

Other Matches: 32% assists average, 4 acres with 98% serves, 50 digs

Johnson Stats:
Chem. Tourney: 25 kills, 100% serves, 33 Digs, 2. 08 Serve receive
Spokane Tourney: 71 kills, 98% serves, 79 digs, 2.32 Serve receive
Other Matches: 53 kills, 100% serves with 54 serves total, 66 digs, 2.18 serve receive

Thunderbirds Win - Cougars Improving

September 05, 2007
Des Moines , Wash. -  The Cougars (2-7) started off slowly in a 23-30 opening game loss but held close in game two 27-30 before winning game three 30-27.  Highline proved to be too much for the Cougs in game four with a 28-30 score to take the match.

 

Although Clackamas didn't achieve a win, Coach Woods felt the team made some improvements over yesterday's loss at Clark. "After last night's match, we felt we needed to take a huge step forward. We did take a step forward, but not a big as I'd like to see. We do need to be patient with this young squad, but also realize we only have one week to make things right before league play begins."

 

Several Cougars turned in quality numbers.  Kristel Baeckel led the offense with 18 kills and Carley Johnson added 12 with 18 digs.  Carla Crowder dished 35 assists and 15 digs. Melissa Fay (16 digs), Alaura Little (12 digs), and Alyssa Hernandez (10 digs) also has double digit defensive numbers.  Baeckel and Sarah Hall played tall on the line with a combined 9 blocks and Lindsay Ables was hot on the serve with 4 service aces.

 

Next Up - The Cougars travel to Spokane, Wash. for the INWC Invitational Tournament Sept 7 & 8 at Spokane CC [Directions].  The Cougars will open with Walla Walla CC at 9am and are also scheduled to play Big Bend (11am) , Blue Mountain (3pm) and Spokane (7pm) with additional matches on day two of the tourney.

 

Cougar Player of the Week
Carla Crowder

September 05, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Sophomore Setter Carla "Chowder" Crowder was named as Cougar Player of the Week for week one by the coaching staff.   "Carla's play has been consistently strong," says Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "She works so hard on every play."

 

In 21 games this past week, Carla had 19 kills on 36 attempts on with no errors for a 53% hitting efficiency, 160 assists on 489 attempts for a 33% average and dished out 57 digs and 6 service aces.

 

Cougars Struggle at Clark

September 04, 2007
Vancouver, Wash. - The Cougars couldn't get a steady rhythm going all evening and suffered their sixth loss of the season at the hands of the Penguins in three straight 24-30, 20-30, 27-30.

 

Carley Johnson led the offense with 15 kills and chipped-in 14 digs.  Carla Crowder dished out 33 assists and 10 digs while Alyssa Hernadez added a team leading 17 digs.

 

Cougs Finish Third at Chemeketa Tourney

September 01, 2007
Salem, Ore. - The Cougars went 2-3 and tied for third place Saturday.  In the opener, Clackamas loss two to Treasure Valley 27-30, 18-30 then rebounded to defeat Olympic 30-27, 30-20.  In match three, the Cougars took the first game 30-27 against the tourney's second place team, Walla Walla, but let the match slip away with 13-30 & 9-15 losses.

 

Clackamas then had a rematch when they took on Whatcom, who narrowly defeated the Cougs in five games on Friday at Clackamas.  The Cougs took game one 30-24 and the Orcas took game two 22-30 to set up the ' rubber-match'.  The Cougs took the third in exciting fashion 18-16 as the two squads battled back and forth.

 

The victory set up a rematch with Walla Walla for a shot at the tourney's championship match.  The Warriors were too tough for the Cougs and won on two straight 20-30, 20-30.

 

Taya Clark, Kristel Baeckel & Carla Johnson led the Cougar attack with a combined 79 kills.  Carla Crowder had 85 assists and was named to the tournament all-star team. Four Cougars had thirty-plus digs with Alyssa Hernadez leading all with 36 digs.

 

Experienced Squads School Young Cougars
Crowder and Johnson Shine in Season Openers

August 31, 2007

Oregon City, Ore. - The Cougars opened the 2007 season at home against some stiff competition with Whatcom CCC of Bellingham, Wa. and Columbia Basin of Kennewick, Wa. visiting Clackamas before weekend tournaments at Lower Columbia and Chemeketa CC.

 

Match one pitted the Cougars against Whatcom, a team that features eight sophomores from a team that finished 32-22 in 2006.  The Cougars came out ready and took game one 30-16, but the Orcas woke-up and fired off two straight winning games with 30-20 & 30-14 victories.  The Cougs fought back to tie the match at 2-2 with a 30-23 win in game four.  Whatcom then finished off the match in game five with a convincing 15-6 run.

 

Sophomore Carley Johnson led the attack with 16 kills and freshman Kristel Baeckel added eight.  Sophomore Carla Crowder led the setters with 33 assists on 116 attempts.  The defense was led by Johnson with help from freshmen Alaura Little and Alyssa Hernandez. Johnson had 15 digs while Little and Hernadez chipped in 12 apiece.

 

In the second match, the Cougars were pitted against another 2006 powerhouse in Columbia Basin College Hawks.  The Hawks finished 4th in the 2006 NWAACC Championships and were knocked out of the tournament by the 2nd place Cougars.  Featuring nine sophomores from a team that finished the season 44-5, the Hawks were looking to establish dominance in '07.

 

The Cougars put up a good fight in game one with an exciting 30-28 score before dropping game two 30-16.  Clackamas showed strong spirit by dominating game three in a 30-20 win, but the Hawks wasted no time securing the match in a 30-18 game four win.

 

Sarah Hall, Johnson and Baeckel led the Cougar attack with a combined 43 kills.  Crowder had a fantastic match with 49 assists on 121 attempts for a 40.5% assist conversion.  Little and Hernandez shined on defense with 11 digs apiece and Taya Clark added eight.

 

2007 Volleyball Season Outlook

August 30, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - The 2007 Cougar Volleyball squad will have a new fresh look this year.  With three returning sophomores and one 2006 redshirt freshman leading the team, we are young but willing to work hard. 

 

Having played in the NWAACC Championship game 3 of the last 4 years, taking a championship and two second places, there is no reason to strive for anything less than making it there (to the championship) again. 

 

"We don't look at weaknesses, but rather we dwell on what strengths we have.  What we have this year is a new squad that is willing to put the team first and work hard at every minute of each and every practice." said Head Coach Kathie Woods.  "The incoming freshman are showing why we chose them to be the new Cougars.  The work ethic and true character they posses are reasons why we are advancing so fast and coming together so well."

 

Some of the top recruits for this season's squad include outside hitter Taya Clark from Newport and libero Alyssa Hernadez from Sam Barlow.  These two have shown great determination and guts as they have endured the test so far.  They are tough competitors that won't let this team give up. 

 

Joining them is the hardest hitter this year in middle hitter Kristel Baeckel also from Sam Barlow; she is really hitting hard.  Kristel is relatively quiet on the court, but has a huge presence when she hits.  All-state setter Melita Elliot from Estacada joins returning setter Carla (the Chowder) Crowder and newcomer setter Melissa Fay,who joins the Cougs all the way from Soldotna, Alaska. 

 

And speak of athleticism...take a look at the huge play of Alaura Little.  She is small for an outside hitter, but her athleticism, leaping ability and intelligence will move her up the ladder quickly.

 

Rounding out the new recruits is outside hitter/right side hitter Marcy Heidenreich, a sister of Jessica Heidenreich, who played for the Cougars two years ago.  Marcy is also a smart hitter that should advance quite nicely. 

 

With these young ladies joining the likes of a healthy and much stronger outside hitter Carley Johnson and a much improved Sarah Hall the 2007 Cougars should create havoc for opponents.  Not to mention the aggressive Lindsay Ables, ready to plunge back into competition after taking some time off in 2006. And last but not least...the Chowder (Carla Crowder)...coming back for more!

 

"Relentless pursuit...that is our motto for this year.  The team decided that would be the best way to describe what we are set out to do...pursue another win...point after point, game after game, match after match and championship after championship.  Reaching for the top is what the Cougars do best and that is our goal.  To the top.........Come join us as we scratch and claw again, as Cougars..roaring on to victory.  We promise to give our all.  Hang on to your seats.  It will be thrilling ride and we plan to give you a good show, full of amazing defense and strategic offense. 

Roar on to Victory...Roar on!!!!!!" - Kathie Woods