By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
ST. PAUL, Ore.– The St. Paul Volleyball team are going through some growing pains this Fall following the graduation of three big leaders on Aundra Rose, Josey Edwards, and Amelia Cavazos from last year’s 1A State Third-place team.
But with Gabriella Gleaves, the Buckaroos lone senior, anchoring the squad, they’re slowly making those positive steps moving forward as they’ve started the year 5-2.
They showed flashes at their annual St. Paul Tournament Saturday. After a 1-2 start to the tournament, thr Bucks forced a decisive third set against North Douglas in the consolation bracket, but couldn’t complete the comeback to advance to the Championship Round of the bracket in the always tough tournament.
“I think we got a lot of potential in doing well this year, we just got a young team, so we’re just working on growing into the team that we will be,” said St. Paul’s Head Coach Leslie Hiller. “(The tournament) helps us because we get to play against tough competition and raise our level.”
And it’s just the first of a series of tough challenges they’ll face around their 1A Casco League schedule with a three-way non-league matchup at North Clackamas Christian with the Saints and Central Catholic on September 20, the Nike Tournament in Arizona at the end of the month and the Eagle Invitational on October 4 to help raise their level to succeed to the level rhat Hiler expects of her teams and help prepare them for the 1A State Tournament here in a few weeks.
In the meantime, the St. Paul Squad will look to extend their lead in the Casco League starting on Monday with a pair of league match-up with Jewell and Livingstone Adventist Academy.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
