By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
AMITY, Ore.– Last year was a good learning year for the Amity Volleyball team.
First year Head Coach in Brooke Lopez. A relatively young core that she inherited last year with six underclassmen to four seniors at the time. And the Warriors did well, going 8-11 and 6-10 in the PacWest Conference. The conference saw two of the three team’s it sent to the 3A State Playoffs place by season’s end.
And now, with a solid core coming back led by Ashlynn Nisly, Olivia Watcherson and Jemma Criswell and Lopez having a year under her belt, the Warriors are hoping that last year’s gauntlet will help them this Fall in the new-look West Valley League.
“Having a competitive league (last year) was something that we were so thankful for and we’re really hoping that happens this year with our league being a little bit different,” said Lopez. “These girls are now finally upperclassmen because all of them have been on Varsity and you can see the confidence and the leadership finally coming. They want to take charge in doing so and it’s helping their skill.
“We’re ready to compete. These girls have really big goals for this season and I know that they can achieve them.”
Dayton, Santiam Christian and Willamina came over from the PacWest Conference as well with Yamhill-Carlton coming over from the Coastal Range League.
The Warriors open the season on Thursday at the Santiam Jamboree. Amity’s first game of the season will be on september 29 against Sisters at home.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
