The volleyball team may be young after graduating eight seniors off the team that finished third in state a year ago, but the girls are fighting to stay on top of their new league. The team is led by lone senior Tracee Scott and fellow captain junior Abby Clough.
The team has won all but two games, losing in close matches to Sutherlin and Siuslaw.

In a rematch against Sutherlin, the team came out on top and secured a first place ranking and the Far West League title. The girls now wish to win their play-off games and advance to the state competition.

Scott said she is confident in their ability to accomplish this task.

“To be at that point, we have to play as a team,” Scott said. “If we want to be successful, we have to have communication and we have to have confidence.”

At practice, the team often works on their communication skills as well as ball handling and being aggressive with their hits. According to Scott, practice is also fun and exciting.

“Practices are always intense and difficult, both physically and mentally, but they’re definitely worth it,” Scott said.

Head coach Tammie Montiel said the youthfulness of the team is exciting, and she is happy to lead them as they grow throughout the season.

“Just that new freshness they have, they’re excited about playing and about being there,” Montiel said. “I think they’re blending well together now.”

The girls have many traditions to help strengthen their bond as teammates and friends. Some of these include team dinners, the singing of “Gigolo” before games and the traditional “Secret Sister,” in which each player is paired with another player, and they exchange gifts before home games.

“The coaches don’t really have anything to do with that,” Montiel said. “That’s something that they’ve just kinda continued on.”

Scott has given the girls an unusual form of motivation to play hard and win their matches. According to sophomore Hailee Woolsey, Scott gave the team permission to paint her nails if they beat their North Bend rivals.

“She told us that if we beat them we could paint her nails pink, and she hates the color pink,” Woolsey said.

Marshfield went on to beat the Bulldogs and Scott had to face her impending makeover. According to freshman Shaylynn Jensen, Scott’s nails may be pink for some time.

“When we were away she said that if we win again we can paint her nails again,” Jensen said.

As the season progresses, team members hope to meet all their goals and have a winning streak in both league and non-league play. Scott said she has high hopes for her fellow teammates, even if they come up short.

“If it had ever come to the point where we lost, but had battled it out to the very end, we were scrappy, we did everything we could, it feels good to have given it your all,” Scott said.