Woodburn Independent Online

Hard work pays dividends for Gervais

• By: Jason Horton  
• Published: 9/8/2009 5:03:01 PM

File Photo
Daisy Martinez will be one of two seniors, who will be a returning player from last year’s Gervais volleyball team.

GERVAIS — In a league that features both the state champion (Sheridan) and state runner-up (Valley Catholic) from last season, Gervais volleyball coach Becky Miller feels her team can sneak into contention in the West Valley League.

“Our league is tough — the hardest in the state, obviously. Nothing’s changed there,” Miller said. “Our goal every year is to make it to the league playoffs. That’s the minimum every year. … Then we go from there and take it one game at a time. I think, though, we’re going to be a little bit of a darkhorse this year.”

Last year, Gervais finished in fourth place in the West Valley League, with a record of 8-6 (9-10-1 overall) and lost in the first round of the league playoffs. The reason for Miller’s excitement this year is a solid core of returning players who have stepped up their game, and attitudes over the offseason.

“I can’t use the excuse that we’re young anymore, even though it feels like they are young,” she said. “They went to a team camp and I can’t believe the difference in them. It’s like you could see the growth from underclassman to upperclassman before your eyes.”

Returning players with varsity experience are seniors Daisy Martinez (setter) and Adriana Gonzalez (outside hitter) along with juniors Gabby Stricker (middle blocker), Riley Rush (outside hitter), Sam Jackson (middle blocker) and Maddy Bowman (setter).

Senior Jessica Trevino (defensive specialist) returns after taking last year off. Rounding out the varsity squad is sophomore outside hitter Jessie Rush.

Miller said this group has bought into what she’s been trying to teach this year.

“Everyone has taken a no-lose attitude this year,” Miller said. “There’s no try — it’s either they do it, or they don’t. They’re buying into taking responsibility for their actions and team camp really hit it home for them.”

When the Lady Cats line up against their opponents this season, chances are they will be the smallest team on the court every match.

“We’re going to have to be a scrappy team. We average about 5-foot-5 and our tallest player is 5-9,” Miller said. “They know there is no other option because we are out-heighted by every other team in the league.”

This is Miller’s ninth year in the program and fifth overall has head coach. She took a two-year sabbatical during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. She said each year she dreads the first match, but this season feels different.

“I’m usually uneasy as the first game comes, but I feel like we’re game-ready now,” Miller said. “The girls have put more priority on this year than last year early on. It feels like we’re a third of the way into the season.”

One reason, Miller said, that the girls have put in so much effort (they had over 20 girls out for each open gym during the summer) is budget cuts have forced the school to not have a JV2 team.

“They knew if they wanted to play, they would have to work hard because of the potential of cuts,” she said. “The emphasis has been, since day one, that they were going to have to work harder.”

Gervais opens the season with a jamboree at Damascus Christian on Sept. 12, followed by the first league match against Dayton, Sept. 14.

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