Anyone trying to start a volleyball team in Lewis County would have a tough choice for their first pick.
Mossyrock’s Paige Moorcroft and Napavine’s Mollie Olson, though, would be the frontrunners — and the 2B standouts shared the honors this year as The Chronicle’s All-Area Volleyball MVPs.
Moorcroft was a key component for the Vikings’ second-place finish at the State 2B tournament, the highest finish in school history. For the season, she served 90 percent with 43 aces, while recording 257 kills, 98 digs and 70 blocks.
“All season long, she was our kill leader. Not only one of our kill leaders, she limited her errors and at the net, was our strongest player,” Mossyrock coach Alex Nelson said of the junior outside hitter. “She was a good leader all throughout the year and we set that role early on. That was our thing for the season, small town big dreams, she was one that reminded the team. She was positive all season long and made sure the girls were disciplined.”
Olson was the leader of a Napavine team that finished fourth at the State 2B tournament, also the highest in school history. Olson recorded a 92.5 serve percentage with 109 aces. She also recorded 218 digs, 429 kills and 67 block-kills, along with her second-straight Central 2B League MVP award.
“She’s a huge factor in our team chemistry and dynamics. In tight situations, we try to get the ball to her,” Napavine coach Monica Dailey said. “She’s probably our most consistent player outside of Jordin in being able to put the ball away and she’s a serious competitor.”
Moorcroft couldn’t have earned a second place finish by herself, and two of her teammates, Ava Nelson and Jamie Carlson, also made the All-Area team. Nelson, a junior setter, served 94 percent with 74 aces to go along with 670 assists, 191 digs, 75 kills and 37 blocks.
“The setter is akin to the quarterback, although they don’t get quite the recognition. She does a good job with that,” Alex Nelson said. “We run a lot of different sets. She has great accuracy. One of the strongest in the league.”
Carlson, a junior libero, served 87 percent with 29 aces and added 485 digs, 310 three-passes and 38 assists.
“She’s very quiet, probably the hardest working girl on the team and does those deductions in her head,” Nelson said. “She’s a smart girl and takes all of her knowledge to get in the right place. She pays attention to the angle that they are attacking or contacting the ball to put yourself in the right place. No one that does it better on our team.”
Another Napavine Tiger made the All-Area team as senior Jordin Pruett cracked the list. Pruett, an outside hitter, served 91.6 percent with 66 aces. She tallied 339 digs, 277 kills and 24 blocks.
“She has been in our program since fourth grade, and she’s always been a player that’s stood out,” Dailey said. “One thing going for her is she’s very knowledgable about the game and a strategic player. She gets overlooked a lot, I think team’s woke up and saw the threat she was for us this season.”
The Evergreen 2A Conference was represented by both a Tiger and a Bearcat. Centralia senior Kary Sathre made the team, recording 206 kills, 67 aces and two digs per set. She is third all-time on the Centralia Tigers’ kill list.
“She’s a smooth, explosive hitter and a great server and defender. It’s going to be tough to fill her shoes,” Centralia coach Neil Sharp said.
W.F. West’s Makenzie Moore made the team as well. A sophomore outside hitter, W.F. West coach Emily Damschen said she moved her to outside during the season because of her ability to hit a nasty ball and shut down opposing team’s big hitters.
“Next year she’ll have an even stronger role and a go to as a physical presence,” Damschen said. “She’s dedicated to volleyball. She’ll be traveling quite a bit with the Cowlitz County Volleyball Club and do some big tournaments. She gets it done in the classroom and she’ll do anything we ask her to which is fantastic.”
