Rochester senior Kortney Kerbaugh drives to the basket during a game against Tenino on Dec. 12, 2019.
Rochester senior Lexie Jones-Sederberg recorded nine double-doubles for the Warriors this season.
Rochester senior Kortney Kerbaugh averaged 7.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and three steals for the Warrirors this season.
Centralia College women’s basketball picked up two more local recruits after recently signing Rochester seniors Lexie Jones-Sederberg and Kortney Kerbaugh.
The Rochester pair helped the Warriors to a winning season with an 11-10 record and a district playoff pigtail berth this past winter. Rochester coach Davina Serdahl is already excited about seeing them play at the next level for Trailblazers’ coach Caleb Sells.
Jones-Sederberg and Kerbaugh are joining a Centralia team that captured the Northwest Athletic Conference West Region after tallying a 21-7 record that included a 14-game win streak The Blazers finished with a perfect 14-0 league record and one of four No. 1 seeds at the NWAC tourney that was canceled in March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
“Caleb’s going to do a great job with them,” Serdahl said. “I think it will be a great fit for them. They’re going to work on strength and upper body and I think that’s going to help their game.”
Kortney Kerbaugh
Kerbaugh’s path to success has been a unique one. She transferred to Rochester her junior year after lettering in basketball, softball and volleyball her freshman and junior years at North Thurston High School. She was unable to play varsity her junior year at Rochester due to transfer rules and spent the year on junior varsity.
Going from a varsity starter to JV was tough, but instead of moping about something she had no control over, she turned it into a building experience. She learned communication, leadership and patience while developing friendships with the entire basketball program; more than she would have by just playing varsity.
“How much I grew as not only a player as a person from experiencing that lower level, I would not trade it to be able to play varsity,” Kerbaugh said.
When she did finally reach varsity this past year, the 5-foot-11 post was a force under the basket and defensively for the Warriors, averaging 7.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and three steals.
“She’s that player that’s just a workhorse and does all the little things,” Serdahl said. “Great rebounder, great hustler, diving after balls. Real vocal on and off the court. Just a great kid.”
Kerbaugh had a few options to play at the next level: Centralia, South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia and Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. It was no easy decision for the Running Start student who’s already almost finished with her AA prerequisites. She made a pros and cons list, prayed about it and examined every possible avenue.
She eventually chose Centralia, and not just because of the Trailblazers’ dominating the West Region in basketball this past year.
“That isn’t what ultimately made me make my decision,” Kerbaugh said. “It was the coaching style, the way the program works and I’m already established into Centralia because of Running Start.”
She is currently enrolled in Centralia College’s Nursing Assistant-Certified program with her sister and has mapped out a two-year plan for classes so she doesn’t have to balance the nursing program with basketball. Eventually, she plans to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at a university and become a registered nurse.
“I’m trying to get ahead as much as I can,” Kerbaugh said.
It also helps that current teammate Jones-Sederberg also signed with the Blazers. The two have played on the same AAU team the last couple years and Kerbaugh is looking to build on their relationship.
“I’m so excited to play with Lexie,” Kerbaugh said. “I feel like we have a really good chemistry on the court, good communication with each other and she’s a good friend of mine, so I’m really excited to continue playing with her.”
Lexie Jones-Sederberg
Jones-Sederberg, a four-year starter, spent the bulk of her high school career as the Warriors starting point guard and primary ballhandler. It wasn’t until the summer before her senior year during the 2019-20 season that she saw her potential playing off the ball.
Teammate Kerbaugh was nursing an injury and the guard-heavy Warriors needed a boost in the post, so coach Serdahl asked Jones-Sederberg if she wanted to give it a shot. She jumped at the opportunity. Literally.
Jones-Sederberg’s athleticism, leaping ability and rebounding ability impressed Serdahl so much that the coach would plug the 5-foot-8 guard into the post whenever the Warriors bigs were in foul trouble during the regular season.
“She has a knack for getting the ball inside and rebounding,” Serdahl said. “She really loved playing post. She didn’t have a lot of mass to her, but she can jump. She’s a leaper.”
Jones-Sederberg ended up leading the Warriors in rebounding more than a few times and recorded nine double-doubles on the season. She averaged 12 points, a team second-best eight rebounds, three assists and three steals per game.
“Probably one of the quietest kids I’ve worked with,” Serdahl said. “But her work ethic and her actions on the court really inspired others around her to work harder. I can foresee her at the next level moving maybe to a wing.”
It’s a move that Jones-Sederberg is looking forward to making in college, as well, especially after spending time playing shooting guard and small forward her senior year. But even just making it to the next level is a dream come true for Jones-Sederberg.
“I’m actually really excited about it because it’s something I never thought I’d be able to do,” Jones-Sederberg said. “And it’s really close to home so I can still live at home and see my family, but I get to continue doing the thing that I love, too.”
Choosing Centralia College was easy, said Jones-Sederberg, who was in Running Start at the college this past year. She plans to enter the nursing program and eventually become either a pediatric nurse or a substance abuse nurse.
“It’s something close to my heart that I really want to pursue,” Jones-Sederberg said.
It also helped that the Trailblazer had a successful season. She only knows Kerbaugh and Centralia High School senior Carissa Kaut, who also recently signed with the Blazers.
“I’m excited to grow as a player and meet new people,” Jones-Sederberg said. “I feel like this team is really going to help me grow as a player and a person. I really liked Caleb and I liked his personality when we talked. He’s a really great coach.”
Though the Warriors weren’t always a powerhouse in Jones-Sederberg’s four years on a team, it taught her how to handle adversity and it’s a trait she’s bringing with her to Centralia.
“Something I’ve learned from that is pushing and playing, no matter what the score is,” Jones-Sederberg said. “For Centralia, I’m going to bring a good attitude, no matter what the outcome and score is, and I’m going to do it 100 percent.”
