This time last fall, the Centralia College volleyball team was 1-14 and in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
The Trailblazers have grown a lot under second-year coach Ceanna Larson-Michalek since then, and on Wednesday, they swept Green River 25-16, 25-13, 25-20 to improve to 10-7 and open NWAC play with a victory.
“We’re worlds different than we were last year,” Larson-Michalek said, noting that last season, some girls had to move around and fill in where they were needed rather than where they could excel.
“With a full roster, I think our kids are able to shine in the positions they’re best in,” she continued. “They did a great job stepping up and owning (different) roles last year, but now they get to highlight how good they are in what they specialize in.”
CC’s stars showed up in a big way against Green River. Paige Miller tallied 15 kills, upping her NWAC-leading total to 287, and she also added six digs and a pair of blocks.
Analiese Martin, the NWAC West Player of the Week last week, added seven kills herself, while Morgan Rogerson added nine. Setter Avery Starr dished out 29 assists while also logging nine digs and two kills.
“I’m really proud of our team,” Larson-Michalek said. “We had another opportunity to show how much depth we had on our bench, and we were still able to pull it off in three.”
Centralia was in control nearly the whole way, taking an 18-10 lead in the first set with a 13-4 run. After Green River scored four straight points to cut the deficit in half, Centralia finished the set on a 7-2 run.
The Gators got the first two points of the second set, but the Trailblazers rattled off an 8-1 run and maintained that lead to take a 2-0 lead. The third and final set was the closest, as it was tied 17, but again, CC pulled away.
With the win, the Trailblazers have already matched their win total in NWAC play from last season.
Over the course of the preseason this season, Centralia was tested. The Trailblazers faced Yakima Valley, Bellevue, and Skagit Valley twice. All three of those teams made the NWAC Elite Eight last season.
“We played a lot of tough teams,” Larson-Michalek said. “We were able to get some wins and play to five sets, so I’m confident rolling into conference play.”
The Trailblazers (10-7, 1-0 NWAC) will look to push their winning streak to three on Friday, when they head south to take on LCC at Myklebust Gymnasium.
“I’m excited to see what that looks like,” Larson-Michalek said. “It’ll be tough being in their gym, but we’re ready.”
Women’s soccer dominates against SPSCC
The Centralia College women’s soccer team bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 4-0 win against South Puget Sound on Wednesday in Lacey.
Maylania Mikaele opened the scoring almost instantly, as she found the back of the net in just the second minute. Allison Ingham scored 10 minutes later off an Ajae Bellison assist to double the CC advantage.
Mikaele scored again in the 33rd minute, and Elli Capps converted off a pass from Rubi Serrato to make it 4-0 in the 79th minute.
After a 10-day break, CC (6-1, 2-1 NWAC) will hit the road again to face LCC on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Men’s soccer earns a draw in Oregon
The Centralia College men’s soccer team headed south on Wednesday, and it came home with a 1-1 draw against Chemeketa.
Carlos Angel Hernandez got CC on the board in the sixth minute, but Chemeketa was able to even the score in the 60th minute.
The Trailblazers (1-6-2, 1-2 NWAC) will return home on Saturday, when they’ll host Southwestern Oregon in an NWAC matchup.
