Spartans also make All-Metro team for standout play this season.
Though the Bainbridge volleyball team didn’t make the state playoffs for a sixth consecutive year, they still had a solid season with double-digit wins and standout play from a variety of players.
For their efforts this season, three players made the All-Metro team.
Four players also made the All-Kitsap County team, as were compiled by the sports writers for the Bainbridge Island Review, the Bremerton Patriot, the Central Kitsap Reporter, the North Kitsap Herald and the Port Orchard Independent.
Candidates for the team are nominated by the writers for their respective areas. The nominees are then voted on by the writers, with the top vote-getters making the teams.
Two honorable mentions are selected from each school for each sport.
The teams include the best players from area schools who not only performed well individually, but played a role in the success of their team.
The starters
Outside hitter – Jessica Ouellet, North Kitsap, senior – Ouellet finished her senior year with a team-high 138 kills, 151 digs and 45 aces from her outside hitter position for the Vikings.
Her ability was evident in nearly every contest this season. Whenever North needed a point, they put the ball in Ouellet’s hands.
Ouellet was a major reason why the Vikings won nine regular season games this year.
“Jessica is powerful and hits the ball hard,” Vikings coach Tim French said in an early season match. “Her game is well rounded and she’s a leader.”
Outside hitter – Megan Morris, King’s West, senior – Morris led the Warriors in attack kills this season with 203, remaining steady during a season where injuries hurt the team.
Morris was one of the many King’s West players to hit a staggeringly high serve percentage as well, adding 57 blocks and 66 digs.
Outside hitter/middle blocker – Kelcey Dunaway, Bainbridge, senior – Dunaway, a co-captain for the Spartans, continued with the tradition of talented players at Bainbridge as she posted a stellar statistical line of 328 kills, 261 digs, 84 blocks and 48 aces this season.
Ranked as one of the top seniors in the nation, she was consistent in her efforts no matter where she played as she led the Spartans back to the district tournament.
Dunaway will continue her volleyball career at the University of Washington next fall.
She was named to the All-Metro Mountain Division first team and earned a spot on the Seattle Times’ all-star team.
Middle blocker – Tara Patton, Central Kitsap, junior – Patton was the best of CK’s attackers, pounding out 233 kills with 62 blocks.
But Patton, who should continue to grow as a weapon next season, could also serve it up, netting 75 aces this season.
Libero – Reese Dever, Central Kitsap, senior – Rarely do liberos get the recognition Theresia “Reese” Dever has received.
An extremely agile and athletic player, Dever posed a big threat to opposing teams, serving up 86 aces with 65 kills.
But her true skill was getting to anything and everything playable on the court, as Dever kept CK alive with her stellar defense, recording 762 digs.
Libero – Irene Moore, King’s West, junior – Moore threw big numbers across the line with 358 assists, 186 digs and a stinging 81 aces.
She was a big reason why King’s West was able to advance to the state tournament for the first time in school history.
Setter – Amy Spieker, Central Kitsap, senior – The impact Spieker had on CK’s volleyball team this season can be said plainly enough: she leaves with her name placed among the top setters in its history.
Spieker set the new school single-season assist record, dishing out 806 this year. She also fired 56 aces while recording 240 digs.
Setter – Chelsea Bell, Bainbridge, senior – Bell filled the shoes of former setter and two-year starter Ally Post admirably, as she registered 559 assists for the Spartans this season.
She also had 147 digs and 24 aces.
Coach of the year – Gordy Bushaw, Central Kitsap – While Bushaw’s Cougars (11-3) would have liked to advance back to state a year after claiming a trophy, the team’s accomplishments in the face of losing key seniors – especially on the offensive side of the ball – it was yet another testament to Bushaw’s tutelage that CK was able to overcome inconsistencies during the season to advance within a game of a state return.
Now, CK will again lose key seniors, but undoubtedly, with Bushaw at the helm, the Cougars will be able to fill those spots just fine.
Also stellar
Libero – Hillary Grant, Bainbridge, senior – Grant, a co-captain for the Spartans, always put her best out on the court for the team as their starting libero for the past three years, posting a stat line of 353 digs and 32 aces this season.
She also provided an emotional spark when it was needed.
Grant was an All-Metro Mountain Division honorable mention.
Setter – Amy Cox, North Kitsap, senior – Every team needs a player who doesn’t worry about the stats and just does their job.
Cox – at 5-2 – filled that role for the Vikings in 2007.
She was responsible for setting up spikers Jessica Ouellet, Sara Jo Barrett, Cristina Rose and Taylor Ottomano for kills high above the net, finishing with a team-high 309 assists for the Vikings.
Outside hitter – Stephanie Eadie, Kingston, senior – The Buccaneers may only have won one contest this season, but Eadie, a vocal leader for the team, did her best to make sure her team competed night in and night out.
She finished with the third most kills on the team (37 kills) and led her squad on and off the court.
The leadership paid off in the final regular-season game when Kingston defeated Klahowya 3-1 for not only its first win of the season, but the first volleyball win in school history.
Middle blocker – Lauren Forney, Central Kitsap, senior – Forney was one player CK needed to step up this season.
More often than not, she was able to answer that call, recording 186 kills and 53 blocks.
Setter – Jessica Wilson, Klahowya, senior – Wilson was a leader for a young Eagles team that continued to make strides throughout the season.
While she dished out just 88 assists, Wilson kept Klahowya close with 107 digs and 35 aces.
Outside hitter – Megan Rainey, Olympic, junior – Rainey was one of the most experienced players on a young Trojan team that advanced to districts and will lose no one to graduation.
The team leader in kills, the Trojans’ top outside hitter should continue to grow as its top offensive threat.
Middle blocker – Megan Spence, King’s West, senior – Despite missing several weeks with injured landing gear, Spence still topped the 100-kill mark with 101, adding 41 blocks, 63 digs and 28 aces.
Outside hitter – Nica Ogazi, Bremerton, senior – Tall and angular, Ogazi is a surprisingly nimble player, as she is just as often diving for a dig as she is lining up a cross-court slam.
Ogazi’s net play is strong too, as she posted more blocks for kills than many outside hitters record in attacks.
Middle hitter – Stephanie Osterdahl, South Kitsap, junior – Coach Jessica Anderson called her the best player on the team in an otherwise forgettable season for the Wolves, who finished with a 4-12 record.
She had 14 kills in a five-game loss Oct. 11 against North Kitsap.
“She’s a consistent player that always has an upbeat attitude,” Anderson said.
Outside hitter – Emily Donohue, Bainbridge – The junior did her part to fill the holes of some talented seniors lost to graduation, putting up a stat line of 127 kills, 139 digs, 19 blocks and 30 aces.
She’ll be one of the main returners for the Spartans next season along with Janna Russell, Dominque Atherley and Heather Schneider.
Donohue was a All-Metro Mountain Division honorable mention.
Middle blocker – Sara Jo Barrett, North Kitsap, senior – Barret was one of the Vikings go-to players throughout the year, doing her best impersonation of a brick wall at the net and coming up with timely blocks.
This was especially the case in a hard fought 3-2 victory against Stadium in October when she had the game winning block to preserve the victory.
“I was just trying to smash her at the end,” she said. “It was a good ending for us. I didn’t want the match to go any further.”
Middle blocker – Joi Niemeyer, Kingston, senior – The tallest player for the Buccaneers at 5-10, Niemeyer had an incredible 37 blocks at the net for the first year school.
Her height and springy jumping ability resulted in Niemeyer compiling 43 kills in 2007.
Outside hitter – Katrina Hill, Central Kitsap, senior – After a junior season severely sidetracked by injuries, Hill was able to return to the court full-time for the Cougars in her senior campaign.
Hill made the most of her final year, recording 128 kills and 33 aces while helping CK deep into districts.
Outside hitter – Rachael Beierle, Klahowya, senior – Another senior on a young squad, Beierle led the Eagles with 39 kills, adding 62 digs defensively for Klahowya.
Setter – Amy Stone, Olympic, sophomore – Stone helped lead a young Olympic team from the setter spot, leading the team in assists but proving versatile by finishing third on the team in kills and second in digs.
Coach Keith Peden called her the team’s most well-rounded player, as she also fulfilled the role of captain while on the court all season.
Outside hitter – Hannah Fontenot, King’s West, junior – The kid has a canon of a serve, frustrating opponents with 107 aces.
Fontenot also fired 86 kills this year while adding 54 digs.
Setter – Cortney Echternach, South Kitsap, junior – The Wolves’ primary setter had perhaps her best performance in a five-game loss Sept. 26 against Gig Harbor, when she had 20 assists and five digs.
“She is determined to be that primary position as a setter and always gets that second ball,” Anderson said.
