Big Bend Vikings advance to semifinals of Highline Fall Classic

DES MOINES - Big Bend volleyball took its first step toward the playoffs this past weekend, beginning the season at the Highline Fall Classic.

The Vikings were the top seed out of Pool B after beating Treasure Valley (25-15, 25-17) and Green River (25-27, 25-18, 15-10).

Southwest Oregon was able to down Big Bend in three games (25-27, 25-21, 17-15) in the final match of pool play, however, the Vikings advanced to face Umpqua in bracket play.

Big Bend handled Umpqua in the first round (25-15, 25-19) before falling in the semifinals in a rematch against Green River (16-25, 25-23, 15-12).

Big Bend finished the tournament in third place and head coach Steve Duncan was encouraged with how his team looked in its first competitive action.

"I'm extremely pleased with where we are at this point," he said. "We've only had pretty much two weeks together as a team working on the things that we need to be working on and I feel like we're progressing nicely."

Sophomore outside hitter Whitney Southam was named to the tournament all-star team. Last season, Southam had the third most kills among freshmen for Big Bend with 58. Only Payton Clark and Shania Bateman recorded more.

"(Southam) played amazing," Duncan said. "She really stepped up her game and the biggest thing that I saw was that she was consistent.

"She was somebody who our setter could go to on a regular basis and she would do something well with the ball. It may not have been a kill every single time, but she did something good with the ball that put the other team's defense on their feet."

Big Bend will travel to the Spokane Invitational at Spokane Falls Community College Sept. 5. The Vikings will open the tournament against East powerhouse Spokane - who finished second in the region to eventual NWAC champion Blue Mountain a season ago.

"I think we can compete with them," Duncan said. "Like I said, we're improving every single day and if we're working harder during every practice then those other East region teams like Spokane, like Blue Mountain then we're going to come out on top. I'm a big advocate of putting in the work and really reaping the benefits of that."

With region play starting Sept. 17 at home against Spokane, Duncan wants his team to develop some consistency and a team identity over the weekend.

"We're getting very, very close," he said. "We're on the brink and I want us to break through this weekend. I really want us to find ourselves and be fluent and be in good transition every single time that the ball comes over the net."