Committed to improvement
Quincy High School volleyball players return the ball under the watchful eye of Coach Dean Pratt during practice Friday.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
A Quincy volleyball player goes low to make the return during Friday’s practice. Quincy starts its 2022 volleyball season this week.
A Quincy player keeps the ball in play during practice Friday. The team is looking to build on the experience gained in 2021.
A setter places the ball during Quincy High School volleyball practice Friday.
QUINCY — A challenging 2021 season is expected to yield some dividends for the Quincy High School volleyball team in 2022.
“They’re a good group of kids,” Jacks Coach Dean Pratt said. “They don’t stop learning and they don’t stop competing.”
Quincy started five freshmen and one sophomore in 2021, and Pratt said the inexperience showed. The Jacks finished 0-8 in the Caribou Trail League and 0-15 for the season.
“We had a tough year last year,” he said.
Pratt said the volleyball players remained - and remain - committed to improvement, even in the face of a rocky season.
Most Quincy players hadn’t played in the offseason previously, he said, and the COVID-19 pandemic meant there were fewer offseason opportunities to begin with for a couple of years. Quincy gained a year of game experience during the 2021 season, however, and many of the QHS players were part of an off-season U-16 team. Pratt said he coached the U-16 team, and its players were competitive with others in the U-16 league.
With the hard-won experience from last season and the extra play in the offseason, Pratt said the team’s goal is to be competitive in the Caribou Trail League in 2022. Setter Shea Heikes returns for her sophomore season; she was all-league as a freshman. Outside hitter Jaydin Nellis also returns for the Jacks. Three starters return to fill the back row on defense.
Quincy opened its season with a home match Tuesday against Othello and will play Wahluke High School, Mattawa, at home Thursday. The team’s first five matches are at home, including a match with 2A Ephrata and the conference season opener with Cashmere.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.
Jacks Girls Volleyball
Sep 6, 6:30 PM, vs Othello
Sep 8, 6:30 PM, vs Wahluke
Sep 13, 6:30 PM, vs Ephrata
Sep 14, 6:30 PM, vs Cashmere
Sep 15, 6:30 PM, vs Naches Valley
Sep 22, 6:30 PM, @ Warden
Sep 24, 8:00 AM, vs Brewster
Sep 27, 6:30 PM, vs Chelan
Sep 29, 6:30 PM, @ Cascade
Oct 1, 11:00 AM, vs Mabton
Oct 4, 6:30 PM, vs Omak
Oct 6, 6:30 PM, @ Cashmere
Oct 13, 6:30 PM, @ Chelan
Oct 18, 6:30 PM, vs Cascade
Oct 20, 6:30 PM, @ Omak
Oct 22, 6:30 PM, @ Royal
