By Raenelle Kwock

Observer Staff Writer

COVE The defending Class 1A state volleyball champions expect to return to the top in 2002.

The Cove Leopards will be led by five seniors Old Oregon League first-team selections Kelcie Robinson (middle hitter), Lisa Scheele (setter), and Melissa Smith (defensive specialist/outside hitter); and OOL second-team outside hitter Amy Puckett and OOL honorable mention middle hitter/setter Kathy Mann.

Other returnees are junior setter Jessica Johnson, junior middle hitter Jeneal Gugin and sophomore middle hitter Ashley Holland.

Sophomore Jessica Cain (defensive specialist/outside hitter) is new this season. Freshmen Kara Mann (setter) and Julia Scheele (defensive specialist) are also on the varsity squad.

"This year we want to pick up where we left off," Lisa Scheele said. "We want to be the best as we can be."

Kathy Mann said "team unity" was important last year when Cove made its state championship run.

"It’s really working," she said as the team continues that theme this season.

Puckett said rally scoring, a change this season, is not that bad.

"I think it will be harder," she said. "I think I like it."

In rally scoring, there are no side outs. A team must win three of five sets.

Smith is excited to play against new OOL team Wallowa. Wallowa dropped down from the Wapiti League, where it won the league tournament last year.

"I’m real confident about the team this year and how we’re playing," Robinson said.

Head coach Kim Tally said the net serve, another rule change this season, lowers the skill and experience of a player.

"I don’t like that at all," she said.

A serve can now touch the top of the net before it reaches the other side.

Rally scoring will be hard for her to accept as a coach, since she tells her girls to take risks in hopes of getting the side back in order to score a point.

"I’m confident the girls will take whatever changes there are and work with them," she said.

Cove will host Ione Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.

Powder hopes to stay at top of league

First-year Powder Valley volleyball head coach Molly Smith is excited.

"I’m hoping to be at the top," she said, and in the "top three."

The Powder Valley Badgers tied Cove last year with a 9-1 record in the Old Oregon League. In the state tournament, Powder Valley was the runner-up to 1A state champion Cove.

Smith is counting down the days until Powder Valley’s first home game against Cove, Sept. 20.

"I’m looking forward to that," Smith said.

She hopes it will be a "bang-up time in the gym."

"We’re a real scrappy team, so that’s to our advantage," she said.

Smith said the team is versatile and tall.

Freshman front row middle blocker Kali Miller is 5 feet, 11 inches.

Junior 5-foot-8-inch Shauna Nelson is "pretty versatile," Smith said.

Nelson can set and can leap, she said.

Junior right side hitter Lacey Lyman is also versatile, Smith said. Senior outside hitter Jenny Dayhoff has a "pretty good hit," she said.

All-league second-team junior Joelle Bain (5-foot-8 outside hitter/back row) is "great all the way around," she said.

Juniors Kristin Bowman (back row) and Sabrina Rich (5-foot-8 middle blocker) will play on the JV and varsity teams. Senior Keisha Hall (back row) will also play JV and varsity.

Smith said Rich is "pretty aggressive on the front line."

All-league second-team senior setter Chelsi Pedro is back. Junior Heather Tittle is another setter.

Freshman Hailee Bingham can pass, hit and serve, Smith said.

Powder Valley will travel Sept. 7 to a tournament in Echo.

Wallowa joins already strong conference

There will be a new wrinkle in Old Oregon League volleyball competition this season Wallowa High School.

The Wallowa Cougars captured the Wapiti League title and went on to finish eighth in the Class 2A state tournament last year.

Head coach Terri Wilson said her players are looking forward to returning to the Old Oregon.

"They are excited about the new challenge," she said. "We just don’t look forward to the long road trips."

Four starters are back from last year’s (12-2) team senior outside hitters Juliann Snyder and Holli Barton, all-league first team senior setter Amanda Wilson and junior outside hitter Lynique Oveson.

There are eight other girls on varsity seniors Tasha Schacher (middle blocker), Sandra Deal (defensive specialist), Michelle Odegaard (defensive specialist) and middle blocker Sarah Bomberger, a transfer from Union; and juniors Megan McLain (middle blocker), Amber Josi (outside hitter), Mysha Oveson (defensive specialist) and setter Katie Sturtevant, a transfer from Idaho.

Bomberger was a second-team all-Wapiti League player last season.

Coach Wilson said two significant new rules this season rally scoring and net serve change the game.

In rally scoring, there are no side outs. A team must win three of five sets.

"I think part of the reason behind it (rally scoring) was to speed up the game," she said. "I don’t think that will happen."

Also, a serve can now touch the top of the net before it reaches the other side.

At camp this summer, the team played with the net serve, so Wilson said the girls are more comfortable with it.

Overall, Wilson said the team is "much stronger than we were last year."

"Right now, they’re all looking good," she said. "We’re just trying to work out some bugs, and we’re excited to get out there and play."

Wallowa hosts Harper and Huntington at 4 p.m. today.