LA GRANDE — For some who took part in the OACA all-star volleyball match at Eastern Oregon University Saturday, June 24, it was a chance to get on the court one more time. For others, it was a brief stop before embarking on the start of their collegiate careers.

For three of the athletes in that second path, the match was their first unofficial contests on their home court of the future as they are set to join the EOU volleyball program this fall.

“It (the game) gets a lot faster and more competitive (in college), so games like this are really good to start honing your skills in the summer before heading over to college, meeting new people, and learning to mesh with people quickly,” said recent Ridgeview High School graduate Madie Vaughn. “That’s a really important skill to have.”

Vaughn, Crook County’s McKenzie Jonas and Tualatin’s Sophie Fast were all in action at Quinn Coliseum, giving EOU fans in attendance a bit of a taste of what they’ll bring to the program.

The 35 athletes from across Oregon who came to play Saturday were split into four teams and had just one practice — Friday evening — to try and mesh before taking the court.

Fast and Jonas were paired on a team and played alongside Powder Valley graduate Dallee Bingham, getting their first chance to work on the connection they hope to grow in the coming years.

“I feel like every time I come back here and visit it makes me more excited for the next four years,” Fast, a setter, said. “It’s really fun. I feel like we already have a really good connection on and off the court, so it’s really fun to play in not as serious (of a) game with (Jonas).”

Jonas, a middle hitter, said it was fun to get a small sense of playing at Quinn Coliseum, and enjoyed playing with and against future teammates.

“It was just really exciting to play on the court we’re going to get to play on for the next however many years,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of connection already, and it was even fun to be on the other side of the net (from) Madie.”

Vaughn, whose team earned a win in its first match — against the team of Fast and Jonas — is an outside hitter, and in the title match later Saturday stood out in what became a bit of a slugfest between her and Isabelle Gamache, a Monroe outside hitter set to join the University of Oregon volleyball program.

“That was so much fun,” Vaughn said, even though Gamache’s team won in three sets. “It’s very competitive. I love being able to play against big hitters like her. I love getting pushed. I think it was a really great experience, because we’ll be seeing a lot more of that at the next level.”

Jonas showed her defensive ability at the net in the third-place match, getting several blocks in just a two-set contest, while Fast displayed her abilities at setter.

Bingham, one of two Union County athletes to take part in the event along with La Grande’s Ari Meyer, said it was fun playing with athletes in a similar spot at, as she put it, at the “end of an era.”

“It’s hard to only have one practice and then come together and play a game, but it’s cool to see people kind of adjust and work together, and how encouraging everyone is,” she said. “It’s a very good environment. I think it’s cool for all different schools, sizes of schools and places to come together, and just have a good time.”

Meyer said she was glad to step on the court “one more time.” And meshing in one practice, while somewhat difficult, was easier because each athlete there had a common objective, she said.

“I think it’s because we all came in, we all know how to play volleyball,” she said. “It’s not just a bunch of random girls that have never played volleyball, so that’s the thing we all had in common is volleyball and it was our senior year, so we all wanted to end it with a bang.”