Wednesday Match to Watch: Rogers vs Mt. Rainier

<p>It’s that time of the year again! The high school volleyball season has just started in the state of Washington and we can’t wait to see all the exciting prospects of the Evergreen State in action once again.</p> <p>The first week of competition will bring a handful of can’t-miss matches and as we understand it’s a lot to process, especially with two seasons separated by just a few months, we’ll recommend one match for you to follow every day until Wednesday, highlighting the teams involved and their most exciting prospects.</p> <p>Here’s out match to watch for Wednesday, September 8:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rogers vs Mt. Rainier – 7.15pm</strong></p> <p>Representing the Rogers High School out of Puyallup, the Rams ended last season even, with seven wins and seven losses. This year, the team coached by Kelly Kim will try to improve from its most recent fifth-place at the 4A South Puget Sound District. Some adjustments will be needed on the backcourt with the graduation of standout libero Sadie Alsup, but the Rams have a lot of firepower at the net to compensate it.</p> <p>Also nicknamed the Rams, the team from the Mt. Rainier High School from Des Moines is coming of a shortened season in which they won five and lost three matches. Set to compete in the 3A/4A N. Puget Sound (Olympic) District, the squad led by head coach Pat Taitano will be able to return nearly the same roster of last season, with just two senior graduating this summer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – Rogers</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97141" first="Kiauna" last="Mack"] – Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker – Club: North Pacific Juniors - 2022</strong></p> <p>A physical, 6’2” player, [player_tooltip player_id="97141" first="Kiauna" last="Mack"] can be used in the middle or at the pin but wherever she is, she’ll bring power to the game. Mack is a lethal hitter because of her tremendous reach and ability to identify open spots in the opponents’ court. She’s heavily involved in anything the Rams do and last year led the team in kills (152), ranked second in aces (14) and blocks (24) and third in digs (96) and passes (101).</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ZsquCNGVr4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Roslyn Zentz – Setter – Club: Puget Sound Volleyball Academy - 2022</strong></p> <p>A creative and reliable setter, Roslyn Zentz is tasked with running Rogers’ offense and does a great job with that. She excels in her ball distribution and is extremely consistent with the location of her sets, always putting her hitters in position to score. The 5’7” Zentz did really well last season, registering 368 assists (8.4 per set) and surprisingly ranking third in blocks in the team, with 15.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R4CYqNfPtWc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – Mt. Rainier</strong></p> <p><strong>Adrianna Taliloa – Middle Blocker – Club: North Pacific Juniors – 2023</strong></p> <p>A 6’1” middle blocker, Adrianna ‘Anna’ Taliloa provides a physical presence at the net for Mt. Rainier. The middle blocker pairing formed by fellow class of 2023 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="97202" first="Briseis" last="Lemafa"] and her is one of the strengths of the Rams as both players are capable of controlling the net on offense and with their blocking.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97299" first="Celia" last="Dowell"] – Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist – Puget Sound Volleyball Academy – 2023</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="97299" first="Celia" last="Dowell"] is a skilled player who can wear a lot of hats for Mt. Rainier. She’s mostly used as an outside hitter, where her superior technical skills in passing and defense prove pivotal to the team’s playing system. Also a top-tier beach volleyball player, the 5’7” has on the defensive side of her game her main strength.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q2X4Un8e7wI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>