Spotlight on the 5A State Finals: Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Saturday, November 9th, the South Albany RedHawks notched the school's first 5A state title, the first in any sport. Defeating the two-time defending state champs Crescent Valley 25-04, 25-18, 25-19, the three-set finals saw a dominant performance from the RedHawks. Although the Raiders made steady progress, improving their score with each set, they struggled to compete with the RedHawks' offensive strength due to the absence of senior captains and outside hitters [player_tooltip player_id='161821' first='Isabella' last='C Jacobson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='161832' first='Vivian' last='Buford'], both sidelined by injuries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While South Albany came out on top, some standout performances from both the RedHawks and Raiders deserve to be recognized.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>From State Champions, the South Albany Redhawks:&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='161826' first='Taelyn' last='Bentley'] - Moda Health Player of the Match&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bentley, a transfer from Crescent Valley, had a dominant season for the RedHawks that concluded with an incredibly dominant final match. The senior middle blocker was unstoppable on the attack. With the third most sets on the team, behind their outside hitters, Bentley was fed the ball 20 times, which for a middle is almost unheard of. Of those 20 swings, 12 resulted in kills, hitting an impressive .500 on the match. She also tallied four blocks. For her impressive play, Bentley was named Moda Health Player of the Match and was a unanimous 5A First Team All-Tournament. In conference, she was also named to the Mid-Willamette First Team All-League.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='698003' first='Maddie' last='Angel']&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Angel, a recent addition to our 2026 rankings, has been a commanding presence of the backrow for the RedHawks this season, and the championship match was no different. The junior libero stayed steady on serve receive, with only a single reception error on the match. Defensively, she commanded middle back, tallying up 8 total digs. She was awarded 5A Second Team All-Tournament for her stand-out play. She was also named to the Mid-Willamette First Team All-League.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509772' first='Audrey' last='Webb']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Webb, a sophomore outside hitter for the RedHawks, proved tough to defend during the championship match. With minimal errors, only one to be specific, she was a reliable yet lethal contributor across the three sets. With 21 swings, she notched 8 kills, hitting an impressive .333 on the match. For her play this season, she was named to the Mid-Willamette Second Team All-League.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267164' first='Taylor' last='Donaldson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Donaldson had herself a championship match for the RedHawks! Her play all around was crucial in the team taking home the win. Fed the ball 23 times, the most of any attacker on the team, she had zero hitting errors, and tallied 8 kills, hitting an incredible .348 on the night. Playing six-rotations, she also racked up four service aces and 7 digs. Donaldson was named to the 5A First Team All-Tournament for her stand-out play. She was also named to the Mid-Willamette First Team All-League.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>From runner-ups, the Crescent Valley Raiders:&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454447' first='Georgia' last='Vawter'] - Moda Health Player of the Match&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vawter, the sophomore pin hitter, had to step up big time with both Jacobson and Buford out with injury. Shouldering a massive load all around, she was the Raiders primary attacker. Fed the ball a whopping 32 times, she racked up 8 kills on the night. She also accumulated 6 digs. Vawter was named Moda Health Player of the Match for her play. In conference, she was also awarded Mid-Willamette Honorable Mention.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='161158' first='Kamden' last='Mitchell']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mitchell, the Raiders primary setter, put on a master class in running a 5-1 offense during the championship match. The senior captain took the court with confidence, putting up swingable ball after swingable ball. She dished out 18 assists on the match, and also tallied a kill, and 7 digs. Her play garnered her a unanimous 5A First Team All-Tournament as well as a Mid-Willamette First Team All-League nod.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509784' first='Karsyn' last='Horn']&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Horn had big shoes to fill with Dani Street graduating this past year, but has nestled into the primary libero role this season with ease. Her play during the championship match was testament to this. Commanding the backcourt with a calm confidence, she racked up an impressive 10 digs. She also notched two assists with her well-placed out-of-system sets. The sophomore libero was awarded Mid-Willamette Honorable Mention for her play this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->