Monday Match to Watch: Columbia River v Skyview

<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, between now and next Wednesday we’ll recommend one match for you to follow every day, highlighting the teams involved and their most exciting prospects.</p> <p>This duel reuniting two of the best teams of Southwest Washington is our suggestion for Monday, September 6:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Columbia River vs Skyview – 6.00pm</strong></p> <p>The Rapids from the Columbia River High School out of Vancouver had a prolific shortened season a few months ago, winning seven of their nine matches to rank second in the 2A Greater St. Helens District. Head coach Breanne Smedley will have some work to do after a handful of seniors graduated, most notably libero Emma Adams and outside hitters [player_tooltip player_id="97014" first="Maddie" last="Sheron"] and [player_tooltip player_id="96998" first="Alison" last="Dreves"], but she still has a solid group of players to work with.</p> <p>Their Vancouver neighbors, the Skyview Storm, won even more matches last season, nine out of the 11 they played, to finish 4^th in the 4A Greater St. Helens District. Outside from the noticeable absence of graduated outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="96989" first="Lia" last="Hawken"], head coach Shelby Swanson will have basically the same squad to work with this season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – Columbia River</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_120178" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-120178" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Rylie-Reeves-Headshot-e1608060198900-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Photo: Cole Petters[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97213" first="Rylie" last="Reeves"] – Outside Hitter – Club: Excel NW – 2022</strong></p> <p>A player that masters all the skills of the game of volleyball and is also extremely good on the sand, [player_tooltip player_id="97213" first="Rylie" last="Reeves"] has been the centerpiece of the Rapids since she joined the team and it won’t be any different in her last year of high school volleyball. Playing as an outside hitter, the 5’11” prospect manages to impact every area of the game and even though her superb ball control makes of her a terrific passer and defender, it’s on offense that she stands out the most, combining her power, technique and apparent endless variety of shots to be an unpredictable hitter.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11681512/60c83dba02bc840a088b12d6" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_109103" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-109103" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/09/Lauren-Dreves-Headshot-e1600302300533-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Photo: Cole Petters[/caption] <p><strong>Lauren Dreves – Outside Hitter – Club: Oregon Juniors – 2024</strong></p> <p>Even though she’s in just her second season (and technically first year) of high school volleyball, Lauren Dreves is already a very popular name in the Washington volleyball scene. Part of it comes from the fact that she’s the younger sister of Alison, but it’s undeniable the main reason of it comes down to her hard work and tremendous potential. A 6’2” outside hitter, Dreves is a formidable offensive player and has appeared in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom Watch List in each of the last two years.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14064999/60e35de1ab92921aec762a46" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – Skyview</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_108221" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-108221" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/09/Tyra-Schaub-Headhsot-e1599694579296-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Photo: Cole Petters[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97290" first="Tyra" last="Schaub"] – Outside Hitter – Club: Oregon Juniors – 2022</strong></p> <p>One of the most coveted and intriguing prospects in the state of Washington, [player_tooltip player_id="97290" first="Tyra" last="Schaub"] enters her final season of high school volleyball as a player you don’t want to miss. A 6’1” outside hitter, this Gonzaga commit has one of the heaviest arms in the entire state and is nearly unstoppable at the net when she gets in rhythm. Schaub, however, is not only power as she uses her high volleyball IQ to make good choices and score ‘easy’ points when she has a chance as well.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13707680/605bbcf42aa81b078062996f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97288" first="Avalon" last="Watkins"] – Setter – Club: Athena - 2022</strong></p> <p>Another Washington prospect that splits her time between the hardwood and the sand, [player_tooltip player_id="97288" first="Avalon" last="Watkins"] is one of the most talented setters in the region. The 5’8” setter has a very consistent and reliable game and one can always expect the ball to go exactly where it needs to when it comes out of her hands. One of the keys for it is her lower body strength, which massively helps her setting long distances. She’s also an exceptional defender, which gives her the ability to play as a defensive specialist.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13707687/60a710b34decb90ce8945ac4" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>