Club Team Spotlight: Athena 18-1 Gold & Athena 17-1 Gold

Athena Volleyball Academy went through quite a rebranding this year, after partnering with <a href="https://www.lovb.com/#mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LOVB</a> (“League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “love”) is a first-of-its-kind community re-imagining the future of volleyball. We are launching our professional league from the grassroots up – each pro team built from a foundation of ambitious junior volleyball clubs located across the country.”) and absorbing Live Aloha Volleyball Academy, a smaller club from the CEVA region. Because of these changes, they acquired new coaches and new athletes. They grew in size, adding more teams to each age bracket, and upgraded to a newer training facility. These changes have solidified them being a top club in Oregon and SW Washington for seasons to come. Athena 18-1 Gold The Athena 18-1 Gold team is the top team in the club, filled with lots of 2022 and 2023 talent. They were able to recruit quite a few athletes from Southwest Washington, five to be exact. While this team is primarily made of new athletes to Athena, or at least new to the group, they also have a few returners who are bound to make a continued impact. They will be coached by LAVA pick-up Kaiao Nahale-a, the former LAVA club director and interim head coach for Lewis & Clark College. [caption id="attachment_163417" align="alignleft" width="109"]<img class="wp-image-163417 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/kendal-ishida-action-e1644863926833-147x300.jpg" alt="" width="109" height="222" /> Photo: Greg Artman[/caption] SETTING Returning from the Athena 17-1 National team is senior setter [player_tooltip player_id="91221" first="Kendal" last="Ishida"] {Pictured} who will be joining newcomer Caroline Hansen, a Washington athlete that recently committed to Western Washington University, to set for the team. With both of these athletes at the top of their game, it is safe to assume they will be running a 6-2. Ishida is a quick and athletic setter that is bursting with enthusiasm for the success of her teammates. Her love of the game shows when watching her play. She has not yet committed to a school for the fall of 2022.   FRONT ROW [caption id="attachment_146304" align="alignright" width="183"]<img class="wp-image-146304 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/06/IMG-6996-217x300.jpg" alt="" width="183" height="253" /> Photo: @ssvisualworks[/caption] This team has lots of offensive power distributed across their front row. On the pins, this team is filled with options. Senior middle blocker turned outside hitter (this high school season), [player_tooltip player_id="91227" first="Emma" last="Burlingame"] {Pictured} may be new to the whole playing all six rotations and swinging on the left, but she has improved substantially and made the transition quickly. She has been their starting middle blocker since her sophomore year for the group but transitioned to the outside during high school season when playing for Mountainside High School and really honed in on her skills, especially in the back row. Also on the left side, junior [player_tooltip player_id="91369" first="Halsey" last="Brumitt"], who is coming off a fantastic high school season for Clackamas High School, and Kayden Thomas, another senior out of Washington from Skyview High School. Brumitt played as a six-rotation outside hitter for Clackamas this past season, who, alongside [player_tooltip player_id="91253" first="Leah" last="Agost"], were the offensive and defensive pillars of the group. On the right side, newcomer leftie junior Presley Nippert, also from Washington. The team has three highly skilled middle blockers: senior [player_tooltip player_id="91238" first="Natalie" last="Potter"], from Catlin Gabel (Pamona-Pitzer commit), junior [player_tooltip player_id="91383" first="Morgan" last="Olsen"], from Jesuit High School, and senior Makenna Eoff, from Skyview High School (WA). Potter has played for Athena since 14U and has shown substantial improvement to her game over the past couple of seasons. Olsen is a versatile athlete who can really play anywhere across the front row but filled in during the high school season for Jesuit High School (6A runner-ups) when either of their middles was out or not performing up to par. Eoff is new to this group, coming from SW Washington.   [caption id="attachment_157975" align="alignleft" width="144"]<img class="wp-image-157975 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/PrepDig-Featured-Images-e1644867601582-207x300.png" alt="" width="144" height="209" /> Photo: Picture This PDX[/caption] BACK ROW Returning as the primary libero for this squad is senior Emily Paul, a Washington athlete from Ridgefield High School. Paul is a beast in the back row, flying after balls, but remaining controlled and steady on serve receive. They also have defensive specialist senior [player_tooltip player_id="91235" first="Kylee" last="King"] {Pictured}, from Valley Catholic High School who was the starting libero last season, helping them to a 4th place finish in the 4A State tournament. King has been with Athena since 12U and will be finishing out her club career for them before heading to Texas to play for Trinity College. They also have senior [player_tooltip player_id="91258" first="Taylor" last="Lenz"], from Jesuit High School. Athena 17-1 Gold Returning a bulk of their group from 16-1, with the exception of a few new additions, this team is poised to do quite well this season. Pulling top 2023 recruits (and two 2024 recruits), they have created a competitive group that will surely finish at the top of the region. Being led by head coach Chris Osbourne, who is returning after helping the previous Athena 17-1 Gold team finish high in the CEVA region, and assisted by Nicole Regoni, a star setter from Washington State University, it will be fun to watch this team compete. [caption id="attachment_157257" align="alignleft" width="177"]<img class="wp-image-157257 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/makenna-action-shot-e1631651169581-283x300.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="188" /> Photo: Greg Artman[/caption] SETTING After losing Amaya Parnell who moved to the East coast this past summer, the team needed an additional setter, and along came sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="126052" first="Olivia" last="Doel"]. Previously playing for OJVA on their 15-1 team, Doel has been given an opportunity to compete up an age bracket. A versatile athlete she is coming off a stellar season with 6A State champions West Linn High School, playing as a defensive specialist. Running either a 6-2 with Doel or a 5-1 is Mckenna Wiepert, who has been an integral part of this crew for many seasons. She has improved rapidly since her freshman season, and grown to 5’11”, to become one of the top setters from the class of 2023. Also coming off an excellent season, placing 2nd in the 5A State tournament for Wilsonville High School, Wiepert ran a 5-1 the majority of the season. [caption id="attachment_156260" align="alignright" width="196"]<img class="wp-image-156260 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/ceanna-oloughlin-action-shot-2-250x300.png" alt="" width="196" height="235" /> Photo: @ssvisualworks[/caption] FRONT ROW This team is filled with some serious 2023 talent on the attacking front. On the pins, [player_tooltip player_id="91348" first="Ceanna" last="O’Loughlin"] {Pictured}, [player_tooltip player_id="91316" first="Isabel" last="Patterson"], Natalie Andrew, and [player_tooltip player_id="91307" first="Addie" last="Hoover"]. O’Loughlin is an explosive and powerful right side/outside attacker from Jesuit High School. Patterson is a high-flying and quick outside attacker from Jesuit High School. Both O’Loughlin and Patterson were the outside hitters this past season for the Crusaders and helped them finish 2nd in the 6A State tournament. Andrew is new to the group after playing for Excel NW and then OJVA 16-1, residing in Washington, playing for Ridgefield High School. Hoover is a dynamic and smart right side/outside attacker from West Linn High School, who was integral in their State championship this past season (named to the 6A All-Tournament team). In the middle, the team has options with [player_tooltip player_id="91319" first="Olivia" last="Maulding"], [player_tooltip player_id="91359" first="Tatum" last="Chase"], and [player_tooltip player_id="91346" first="Hannah" last="Wilborn"]. Maulding has a quick arm and does a good job being quick in transition, playing for LaSalle Catholic College Preparatory during high school season. Chase is now recovered from a foot injury suffered during the fall while playing for Catlin Gabel School. A returner to the 17-1 Gold team, playing up last season, she improved rapidly and has launched herself to the top of the 2023 class. Lastly, Wilborn has been at Athena since 12U but has typically played on the second team, until this season. With the hole in their lineup after losing Kelli Kraft and [player_tooltip player_id="91350" first="Niyah" last="Coleman"], Wilborn will be a great addition to this group. Given her substantial improvement during the high school season, where she played for Mountainside High School as their starting middle blocker, joining such a competitive team, she is bound to continue to improve her game. BACK ROW The team’s primary libero since her 15-1 season at Athena, [player_tooltip player_id="91343" first="Lauren" last="Patterson"] will be returning to the group. This past high school season she was the starting libero for Sunset High School and continued to hone in on her back-row skills. She is an incredibly athletic and quick primary passer with exceptional ball control. New to the group this season is [player_tooltip player_id="91312" first="Sam" last="Keightley"], who had spent her club career playing for PVC until this season. PVC did not put together an 18U team this season so Keightley was actively seeking a new club to call home. She is the starting libero for Oregon City High School. Also on the roster is energetic sophomore defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id="126035" first="Nadia" last="Murray-Ceriello"] from Central Catholic High School.