Will South Salem win the 6A State title?

PrepDig Oregon released a poll a while back asking everyone to vote on their prediction for the 6A State title winner. PrepDig is doing a write-up on each of the top four vote-getters. Based on the results, South Salem, Sprague, Nelson, and Jesuit received the highest number of votes. All four programs are top-notch and should advance well into the State tournament later this season. But will one of these teams win it all? Time will tell.   Receiving the most votes at 392 was South Salem High School. This is a program that has yet to secure a State title, so if they are able to walk away from this season with one, that would be quite historic for the Saxons.   Last season, they were able to make it to the second round of the State tournament before being knocked off by State runner-ups Jesuit High School. This season they are returning six athletes and have six newcomers, two of which are freshmen and one of which is a transfer. Coming into the fifth week of play, we have been able to see this squad in action and have some impressive players to highlight.   Back for her sophomore campaign, [player_tooltip player_id='249607' first='Kamree' last='Orizotti'] has a year of setting at a high level for club ball under her belt, and it shows. She is much more refined and technical this season, with a newfound confidence in her setting abilities. Executing a 5-1 primarily, she has racked up 427 assists. Setting across the front row, she has tallied an impressive 17 blocks and 26 kills. From the service line, she is doing some serious damage with 31 aces on 216 attempts with a minimal 18 errors. Orizotti's setting capabilities are going to be critical in the Saxon's ability to advance deep into the 6A State tournament.   On the outside, the Saxons are packing some serious power.    [player_tooltip player_id='394069' first='Nadiah' last='Luna'], the junior transfer from McKay High School, has made an immediate impact. As a six-rotation outside hitter, she has racked up 88 kills on 299 swings, hitting a .120. However, where she really shines is across the backrow. Playing as a libero during her club campaign, she plays her backrow rotations with confidence. She has racked up an impressive 180 digs, putting her second on the team behind their libero. Also incredibly steady on serve receive, she has 267 receptions and a minimal 30 errors. The team also looks to Luna to be deadly from the service line. She is currently sitting at the top of the leaderboard for team aces, with 45 service aces on 201 attempts with only 28 errors.   Opposite Luna is sophomore standout [player_tooltip player_id='268715' first='Briella' last='Mathis']. The six-foot outside hitter is showcasing her much improved attacking range and an ability to swing with confidence from anywhere on the court. On 452 swings, Mathis has accumulated 179 kills, hitting an impressive .212. This puts her at the top of the leaderboard for most kills on the team. Playing six rotations, she also tallied 108 digs and 172 serve-receive receptions. From the service line, she has racked up 18 aces on 119 attempts.   With the Saxons graduating both Brooksie Isham (Air Force) and Kayleigh Carpenter (Boise State), the team will look to both Luna and Mathis for their offensive power and defensive finesse.   The Saxons also have, arguably, the most lethal middle combination in the State. Between [player_tooltip player_id='394075' first='Brooklyn' last='Butler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='236033' first='Malena' last='Mathis'], the pair make for an unrelenting duo that provides little relief to their opponents.   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='394075' first='Brooklyn' last='Butler'] has racked up an impressive 32 blocks, which puts her at #2 on the leaderboard behind [player_tooltip player_id='236033' first='Malena' last='Mathis']. She does a good job coming in aggressive in transition, making herself available, and holding the blocker across the net. She is currently hitting a .165 with 42 kills on 121 swings.   [player_tooltip player_id='236033' first='Malena' last='Mathis'], a recent Western Oregon University commit, has entered her senior campaign with a vengeance. She has blown the competition away in every facet of the game, making her a top stat leader in the State in multiple categories. Orizotti does a good job feeding Mathis whenever possible, which is how she has accumulated 109 kills on 227 swings, hitting an imposing .374. This puts her at #2 in the State for hitting percentage and #9 in the State for kills. Her blocking has proved hard to stop, with a formidable 43 total blocks, which puts her at #1 in the state for blocking.    It is safe to assume that the Saxons would not be the powerhouse they are proving to be without the middle combination of [player_tooltip player_id='236033' first='Malena' last='Mathis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='394075' first='Brooklyn' last='Butler'].    Anchoring their backcourt is junior libero [player_tooltip player_id='161942' first='Avery' last='Axmaker']. She is coming into this season with a year of high-level club experience with NPJ 16-1 Nationa under her belt, in which she helped this team compete as one of their liberos. She does an exceptional job leading the Saxons, constantly communicating before, during, and after plays. She reads the court well and is able to put herself in a good position to dig the ball consistently. It is no surprise that she is leading the team in digs with 207. She is also lethal from the service line, with a tough jump float serve that has garnered 36 service aces on 204 attempts.

PrepDig Oregon released a poll a while back asking everyone to vote on their prediction for the 6A State title winner. PrepDig is doing a write-up on each of the top four vote-getters. Based on the results, South Salem, Sprague, Nelson, and Jesuit received the highest number of votes. All four programs are top-notch and should advance well into the State tournament later this season. But will one of these teams win it all? Time will tell.