Ferndale volleyball focusing on reaching second day of state
Coach: Patti Hoelzle
Last year: Went 14-6 overall and 9-3 in the Northwest Conference (fourth). ... Won final five matches of the regular season before going 3-1 in the Class 3A District Tournament, including two straight-set wins over Oak Harbor. ... Lost first two matches of state tournament, ending their season.
Players to watch: Whitney Walker (OH, Jr.), Rose Compton (MB, Sr.), Taryn Potter (MB, Sr.)
Outlook: Two years in a row the Golden Eagles have made it to state but haven’t been able to get to the second day, losing the first two games both years. So with a strong crop of five seniors and a bunch of talented juniors, there’s one thing on the Golden Eagles mind: Saturday at state and coach Patti Hoelzle thinks this group is talented enough to do it. Not only do the Golden Eagles boast talent such as Whitney Walker, Rose Compton and Taryn Potter, but they play with a lot of heart and desire, evidenced by their request to stay late after practice Aug. 28 to continue to work. It’s also a group that knows how to take criticism from Hoelzle and each other, “which isn’t something you see often in high school girls,” Hoelzle said, adding that the team consists of mainly year-round volleyball players. While Ferndale’s eyes are on state, there’s still a few key Northwest Conference matches they’re eyeing as big tests, most notably Sehome, Lynden Christian and Burlington-Edison. If the Golden Eagles want a league title, they’ll have to be on top of their game, but Potter sent a warning to other NWC clubs, “be ready for us.”
2015 Roster
No. | Player | Pos. | Yr. |
2 | Morgan Shaw | RS | Sr. |
3 | Kaylyn Whipkey | MB/RS | Sr. |
4 | Brittany Olinger | DS | Jr. |
5 | Whitney Walker | OH | Jr. |
6 | Taryn Potter | MB/RS | Sr. |
7 | Rose Compton | MB | Sr. |
8 | Julia Olson | OH | Jr. |
9 | Hailey Pelton | S | Fr. |
10 | Vanessa Johnson | DS | Jr. |
11 | Peyton Morris | S | Sr. |
12 | Gabby Edison | RS | Jr. |
2015 Schedule
Date | Opponent | Time |
Sept. 8 | at Oak Harbor | 7 p.m. |
Sept. 15 | at Lynden | 7 p.m. |
Sept. 17 | at Anacortes* | 7 p.m. |
Sept. 22 | Lynden Christian* | 7 p.m. |
Sept. 24 | at Bellingham* | 7 p.m. |
Sept. 29 | at Sehome* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 1 | Sedro-Woolley* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 6 | Squalicum* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 8 | Nooksack Valley* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 10 | at Reach the Peak (at Glacier Peak) | TBD |
Oct. 13 | at Burlington-Edison* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 15 | at Meridian* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 20 | Mount Baker* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 22 | at Lynden* | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 28 | Blaine* | 7 p.m. |
*NWC game
This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Ferndale volleyball focusing on reaching second day of state."