Rose, York to share same court once again

Elyssa Rose and Makenzie York

How rare is it for one former Siuslaw Vikings athlete to face another Siuslaw Vikings athlete in a college sporting event?

It may happen twice this fall, on Sept. 17 in Portland and again on Nov. 19 in Monmouth, when Concordia (Ore.) meets Western Oregon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball matches.

The athletes are former first-team all-league all-stars Elyssa Rose of Concordia and Makenzie York of Western Oregon.

Rose (Siuslaw, Class of 2017), a 6-foot-1 junior middle blocker, has been a standout on the court and in the classroom with the Cavaliers.

Rose led Concordia last season in blocks with 92 and hitting percentage at .295, while finishing third on the team in kills with 168 and points with 219.5.

Rose and five teammates were named to the GNAC all-academic team last fall.

York (Siuslaw, Class of 2019), a 6-foot freshman middle blocker, was first-team all-league all four years at Siuslaw, three times in the Far West League plus her senior year in the Sky-Em League.

"Makenzie is a perfect fit for Western Oregon volleyball, and we knew she had the qualities we wanted in our program," Lady Wolves coach Kady Forbes said when York signed a letter of intent last fall.

"She's driven, she's a workhorse, and she is always finding ways to get better. We had the opportunity to work with Makenzie at a camp, and were blown away by her presence and athleticism."