Vikings rally to win league opener, 3-2


Sophomore middle blocker Makenzie York had a team-high 17 kills and some solid serves as the Vikings won their league opener.

Jon Hornung the Siuslaw High School science teacher can appreciate an immovable object as well as an unstoppable force.

Jon Hornung the Siuslaw Vikings volleyball coach can appreciate them even more when both are on his side.

That would be his returning Far West League all-star middle blockers, sophomore Makenzie York and senior Elyssa Rose.

York had 15 kills and Rose 17 Tuesday night as the Vikings rallied from a two sets to one deficit to beat the South Umpqua Lancers, 3-2, in the league opener at Glenn Butler Court.

Thursday, the Vikings take on defending league champion Marshfield (5-6 overall, 1-0 in FWL) in Coos Bay.

"Mak was just on, she was just crushing the ball," Hornung said of York's big night against the Lancers.

"Each match there will be a kid who is on fire, and we just have to ride those kids. So it was Mak this match.

"On Thursday, it may be Elyssa. Or maybe it's Emma (Collins) or maybe it's Mia (Collins) or maybe it's Claire (Waggoner). Whoever is on fire, we just have to feed them."

Feed them often, and feed them well, especially when they're swinging like York was Tuesday.

"I don't like to play it safe any more," York said after Tuesday's match. "I do club (volleyball) in Eugene, and that has taught me to be very aggressive."

Taking charge of the care and feeding of the Vikings' big hitters is senior setter Abby Watkins, who replaces graduated four-year starter Hannah Bartlett.

"We played around a little bit with the setting, in preleague, but we figured it out yesterday," Hornung said. "We decided to have one setter, Abby, and move Brittany Long to hitting.

"And it seemed like it worked out pretty well."

It worked out great in the fifth set, which the Vikings won 15-3 to secure the match. It worked out well in the fourth set, which the Vikings won 25-20 to force a fifth set.

It was a struggle in sets 2 and 3, which South Umpqua won 25-23 and 25-22.

It wasn't supposed to be that way, especially after the Vikings turned back the Lancers in the first set, 25-19.

"I think we may have come in all cocky, like we got this," York said. "But South Umpqua came in with a lot of heart, a lot of will. Give them a lot of credit, they made a lot of good plays. They were doing very well tonight."

And they were doing it against a tall and talented Vikings front that features three 6-footers in Rose, York and junior Emma Collins. Rounding out the first seven are outside hitter Waggoner, right-side hitter Brittany Long,  setter and defensive hitter Abby Watkins and libero Maci Wells.

Setter-backrow specialist McKenzie Colton logged big minutes in reserve, as did freshman outside hitter Mia Collins, who logged the final two points of the match for the Vikings on a kill and a roof.

Watkins has been a revelation as the team's first server and as the primary setter.

"Stepping in, taking the place of a four-year starter, is hard," Hornung said. "Abby did a good job this match. I talked to her about trying to make everything perfect, because that's when you make mistakes.

"She played within herself, and made a lot of great sets. She's grown a lot this year, which is awesome."

York was equally effusive.

"I love Abby," York said. "We're going to miss her next year. Her sets were excellent. She's been learning, learning, learning, and she's just been following through just beautifully, and I'm grateful for that."

Now it's on to Marshfield, which has won the Far West League title Rose's first three years, with the Vikings finishing second.

"It will be a big test for these girls' hearts," Hornung said. "I know it's been awhile since we last beat them."

That would be 2013. Time for payback.

"We figured out that the playing-around-with-the-lineup time is over," Hornung said. "We have to buckle down, now, and win these league games."

Having the immovable object and the unstoppable force on his side should make that goal much easier.