Brittany Long shines as a versatile Viking
Thursday was senior recognition night for Claire Waggoner, Abby Watkins, Elyssa Rose and Brittany Long (at far right). Siuslaw science teacher Jon Hornung was a line judge in 2013, and Brittany Long was one of two freshmen on a good Vikings volleyball team.
How good? The Vikings finished 17-5 and were ranked No. 7 among Class 4A schools by the Oregon School Activities Association.
Hornung is now the head coach of the Vikings, and Long is one of four seniors who were saluted Thursday before their decisive Far West League finale against the North Bend Bulldogs.
For the record, the Vikings won 3-1 to clinch a share of the league title, and now await the outcome of Monday's Douglas-Marshfield match. A Douglas loss, and the Vikings are undisputed league champions. If it wins, Douglas will face Siuslaw at a neutral site on Tuesday for the league's top seed in the OSAA playoffs.
"I remember seeing Brittany play as a freshman, and thinking she's going to be good," Hornung said of Long. "Brittany is awesome. She does everything so well."
It hasn't been a straight line of growth for the 5-foot-8 right-side hitter. She didn't play her junior year, needing to concentrate on academics.
"I've definitely gotten a lot better this season, along with the team," Long said. "I feel I've gotten a lot more consistent, and my hits have gotten a lot stronger."
All four seniors start, including middle blocker Elyssa Rose, who was the other freshman on the 2013 team. Outside hitter Claire Waggoner and setter Abby Watkins have been on the varsity since their sophomore season, in 2014.
"Brittany's a jack of all trades. I think she's played every position this year," Hornung said. "She's been outside, she's been right side, she's set, she's hit middle at a tournament. She can do anything."
The first-year head coach knew he inherited some good players from Angie Herring, but there was one pleasant surprise.
"Not seeing her for awhile, I didn't know she was coming back," Hornung said. "Then she comes out. It was a surprise, a good surprise, a pleasant surprise, to have someone who can do just about anything."
What Long likes doing most is setting, a responsibility she has shared with Watkins since mid-season when the Vikings switched to a two-setter offense to shore up their block.
"I love setting a lot, right-side setting," she said. "My sophomore year I was a middle hitter. I pretty much played all positions."
Long's versatility has helped Hornung experiment with a number of lineups, which was helpful given the number of practices and matches players have missed because of sickness and injuries.
"Brittany has played every position this year," Hornung said. "We're so fortunate to have that, to just plug someone in wherever we need them."
For her good work, Long was named Coast Radio's athlete of the week Tuesday, to recognize her play in sweeps of Marshfield and Brookings-Harbor the previous week.
"Brittany's a good blocker. She's all over the court," Hornung said. "She makes so many random plays. There was one, in the first set (against North Bend on Thursday). There was a ball tipped over her, and she like reached behind her and hit the ball, with topspin, over the net.
"No one was going to dig it. It was just a crazy dig. Total athleticism. She's great. She's grown a lot."
Long loves her teammates, confessing they are what they are.
"Goofy girls," she laughed. "Our IQ is like really low. We joke about it all the time. It's like common sense stuff. And it's like all the time, anything.
"I think we're delusional half the time. We just crack up laughing. It's fun."
NOTES
Long is part of two sister acts on the Vikings varsity. Her sister, Jordan, a sophomore is starting outside hitter. "I was really bummed out that I didn't get to play with her last year," Brittany said. "Getting to play with her was really good." ...
Sisters Emma Collins and Mia Collins, who have made major contributions this season to the Vikings' success, will get one more season together. Mia will be a sophomore and Emma will have her own senior recognition night in 2017. ...
All four seniors plan to attend college. Brittany Long wants to be a nurse. Elyssa Rose wants to major in health science and exercise science, Claire Waggoner in communications. Abby Watkins wants to be a dental hygientist. ...
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