Siuslaw senior Elyssa Rose may have worn a Vikings uniform into battle for the last time Saturday.

The standout middle blocker for the Siuslaw volleyball team will spend the coming months playing for a club team, while fellow seniors Brittany Long, Claire Waggoner and Abby Watkins play basketball for the Vikings.

Rose and Waggoner were co-captains for volleyball.

"We had a great season. League champs. That's really cool," Rose said Saturday, in the wake of a 3-0 loss to Tillamook in the first round of the Oregon School Activities Association Class 4A playoffs.

"We progressed so much since our first match of the season at Philomath. We had a really wonderful season."

It was a tough way to end a wonderful season. The Vikings fell 25-18, 25-23, 25-18 to the visiting Cheesemakers, who were ranked No. 5 in the state by the OSAA despite finishing third place in the loaded Cowapa League.

"They were  a great team," Rose said of Tillamook. "They had strong hitters. We tried our best."

Rose and sophomore Makenzie York formed the Far West League's best middle. Not surprising, since both were first-team all-league last season.

Both should be in line for similar honors this year.

"Elyssa and Mak were the two best players in the league, hands down," Siuslaw coach Jon Hornung said after Saturday's loss. "One of them should be MVP, no question."

Rose and York both will continue to hone their skills at the Webfoot Juniors club volleyball team in Eugene. Both have benefited from a year-round focus on the sport.

"I'll play for the Webfoot 18 silver or gold team," Rose said. "We have tryouts Nov. 15. It will be fun to play with other girls."

Rose expects to play at the college level next year. She had to cancel a recruiting trip to Menlo College because it was the same day as the Tillamook match.

"I'll decide early next year, January, February or March," Rose said.

For now, she gets to relish a championship year. After second-place finishes her first three seasons on varsity, Rose was on a mission this time around.

"Elyssa stepped up, and was getting fired up, more and more into the season," Hornung said. "She wanted it. She was a senior, and she wanted to win those games, and that was cool."

There was a sweep of long-time nemesis Marshfield. There was a dominating performance over Douglas in the playoff for league seeding after the Vikings and Trojans tied for the league title at 8-2.

"We didn't play our game today, but at least we made it this far," Rose said. "It's been great, playing with everyone on this team."