Wesco AA Volleyball Capsules

BAINBRIDGE -- NICKNAME - Spartans. -- HEAD COACH - Mike Florian, seventh season. -- TOP RETURNEES - none. -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Heather Wallace (5-11, middle hitter, jr.); Bajda Welty (5-4, setter, soph.). -- OUTLOOK - Bainbridge graduated a squad that finished 9-3 in league, 14-7 overall and lost two straight in the Northwest AA District tournament. Starting from scratch, Florian has a group of talented youngsters who could become a factor in the league by the end of the season. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "We are young, but they (the girls) work hard and they will provide some very competitive volleyball."

LAKE STEVENS -- NICKNAME - Vikings. -- HEAD COACH - Kathy Hahn, second year at Lake Stevens, eighth as head coach. -- TOP RETURNEES - Laura Kruse (5-9, hitter, sr.); Juli Miller (5-6, hitter, soph.); Monica Tobias (5-6, outside hitter, sr.). -- TOP NEWCOMER - Jody Borys (5-8, setter, jr.). -- OUTLOOK - Kruse was a second-team all-conference hitter last season and has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, Hahn said. The defending WesCo AA champs, 16-0 in league, are inexperienced after taking a huge hit by graduation. Check back with Hahn and the Vikings at midseason; in the second half, Lake Stevens could be a tough squad to get past. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "This is a young team and they are very dedicated to the sport. As my team gains experience and confidence, we should finish in the top four."

LYNNWOOD -- NICKNAME - Royals. -- HEAD COACH - Anne Seelye, second season. -- TOP RETURNEES - Annie Dougherty (5-5, setter, sr.); Kasa Tupua (5-10, hitter/middle blocker, jr.); Leslie Baker (5-5, setter, jr.); Erin Sebby (5-9, middle blocker, jr.). -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Joni Twyman (5-9, setter, sr.); Megan Haug (5-5, back row specialist, sr.). -- OUTLOOK - Through the first two weekends of play, the Royals have already doubled the number of wins they had all of last year (one). One of these wins was over Class AAA Juanita of the KingCo. Steady improvement is likely. Seelye has a strong freshman class coached by Julie Miller, younger sister of Mountlake Terrace Coach Susie Miller. The future is bright, but it may be a year off. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "This is the strongest group of freshmen I've ever seen in my coaching career. I have a couple who are probably going to be on the varsity before too much longer."

MEADOWDALE -- NICKNAME - Chiefs. -- HEAD COACH - Julie Rowe, 21st year. -- TOP RETURNEES - Tiffany Remick (5-9, hitter, sr.); Jennifer Hoppe (5-9, middle hitter, jr.); Karen Read (5-5, hitter, jr.); Danielle Zacklan (5-4, outside hitter, jr.); Jacquie Folland (5-4, setter, jr.); Mimi Vuong (5-4, hitter, jr.). -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Susan Kim (5-4, setter, jr.); Kim Wood (5-0, setter, sr.); Carolyn Harris (5-6, hitter, sr.); Amy Stering, 5-6, setter, sr.). -- OUTLOOK - Meadowdale may be the biggest surprise this season. The Chiefs finished second to Class AAA Redmond at a tournament at Mariner High School. Remick, Hoppe and Read are all starters back from last year and there are several young setters vying for playing time. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "We did real well in the (Mariner) tournament and we're still experimenting with a lot of different people in a lot of different positions. It's nice to play some Class AAA teams and nicer still to beat some of them."

MONROE -- NICKNAME - Bearcats. -- HEAD COACH - Rhonda Mann, 15th season. -- TOP RETURNEES - Kim Goodwin (setter, jr.); Sara Eliason (setter/hitter, soph.). -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Lisa Philabaum (hitter, jr.); Andi Kay Coates (hitter, jr.); Shayna Strandt (hitter, jr.); Vicki Grandbois (hitter, jr.); Marti Funk (hitter, jr.). -- OUTLOOK - The Bearcats have two 5-7 players, but drop off to an average height of 5-3 after that. Mann graduated Wendi Coates, one of the top hitters in the league last year, but that opens the offense. Success at Monroe will stem from tenacious defense digging balls out, instead of a display of powerful hitting. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "When you have a hitter like Wendi, you have to use her," Mann said. "I think we'll be even more versatile this year."

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- NICKNAME - Hawks. -- HEAD COACH - Susie Miller, seventh season. -- TOP RETURNEES - Shelly Brown (5-7, middle hitter, sr.); Kelli Harris (5-10, setter/hitter, sr.); Jodi Mandapat (5-5, setter/hitter, sr.); Heidi Mercer (5-8, middle hitter, soph.); Tracy Stauffer (5-10, hitter, sr.); Leland Harmon (5-10, hitter, sr.); Kim George (5-5, hitter/setter, jr.); Kristi Hjert (5-9, hitter, soph.). -- TOP NEWCOMERS - none. -- OUTLOOK - Miller returns virtually her entire squad from last year, including first-team all-WesCo AA hitters Brown and Harris, plus Mandapat, a second-team selection. The Hawks already lead the league in experience and Brown proved last year she can dominate any game she's in.

SHORECREST -- NICKNAME - Scots. -- HEAD COACH - Dave Morehouse, fourth year. -- TOP RETURNEES - Stacie Maupin (5-2, setter, sr.); LaRita Souza (5-5, outside hitter, sr.). -- TOP NEWCOMER - Phone Keophilavanh (5-4, hitter, sr.). -- OUTLOOK - The Scots compete with Monroe as the smallest team in the league and, like the Bearcats, will have to be better at digging balls off the floor than their opponents are at putting them away. -- COACH'S COMMENT - "This is the scrappiest bunch of players I've ever had."