Colfax netter finish title year; Coach Doering signs off

Colfax varsity players receiving special awards included, from the left, Abbie Miller, captain's award; Carmen Gfeller. captain's award, scholastic award and most valuable player; Greta Geier, coaches award; Rachel Brown, most improved; Piper Cai, coaches award, and Kylie Kackman, most inspirational.

Colfax volleyball players marked the end of a championship season and the end of a coaching era Tuesday night at the annual banquet. Coach Sue Doering, who presided, was wrapping up her 30-year career as head coach. Doering last year resigned from the Colfax faculty, but stayed with the team for one more campaign.

Four Colfax seniors who led the team to the state title at Yakima also wrapped up their careers.

Doering started off the program by noting she never thought her teaching and coaching career would take the course it did. She said she anticipated some coaching in her career, but never expected coaching to play the major role that it did.

During the season, Doering marked her 900th career win. The title win over Mossyrock marked her 14th state championship while heading Colfax teams.

Colfax rolled through a 32-3 record during the fall campaign. That included a run of three-game wins in the league campaign, and a sweep of the district playoffs to qualify for the state finals.

Coach Deoring said she believes a key factor in the run to state was how the team responded after a sub-par performance in the crossover tournament. The low point, she noted, was when the Bulldogs allowed the team from Troy, Idaho, to run nine straight points.

The team after that put its act together under a five-point covenant and began to stack up match wins for the trip to state.

As part of that turnaround, assistant coaches called on past Colfax players to pinpoint how they mentally tuned up for a run to state.

Reading comments of Colfax state winners from the past provided a review of the extent of Doering ‘s career achievements at Colfax.

One of the lighter moments Tuesday was a reading of “Dr. Sue’s Book” an original by Assistant Coach Shawna Kneale.

Co-captains Abbie Miller and Carmen Gfeller present Coach Doering with a flower watering can to use during her retirement years.

Dr. Sue’s Book was a takeoff in the Dr. Seuss book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”

Doering noted the five-set win over Mossyrock in the state title game will be something she will never forget. Among factors were a probable record for sets by Kylie Kackman, 31 hits by Carmen Gfeller, and the unforgettable backline save Abbie Miller which possibly jolted Mossyrock’s solid team off the track. Colfax took the title after winning the first two games, losing the next two and then bumping Mossyrock in the fifth games decider.

The four seniors who finished their careers in the title match were Piper Cai, Greta Geier, Abbie Miller, and Carmen Gfeller. Doering Tuesday awarded the coaches award to the seniors.

Junior Rachel Brown was named most improved player, and Gfeller won the senior scholastic award with a 3.79 grade average. Junior Kylie Kackman was named most inspirational.

Doering noted Kackman’s 48 assists in the title match probably ranks as an all-time record for the Colfax books

Freshman players earning a varsity award were Kierstyn York and Anni Cox. Skylre Sacamoto-Howell was a sophomore on the varsity, and Kackman, Madi Cox and Brown were juniors. Doering also recognized Sophie Klaveano and Kaitlyn Cornish, jayvee players who made the trip to Yakima.

Jayvee Coach Kneale presented certificates to Perry Imler, Kennedy Schmidt, Sydney Berquist , Klaveano, Averi Mackleit, Norah Burrill, Cornish, Lily Swan, Shyah Anatoine, and Jesz Durheim.

Berquist was named hardest worker and most inspirational, and Burrill was named most improved.

C-squad Coach Casey Zander presented certificates to Helina Hahn, Riane Jones, McKenna Lomax, Emalee Phillips, Lexie Booth and Maddie Fairbanks.