Southwestern's Katie Jolliffe passes the ball as teammate Taylor Scott watches during last week’s match against Umpqua. Both Jolliffe and Scott received all-league recognition for the Lakers, who are in the NWAACC tournament this week. World Photo by Madeline Steege.

A successful season for the Southwestern Oregon Community College volleyball team comes to an end this week at the NWAACC tournament in Gresham.

The Lakers had an up-and-down year, highlighted by a sweep at home of defending champion Mount Hood and Clackamas and a third-place finish in the tough NWAACC South Region.

Now the squad hopes to prove it belongs among the best squads in NWAACC.

“I feel really good,” said Southwestern setter Jessica Bond, named this week a first-team all-star in the South Region. “I think we know what it takes to win and I think we can do it.

“We’re ready to win and show everybody what we’re made of and how hard we’ve worked all season.”

The Lakers open the tournament Thursday morning against Green River, co-champion of the West Region.

“We got kind of a tough draw,” said Southwestern coach John Speasl. “You know, if you’re going to get a trophy, you’re going to have to beat a tough team at some point, so you might as well do it right at the beginning.”

The Lakers beat Green River in a close match during a tournament early in the season, and expect another tough battle.

“We each have improved,” said Bond, adding that the Lakers “have gotten a lot better.”

The Lakers are in one of two 9 a.m. matches Thursday. The other features Edmonds and Columbia Basin. The two winners advance to the quarterfinals, while the losers will meet in the consolation quarterfinals in the 16-team tournament.

Southwestern enters the tournament with an 18-14 record overall after going 6-4 in the South Region. Green River was 11-3 in the West Region and 24-16 overall.

Speasl said the Lakers are capable of playing with any team in the tournament, and pointed to the two matches with top-ranked and unbeaten Chemeketa, when the Lakers won a game each night.

“We have to be consistent,” Speasl said. “We’ve beaten a team that’s undefeated in sets. We have to put a couple of sets together.

“We’re good. There’s no doubt about that. We just need to be good more often.”

For the players, making it to the tournament this year is a treat after the Lakers came up short last season.

“Last year was a letdown when we didn’t get to go,” Bond said. “This year, we want to go and prove ourselves.”

She said the Lakers are more talented and also more athletic this year.

“Our group has really bonded together,” she said. “It’s a better atmosphere on the team.”

The Lakers were recognized for their better season in the all-league voting.

In addition to Bond’s honor, Katie Jolliffe was a second-team selection and Kristine Kosinski, Taylor Scott, Rose Mattson and Karen Jensen all received honorable mention recognition.

“Our kids got some nice, hard-earned recognition at the regional level and now we can go get some NWAACC tournament awards,” Speasl said.

In addition to the season honors, the Lakers had three players named South Region Player of the Week during the season, most recently Scott, who was the defensive player of the week last week. Earlier, both Jolliffe and Kosinski were honored for their offense.

Basketball

Southwestern’s men play their official season opener Saturday, when they host Centralia in a 2 p.m. game.

It will be Southwestern’s last home game before hosting a crossover tournament Dec. 19-21.

Southwestern’s women won’t play a home game before January. They visit College of the Redwoods for a scrimmage next week and play their official opener in the Clackamas tournament the day after Thanksgiving.

Wrestling

Southwestern’s wrestling team hosts traditional NJCAA power North Idaho on Friday in the Lakers’ final home match of the calendar year.

The two teams battle at noon before taking off for Ashland and the Southern Oregon Open on Saturday.

Southwestern is coming off a 34-6 loss to Clackamas in a dual on Saturday. The Lakers’ only victory was a pin by Zolboo Enkhbayar at 165 pounds.

The Lakers had five placers in the Pacific Open on Sunday at Forest Grove. Jacob McCoy won the 165-pound weight class, while Thomas Gowing (125) and Sean Connolly (133) placed second, David Laird (174) finished third and Austin Thompson (145) was fourth.

Clackamas 34, Southwestern 6

125 — Logan Creamer, Cla, p. Thomas Gowing, 6:20. 133 — George Mendez, Cla, d. Frank Holdburg, 18-3. 141 — Kyle Wirkuty, Cla, d. Brendan Connolly, 3-2. 149 — Anthony Weerheim, Cla, d. Trent Stevenson, 9-4. 157 — Jace Lewis, Cla, d. Mihial Kalugin, 16-5. 165 — Zolboo Enkhbayar, Sou, p. Mike Sandoe, 1:00. 174 — Kris Spencer, Cla, d. David Laird, 5-2. 184 — Josh Miller, Cla, d. Allen LaGrance, 9-4. 197 — Brett Sanchez, Cla, d. Jarrod Kamstra, 3-2. 285 — Tyrell Fortune, Cla, d. Thomas Mayes, 14-7.