The Beginning
By Cami Kalbfleisch
v
Conditioning
It all starts September 1st and goes
through the end of September. Our practice time this
year is from 8 am-10 am, so that is going to be
different than past years. One thing that is the
same is that we always start off by running the
mile, down at Volmer Bowl. It was a little brisk
that morning, but we all think to ourselves, “What A
Great Day To Be A WARRIOR!” Maybe not to that
extreme, but we all know this is what coach is
thinking! To coach’s surprise everyone made their
times, which is a great accomplishment because in
the past years not everyone made it. For those who
don’t make their time, they have to run it every
Friday morning at 6 am until they do make it.
During this time we get some bad news and find out
that we can’t practice on our gym floor because it
wasn’t properly finished. We now have to practice
over at Clarkston High School at 6:00 in the
morning.
The beginning of September is when 400s start. We
run six 400s every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Did I
tell you that we are at 6:00 AM for the month of
September? Towards the end of the month, it got to
the point where it was dark and pretty cold when we
got to the track. As much as we didn’t like it, I
know it made us stronger. It sure made me stronger.
After 400s we would go into Clarkston’s gym and play
(scrimmage) and then we went back to LCSC to weight
lift. On Mondays and Wednesdays we do the dots drill
and a jump-rope series for quickness; scrimmage; and
then lift weights. Everybody made their times on the
400s every week. This showed a lot about our team’s
work ethic and coach informed us that this was the
first time that has happened.
v
Warrior Week- Last week of
September
During Warrior Week we do a series of conditioning.
On the last day of Warrior Week the senior(s)
get to choose an activity to do. This year we played
Tennis.
v
October 1st- First
official day of practice
We practiced the whole month of October. By the 2nd
week in October we finally got back onto our gym
floor. Our practice time was back to 8:00 am and we
all appreciated being able to “sleep in.” On
October 22nd we had a scrimmage against
North Idaho College (NIC). We did okay, but we have
a lot we need to work on. The following week we
began the final preparation our first game against
the University of Fraser Valley.
v
The Big Game
Our first official game of the year was about to
start and we were excited to play, we couldn’t wait.
The nerves are always flying especially right before
the game. Everyone has the first game jitters. We
came out and beat Fraser Valley on both Friday and
Saturday. After Saturday’s game, the Fraser Valley
men’s coach came into the locker room and told us
that we were the best women’s team he had ever seen,
that made us all feel good. Even though we all know
we are going to face harder teams, we also know that
we have a great team and we have a great chance to
win our Conference and Nationals!
Weeks Three, Four and Five
by
Vanessa West
Washington
State (Game #3...2-0)
We went into our third game after a long two week
rest. We went up to the gym for an early shoot
around so we could get familiar with the gym. This
was definitely a good thing because we played on a
court specifically designed for volleyball, and the
lines were a little tricky at first glance. The
shoot around went very well and we game into the
game very focused and ready for a tough match-up At
the end of the first half we were ahead by four. We
held strong for half of the second period, but made
some turn-overs and missed some free throw
opportunities and couldn't quite hold on. We ended
up losing by eight. We came out with our heads held
high because we knew that we were a better team
having made the trip. It was an exciting game, and
I began to realize how much potential our team had.
No doubt, our team is capable of great things.
Staples
Tournament-Cascade College (Game #4...2-0)
Friday night was our first "real" home game. This
is because of a scheduling conflict with the state
volleyball tournament. We were very excited about
playing on our home court, and it showed. We came
out with great intensity and enthusiasm. It was a
lot of fun to finally be playing on our home court.
We are determined to win all our games on our home
turf, and this was a great start. Cami was on fire
and went 5 for 9 from the three-point line. She was
on fire!! It was a great start to her senior
season.
Corban College
(Game #5...3-0)
Night number two of the Staples tournament. Corban
College was formerly Western Baptist. We knew going
into the game that they were a good team. They beat
us on the road last year. Coach told us we needed
to regain focus because it wasn't going to be an
easy game.
We came out very flat, and shot a sickly 35% from
the field, 27% from the three-point line and 57%
from the foul line. Even though we shot poorly, we
still found a way to win. We had a couple great
performances from my fellow post players Ashley and
Aundrea. They dropped a pair of double-doubles on
Corban and were both named to the All-Tournament
Team. They are studs!!! And yes, it is inevitable
that they will both average double-doubles this
season!
Cali!!!
Azusa Pacific
(Game #6...4-0)
We spent Thanksgiving Day hopping from airport to
airport. It didn't really feel like Thanksgiving at
all. But we did get to spend it with family (11 of
my sisters) so it was special in its own way. We
left Lewiston and 50 degree weather, and stepped off
the airplane in California in 80 degree weather.
Ahhh...how sweet! It must have been the sweet ocean
air, because we showed up ready to play on Friday
night, and we shot the lights out. Well okay, we
weren't too hot from the free throw line. We
controlled the tempo throughout the entire game and
found a way to finish. Ashley and Jade had two
standout performances. Both had career high scoring
marks, and led us to our 5th win of the season over
the 12th ranked team in the nation. YAY!
Westmont (Game
#7...5-0)
"No let downs." That's what coach told us coming
into our second game of the tournament. We
definitely weren't as hot from the field as the
previous night, but we battled it out. We had some
trouble icing the game. It wasn't a very pretty
final minute, but we found a way. Aundrea had
another stellar performance knocking down 27 points
and 13 rebounds all while battling a stress facture
and a case of the flu. She is tough cookie! Ashley
was our only other player with double figures in
points and rebounds.
The after
party!!!
So, coming off of two very important road wins, we
went out to LA to do a little site seeing. I had
never been to LA before so this was a very new
experience for me. We went to Universal City,
Hollywood Blvd., Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive. It
was a fabulous night, especially with two more wins
under our belts. We took a stroll through Universal
City, and took a walk amongst the stars. All the
while we got to see a little bit of break dancing in
the streets and a small person dressed as chucky.
Yeah, it was pretty scary. So much so that Katie
was brought to tears, well not really, but she did
let out a little scream.
Rodeo Drive might have been the most exciting part
for me. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was!!!
We drove through at night, so everything was lit
up. All the store fronts were amazing! I couldn't
imagine being able to afford something in one of
those stores. It was like Pretty Woman all over
again! Our trip back to Covina after our night was
over was very eventful. We only made a couple wrong
turns, but we made it back in time to get a couple
hours of sleep before we had to leave for our flight
at 4 in the morning.
What a wonderful trip!! I love this team!
Seattle –
Bellingham Trip
After only being home for a few
days from California, we jumped in the Tahoes and
headed for Bellingham. Though we were a little
crowded, we had a safe trip to Kim’s home town.
After our practice, we went to Kim’s house, where
her family had an amazing meal waiting for us. Her
mom made two kinds of soup that were absolutely
amazing; it was a great pre-game meal. The
following day, we played Western Washington
University. Though WWU was a very good team and we
had some tough match-ups, we didn’t play to our
potential and lost. We were all disappointed but
knew we had to put the past behind us and prepare
for our next match-up: Seattle Pacific University.
The morning after the WWU game,
we were treated to a great breakfast from two of our
dedicated sponsors, Darrel and Dave, after which we
left for Seattle. We practiced that afternoon at
SPU and then went back to the hotel to get ready for
the big game. The big game I’m referring to was the
Seattle Super Sonics vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Janeen, Katya, and Aundrea spent the evening with
family, and the rest of us headed to Key Arena – not
only did we get to see a great game and LaBron
James, we also watched the rubber man, the dancing
ushers, and various other forms of entertainment.
After the game we went to each, and Coach got a
parking ticket for $25. A couple of us “added” a 0
to the 25 and made him sweat for awhile. He tried
to act like it was no big deal, but we could all
tell that he was stressing. We got him good! It
was a great night, but now we had to get ready for
the real “big game.”
The following evening, the
Warriors fell prey to SPU. We played hard, but we
could not get into the flow of our game. The loss
of thirteen was disappointing, but in the end, we
knew we gave it all against a very good team.
Walla-Walla
After returning home from
Seattle on Saturday night, we headed out for yet
another road game, this time in Walla Walla against
Whitman College. Power outages in the gym
threatened to move the game, but in the end, we were
able to play. We came out strong and beat the
Missionaries. We left for home, this time for
good. All of us were ready for a game on our home
court.
Warner
Pacific
We finally were back at home
after a five game road campaign, and everyone was
eager to play on our home floor. We came out strong
and dominated the first game. On Saturday night, we
had a rough first half, but we were able to secure a
win after a strong second half. We racked up tow
more wins over the weekend, making our record 9-2
for the season.
Winter
Break
By Katie Hart
For an average college student
winter break is a time for rest and relaxation, for
a lady warrior basketball player it is time for
conference play! We all had short but sweet visits
home for the holidays, but were eager to get back in
the gym for the start of our regular season.
Knowing that we had some tough games ahead of us,
our practices were intense and productive. As Coach
Orr always says, “Failing to prepare is preparing to
fail.” Aside from basketball, we all had some fun
outside of the gym as well. Without school to worry
about, we were able to relax our minds and have good
time running around Lewiston in Katya’s new Land
Rover. That’s right fans, take it as a warning,
Katya Yancheva got her driver’s license!! I am of
course just giving her a hard time, Katya is great
driver!!
Carroll College (1-0)
Playing the Carroll Saints was
not only exciting because it was our first
conference game, but also because we had the rare
opportunity of playing the number two team in the
nation. That is until we beat them………
The day of the game we all felt
prepared and ready for a battle. Only shooting 35%
from the field and 62% from the free throw line
showed that defense wins games. We lead the saints
by five going into half time however; we knew that
we were going to have to play even harder the second
half. With tremendous effort and hard work we were
able to walk away with a 1-0 conference record,
defeating Carroll College by 12 points. Carroll is
always a hard team to play on the road because of
the support they get from their community, however
we felt right at home this game thanks to our
dedicated fans who made the long trip. Thanks a
bunch.
Rocky Mountain College (2-0)
This game was a true test of
the guts our team has. After the huge win against
the saints we had to travel to Billings to play the
Rocky Mountain Bears. Once again we struggled
offensively, while the bears shot a good percentage
from both the field and the free throw line. Down
the stretch we had some players make some big plays
and big shots to send us into overtime. Going into
the extra four minutes, the looks of my teammates
and coaches showed nothing but confidence. We knew
that we would find a way to win at all costs, and
that is exactly what we did. This game showed the
great character that our team has. This game also
showed that our conference is going to be tough and
that every game is has to be played as if it is a
championship.
Westminster College (3-0)
With only one game last
weekend, we were able to really focus on the team
that has made a complete turn around from last
season. The Griffin’s have been playing with great
confidence and had some added adrenaline due to the
opening of their new activity center. The game was
a forty minute battle. Unlike our first two
conference games, we shot the ball extremely well.
Both Janeen and Cami hit five 3pointers a piece and
Aundrea lead our team with 21 points. We ended up
winning by two points, putting us 3-0 in the
frontier conference. Along with the satisfaction of
a road victory, we also had some fun on the side.
After the big win, we were treated to the Olive
Garden, which would have been McDonalds if we would
have lost. Then we went back to the hotel and
relaxed in the hot tub and played in the pool.
