Mount Hood

Women’s volleyball falls to Northwest Nazarene

By: Jamal Smith 
Freelancer

The Western Oregon women’s volleyball team lost at home in three sets on Sat., Oct. 3, 2015 to Northwest Nazarene University (NNU). The set scores were 15-25, 20-25 and 17-25, all in NNU’s favor.

NNU pulled away from the Wolves in the first set, accumulating a lead that Western couldn’t claw back from.

The second set was much closer and went back and forth until the Wolves found themselves even with NNU with a score of 20-20. However, NNU would score the next 5 unanswered points to win the second set.

Western showed determination in the third set, but they were out matched again and lost the set with a score of 17-25.

Sophomore Alisha Bettinson had 10 kills, 1 block, and 1 ace. First-year Amanda Short and Mariella Vandenkooy both had 8 kills for the Wolves.

The conference loss gives Western Oregon an overall record of 4-11, and 1-5 in GNAC conference play.

The next two games for the Wolves are on the road when they play Simon Fraser University on Oct. 8, 2015, and then Western Washington University on Oct. 10, 2015. The next home game is against Concordia on Tuesday Oct. 13, 2015 at 7 p.m. in the New P.E. building.
The Concordia test is also a “Red Out!” game, so be sure to dress in red. For more information please contact WOU Athletics at 503-838-9030.

Wolves athlete finds drive to play two sports

By: Alvin Wilson 
Freelancer

The phrase “go hard or go home” may be the most accurate way to describe Andy Avgi, a junior athlete who has a strong desire to compete.

While most athletes’ thirst for competition and victory would be quenched by one sport, Avgi thirsts for more. And at 6’6“ and 270 lbs., Avgi is built well to play a wide variety of competitive sports.

Avgi has been playing basketball for three years at Western, and, on his final stretch toward graduation, he decided to try for football.

“When I decided to play basketball in college, I knew there would be some point in my life that I would want to play [football] again,” said Avgi.

Avgi mentioned a talk with Kevin Boss, NFL tight end and Western alumnus, that influenced his decision.

“I talked with Kevin Boss, who used to play football and basketball here, about the opportunity of playing after college,” Avgi said, “I really do want to play after college, potentially the NFL. I think that’s really what pushed me to do it.”

Although Avgi sees football in his future, he said basketball was his first passion.

“In high school I played a lot of sports, the main ones being basketball and football, and honestly I enjoyed basketball more,” he said. “I think a big part of that was that we were better in basketball than we were in football. In football we were kind of at the bottom of the pack.”

Avgi has been a competitive person for as long as he can remember. This drive for competition fuels his desire to perform to his full potential.

“When I was growing up, I was really competitive,” said Avgi. “I want to be the best at whatever I do. It’s just kind of ingrained in my brain. Whatever I’m doing, I’m going to do it to my fullest.”

Playing two sports at a time sounds like a difficult task, but Avgi is handling it well.

“It’s actually not too bad,’ he said, “Basketball season doesn’t officially start until November. Right now I’m just focused on football until football season is over. When it’s basketball season I’ll focus just on that. I’ll probably start shooting with the coach within a week or so, but it works out pretty well. “

Loyalty to the team is highly valued in sports, but Avgi said his teams understand his decision to play both sports.

“There’s always a lot of joking around, like, ‘oh come on, just play basketball,’ or, ‘just play football,’ but they know it’s in my best interest to play both. I can actually help out on both teams.”

Avgi is enjoying his experience so far, especially because it is something new.

“It’s definitely fun. I like it because it’s different. It’s something I’m not used to,” said Avgi. “It’s re-learning something I haven’t done in a while. I’ve been doing the same things in basketball, so it’s nice learning different things and things I never knew about football when I was in high school.”

Cross-country starts new season with a strong showing.

By:Grace Knapp
Staff Writer

Motivated by last year’s poor performance at the regional meet, the men’s and women’s cross-country (XC) team have been training harder than ever for the start of the 2015-2016 season and head coach Mark Johnson believes their rigorous preparation shows.

“There is some tough talent to compete with in our league, but we have the potential to run with them,” Johnson said.

So far this season, sophomore David Ribich has already distinguished himself as a top competitor in the GNAC. Ribich placed 10th out of 280 runners at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, WA, helping the men’s team secure eighth place out of twenty-six teams.

The women placed 16th overall at Sundodger, lead by transfer student Nichole Maurmann who posted a 6-kilometer time of 22 minutes 59.64 seconds earning her 59th, and senior Stephanie Stuckey who also competed in the 6km finished slightly behind Maurmann at 80th with a time of 23 minutes 15.16 seconds.

Western also hosted the Ash Creek XC Festival on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. The annual event is a chance to preview the GNAC cross-country field. With respectable showings for both men and women, the Wolves coasted to fourth and eighth respectively.

The runners’ ambitions now turn to the Willamette Invitational at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., Saturday Oct. 10, 2015. – Grace Knapp (Staff Writer)

Early missteps lead to improvement for women’s scocer.

By: Grace Knapp 
Staff Writer

The Wolves women’s soccer team is off to a rockier start than anticipated this season, currently sitting at 4 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw (4-3-1).

Their first two GNAC conference games ended in 0-1 loss at home to Western Washington on Sept. 19, 2015, and 1-2 loss to Montana State Billings on the road Sept. 24, 2015.
Looking for conference improvement, the squad managed a 2-2 draw at Northwest Nazarene with goals on either side of the half from Vicky Rosales (MF) at 12 minutes, and Kealakekua Makekau (MF/D) at 53 minutes.

Despite the opening league losses last week, the women’s soccer team is hopeful of placing top four in conference, securing them a spot at playoffs.
The Wolves are currently 0-2-1 in conference, but head coach Steve Ancheta does not believe their record reflects their talent.

“We are still early in the season, and we still haven’t played our best yet,” Ancheta said. “Each game we get better, so I am excited to see what the girls bring to our next match.”

Saturday Oct. 3, 2015 at 1 p.m. the Wolves will face Central Washington University (CWU) at home on the WOU Soccer Field. The CWU Wildcats are currently 2-5 overall and 0-2 in conference.

For more information on scheduling, tickets, and roster please visit wouwolves.com. – Grace Knapp (Staff Writer)

Wolves football update

By: Katrina Penaflor
Managing Editor

In the opening game of the 2015-2016 regular season Sept. 5, 2015, Western played to a 29-20 loss against Humboldt State.

The loss, however, showcased the talent of senior quarterback Trey Shimabukuro, who rallied to throw for 368 yards and three touchdowns.

When facing Simon Fraser University Sept. 12, 2015 in their first home game at McArthur Field, the Wolves proved strong with a second-half comeback, winning the game 31-14.
Paul Revis (WR), sophomore and Preseason All-American, fueled the team by taking back a 53 yard punt to score in the first quarter.

In the post-game recap, head coach Arne Ferguson said, “Paul Revis is a phenomenal athlete and we want the ball in his hands as many times as we can.”

Western faced a second loss in the regular season against Central Washington University (CWU) on Sept. 19, 2015.

The team’s vigorous attempts at redemption were not enough to overcome the 40 points scored by CWU in the first half. The final score read a grim 19-40.

In the latest game, the Wolves took to Providence Park in Portland, Sept. 26, 2015 to play Division I-AA Portland State University (PSU).

The Vikings dominated the field with a season high 59 rushing attempts for 256 yards. Despite defensive efforts from standout’s Jonathan Breland (LB) senior, who finished with 12 tackles, and senior Doug Parrish (LB), who managed six tackles, PSU took home the victory 31-0.

The season is just getting started though, and in an interview with Wolves sportscaster Mark Gilm, Revis (WR) said, “we’ve just got to utilize our weapons and let our offense march down the field, and I think we’ll have success with that.”

Western plays Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, Friday Oct. 2, 2015 at 6 p.m. – Katrina Penaflor (Managing Editor)

Wolves alumni Tyrell Williams named to Chargers regular season roster.

By: Jack Armstrong
Copy Editor

Western alumnus Tyrell Williams (WR) has been named to the 53-man, regular season roster for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL. He made his official NFL Debut on Sep. 19, 2015 during the Chargers 33-28 win over the Detroit Lions.

Williams’ route to the NFL was far from traditional. Williams had a stand out senior year playing for WOU. After starting 10 games, he racked up a total of 56 catches, 950 yards, and 8 touchdowns.

With a successful senior season under his belt, Williams attended the Oregon State Pro Day on March 13, 2015. As an undrafted free agent, Oregon’s annual pro day was a chance for Williams to work-out in front of the same scouts that evaluate players at the NFL’s Draft Combine.

Undrafted free agents are a unique prospect for many NFL teams looking to make a swoop for quality players who were not invited to participate in the traditional Draft.

Williams actually posted times on his 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad leap that would have put him amongst the top 15 wide receivers in the official NFL combine. His three-cone drill time would have seen him be the best in the combine, completing the drill almost a tenth of a second faster the quickest combine player.

Williams’ ability to perform was not in question around Western’s campus, but being an undrafted free agent does come with some additional difficulty breaking into the professional league.

Often talented colligate players are left out of the NFL combine for a variety of reasons. Some reasons are as simple as a coming from a division two school like Williams coming from Western; some reasons are as complicated as on-going criminal investigations like Louisiana State’s La’El Collins (OT).

Regardless of why he was left undrafted, Williams proved himself during pro day and hasn’t looked back. After being signed to the Chargers pre-season squad, he put together a string of impressive performances including 10 receptions in 4 games for a total of 137 yards. One of those receptions led to a 63 yard touchdown.

After the brief possibility of being waived in-favor of a more senior player, it was announced that Williams would be named in the 53-man squad for the Chargers 2015-2016 regular season.

He is currently listed as a practice squad player, however, given the recent injury woes experienced by San Diego – especially fellow wide receiver Jacoby Jones (ankle) – Williams could get a full NFL game-day debut soon.

Women’s volleyball update: starting from scratch.

By: Grace Knapp
Staff Writer

Composed of mostly underclassmen and completely devoid of seniors, the new-look Wolves volleyball team faces an uphill battle in the highly competitive GNAC conference.

“With our overall lack of experience, we get exposed during games,” head coach Brad Saindon said. “But the team is at the beginning of a huge growth spurt, and I’m excited to see what we can become.”

During the run up to the regular season, the women hosted the Western Oregon Volleyball Invitational tournament from Sept. 10, 2015 through Sept. 12, 2015. WOU played to mixed results racking up 2 wins against Adelphi University and Notre Dame De Namur University, and 2 losses against California State University Chico and University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Western also attended the two-day Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Golden, Co. from Sept. 4, 2015 through Sept. 5 2015 to less success, losing all four games. Two of these games, however, were against Colorado School of Mines and California State University San Bernardino who are ranked #8 and #19 respectively.

The Wolves who are currently 4 wins and 9 losses (4-9) overall and 1-3 in conference will face the defending GNAC champion Northwest Nazarene University at home at 7 p.m. Oct. 3, 2015 in the New P.E. building. NNU is currently 5-7 overall and 2-2 in GNAC. – Grace Knapp (Staff Writer)