North Bend realigns goals for Class 4A title defense.

Byline: Shawn Miller The Register-Guard

The faces and expectations of the North Bend volleyball team have undergone a vast change in the last several months.

Now, the goal for the defending 4A state champions is simply to make the playoffs.

That might sound odd for a program that hasn't lost one league match since it left the Midwestern League in 2002, but for there's good reason for the less lofty goal.

The Bulldogs return only one of nine players off last season's squad, and one of the graduation losses was Kelcy McKenna - the two-time state player of the year.

"I don't know if I would call it rebuilding, but it will certainly be a different look," North Bend coach Les Willett said. "We'd like to make the playoffs. It's going to be a battle. I don't think we can be considered a favorite this year at all."

Douglas and Siuslaw, last season's second- and third-place finishers, respectively, are now the Far West League favorites.

"I think it will be very competitive," Willett said. "It's one of those levels, that the schools are still of enough size that they do get

a few athletes."

In the Sky-Em League, last season's champion - Junction City - appears to be a co-favorite with Sisters, which tied with Marist for second place.

However, just like last season, when the top four teams finished within two games of each other, Marist coach Shari Pimental believes that the league winner is hard to forecast and will be determined by the team that consistently prepares the best.

"I don't think there's anybody that can't beat anybody else," Pimental said. "I think it's gonna be just whatever team wants it, and it's up for grabs."

The Spartans are young this season, with only three seniors and five total returning varsity players, but the team priority hasn't changed.

"It's kind of the same thing we do every year, is to just try to get better every time out. Improve every day, every game out," Pimental said.

The Tigers are the only league school to make the state quarterfinals last season, losing both matches after that point and failing to place.

Pleasant Hill, which finished in fourth place last season - one game behind Marist and Sisters - lost two returning players to season-ending injuries before the season even started.

Senior Jessica Roberts, who broke an arm during the last ski season, hasn't healed enough to compete, and junior Stacy Wagner likely won't return from an unspecified injury.

"We've had our adversities already in the first week and a half," Billies coach Mike Gaffney said.

Gaffney noted that his team still has strong senior leadership, including Braidy Bates, who has played varsity all four years.

"I think she's looking forward to really picking it up in her final year," he said.