MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week: Trinity Lutheran volleyball

The girls volleyball team at Trinity Lutheran (Bend) has a lot to live up to.

Last season the Saints reached the Oregon 1A State Volleyball Tournament for the first time in the school's six-year history, before losing to Dufur three games to one.

Without a senior on that squad, expectations are high this season and Trinity Lutheran has opened the season with two straight, both by three game sweeps, over Pacific and Lewis Academy.

For their early success, Trinity Lutheran is the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Coach Greg Clift said it's been a long journey for his squad. But a very worthy one.

"We would have been overwhelmed with joy in being able to win any match," he said. "Our first two wins this year were different. We faced two teams in complete rebuild mode and we have attained a higher level that we're not used to quite yet. We have never been able to dominate like this before, so we're getting used to our new level of play."

In the 25-8, 25-7, 25-18 win over Pacific, outside hitter Emily Eidler dominated with 10 aces in 26 serves and no errors. The 5-foot-10 junior also is a basketball standout.

"Emily has been our most consistent server for the last three years," Clift said. "Stats will back that up. She can place the ball and was going at certain players, so she picked her spots. What makes her a special player is her intelligence at the service line.

"As a team, serving is one of the reasons we have reached the level we're at."

Katie Murphy, a 5-7 senior who also plays basketball, had nine kills and Megan Clift, a 5-4 senior, added six kills. Murphy led the team with eight digs and junior setter Allison Jorge had 15 assists. Sophomore Kenzie Smith added seven assists.

In a 25-6, 25-10, 25-10 win over Lewis Academy, coach Greg Clift selected Jorge as the standout player for the Saints with "superb serving and setting."

Mariah Murphy, a sophomore, led the team with four kills while Taylor McCabe and Jorge had three apiece. Alita Ruggles, a freshman, added five aces and five different players had three digs each.

It was an utterly balanced effort.

Trinity Lutheran continues its season Friday at Triad (Klamath Falls). The Saints have come a long way since going 0-13 and 2-12 in 2010 and 2011. Since then, they've gone a combined 32-14 and last year they won their first league title as well.

The 2014 Saints are loaded with experience with five seniors and four juniors to go with three sophomores and a freshman.

Clift knew his team would be solid and experienced. But they've exceeded expectations.

"We return all six starters and seven of eight off our normal rotation," he said. "Our starting point this year and our collective mind is eighth in state. We simply want to improve on that. ... We want to be in that top level. We could go for No. 1. We would love that. But we're new to this level of play. We're building a program here, not a one-hit wonder. I think we're a program on the rise."

No argument there.

Staff writer Kirstin Beal contributed to this report.

Do you know a team that deserves consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.