By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University volleyball team is set to open the 2018 season at the Oregon Trail Classic this weekend at the Pamplin Sports Center on the Lewis & Clark College Campus in Portland, Oregon. Willamette will play two matches on Friday, Aug. 31 and two more matches on Saturday, Sept. 1.
On Friday, the Bearcats will begin the tournament by taking on Johnson & Wales University (Colo.) at 11:30 a.m. (PDT). Willamette will remain on the court to battle Illinois Institute of Technology at 2 p.m. On Saturday, Willamette is set to play the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 10 a.m. before competing against Mills College (Calif.) at 3 p.m.
Willamette's top two leaders in kills last season are back to lead the offense. Jaiden Mason (So., S/OPP, Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School) ranked first for the Bearcats with 165 kills, while averaging 1.96 kills per set. A skilled, all-around player, Mason also led the Bearcats with 406 assists (4.83 avg.) and 23 service aces (0.27 avg.). She was second on the team with 266 digs (3.17 avg.) and 40 total blocks (0.48 avg.). Mason was chosen Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference.
Kendall Fox (Jr., OH, Dupont, WA/Steilacoom HS) registered 150 total kills and 1.95 kills per set. She earned 132 digs (1.71 avg.) and had 16 total blocks as a secondary blocker for the Bearcats.
Mason started all 24 matches and saw action in all 84 sets. Fox played in 22 matches with 19 starts, and competed in 77 sets. The Bearcats finished the year at 8-16 overall, including 5-11 in the NWC.
Other top returning players for the Bearcats include Lauren Stiles (Jr., OH, Altadena, CA/Flintridge Preparatory School), Arianna Khan (So., OPP, Yuba, CA/River Valley HS), Dreux Bertolucci (Sr., OH, Cottonwood, CA/West Valley HS/Shasta College), Jennifer Lane (Jr., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) and Elena Vasquez (So., LIBDS, Kingston, WA/North Kitsap HS).
Stiles earned 100 kills last year and averaged 1.69 kills per set. She provided WU with 109 digs (1.85 avg.). Khan accumulated 93 kills and 2.16 kills per set. Bertolucci supplied a total of 83 kills and 1.60 kills per set, while Lane earned 81 kills and 1.31 kills per set.
Vasquez amassed 372 digs as the team's libero for an average of 4.43 digs per set. She played in all 24 matches and 84 sets. She was chosen two times as the NWC Volleyball Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week.
Head Coach Tom Shoji is starting his 11th season at Willamette. It is his 35th season as a collegiate head coach.
