Volleyball For A Good Cause

By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

AMITY, Ore.– Riley Stearns has returned home to Amity High School.

After spending the last two years in Colorado, the Warriors Senior returned to the school she called home as a freshman three years ago. Playing the Amity Volleyball Club’s Quad Tournament Saturday afternoon at Amity Middle School.

“It’s great, it’s nice. It’s good to be back with my original team,” said Stearns. “It was so great, especially doing it for charity.”

The tournament itself had three divisions from Female intermediate and advance and a Co-Ed division, the Intermediate and Advance fields had their pool play Saturday before going into bracket play Sunday morning, is a fundraiser for the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund while giving everyone an opportunity to play.

Stearns (right) going up for a play on the ball during the ‘Ballers’ first game of pool play Saturday (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

“It shows how close we are as a community. We can get together, raise some money and play some Volleyball,” said Stearns.

Stearns was part of the ‘Baller’s’ team with fellow Amity teammates Brooke Lopez Gabby Rolston and Emily Rice that went 4-0 on the day. Sweeping their competition in their four set wins.

Teams formed from schools like Amity, Yamhill-Carlton and Willamina to participate in this weekend’s tournament.

For the Willamina team, called the Lady Bulldogs and featured girls like Hallee Hughes, Madison Diehl, Brooklyn Bailey and Alyssa Carpenter, it was a nice break from the Open Gyms they’ve had down the 18 and playing against themselves in their home gym.

The Willamina ‘Lady Bulldogs’ squad will serve off Sunday morning at 8am at Amity High School for the ‘advance’ bracket (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

“It’s definitely a lot more fun because we don’t get to do this stuff due to Covid. Being able to do this definitely will help because of how unprepared we were,” said Hughes. “It definitely helps us on our receives and recovers because we have less people playing.”

Volleyball for a good cause. Nothing better than that.

Hughes squad will be at Amity High School 8am in the ‘Advance’ first round, Stearns squad is at it again at 8:45am to start the double elimination bracket. The ‘Intermediate’ bracket starts 8am Sunday morning at Amity Middle School with the Co-Ed tournament starting Sunday afternoon.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald