Ellie Case putting down one of her 46 kills during the 2015 OSAA 5A Volleyball State Championship at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon

@VolleyballGrizz

First Team
Claire Hoffman, 10, Marist Catholic
Kalina Rivera, 12, La Salle Prep
Haley Smith, 10, Summit
Lauren Christie, 10, Lebanon
Tatiana Ensz, 11, Bend
Anna Houser, 12, Marist Catholic

Second Team
Ellie Case, 12, Ashland
Emmerson Smith, 11, La Salle Prep
Kaci Cox, 10, Bend
Rachel Berger, 12, La Salle Prep
Isabella Rainaldi, 12, Summit
Sophie Griese, 11, La Salle Prep

Posted on November 8th, 2015 under people. Tags: AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED lens, ashland high school, ellie, Nikon D750, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on 2015 OSAA 5A Volleyball State Championships All‐Tournament Teams

2015 Ashland High School volleyball seniors Liv Rooney, Ellie Case, and Payton Onesti

@VolleyballGrizz

Yesterday’s results were the best for the Grizzlies since the 2009 team took 3rd in Oregon. Ashland was the victim of the toughest matchup schedule of any team at the tournament. OSAA doesn’t adjust the brackets round by round, even after the first round (in which almost an entire week passes), so that the lowest seeded team plays the top seed, etc. Therefore, Ashland had to face the #2 seed and the #1 seed in their only two losses of the tournament. On the other hand, La Salle Prep (who won the same number of matches as Ashland during the year), came in second in the tournament by beating the #13 and #9 seeded teams before losing to #3-seeded Summit in the finals.

I know traditions are hard to break, but why not have each of the top teams play each of the other top teams over the two days? Seems much more fair to determine the final placements than the current system. All the teams are there sitting around waiting to play anyway.

Posted on November 8th, 2015 under only in ashland. Tags: AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED lens, ashland high school, ellie, Nikon D750, volleyball. Comments Off on Ashland High School volleyball takes 6th in state

Seniors Trevor Jones and David Weider (Helena, Montana)

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football

I missed yesterday’s football game, as I was in Portland at the OSAA 5A Volleyball Championship, so the loss was less painful. But has anyone else noticed that the SOU football team has lost three “Senior Day” games in a row? Over the past three seasons, the Raiders are 12-0 at home in games that weren’t Senior Day and 0-3 on Senior Day. Coincidence? I think so, but still…

Massey has dropped SOU in its rankings to #4. The coaches aren’t likely to be as kind. I’m predicting tomorrow’s top ten to look like this:

1. Morningside
2. Baker
3. Grand View
4. Doane
5. Saint Francis
6. Montana Tech
7. Southern Oregon
8. Marian
9. Tabor
10. Montana Western

Assuming SOU and Montana Tech win their final games, I’m predicting the final top seven to look like this:

1. Morningside
2. Baker
3. Grand View
4. Saint Francis
5. Montana Tech
6. Southern Oregon
7. Marian

If things end up this way SOU will likely get only one home game in the playoffs (unless two or more teams in the top five are upset in the first round).

SOU must win at EOU to make the playoffs. The winner of the Montana Tech vs. Montana Western game will also make the playoffs. Montana Western will not make the playoffs if they lose to Montana Tech.

Posted on November 8th, 2015 under people. Tags: football, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on Senior Day Curse? and rankings projections

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football @giddentn

Noon kickoff in Ashland.

Posted on November 7th, 2015 under only in ashland, people. Tags: football, Nikon D750, oshay dunmore, Raider Athletics. Comments Off on Gameday

2015 Ashland High School Volleyball Team

@VolleyballGrizz

Today is day one of the two-day, double elimination championship in Hillsboro, Oregon. You can see the match times and results here.

#7 Ashland squares off against #2 Lebanon first. That doesn’t hardly seem fair given that #13 Churchill gets to go against #5, but that’s OSAA logic for you. For Ashland to win it all, they will likely have to beat the #2, #3, and #1 teams consecutively.

Posted on November 6th, 2015 under people. Tags: ashland high school, Nikon D750, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on 2015 OSAA 5A Volleyball State Championship

@SOUWrestling @SOURaiders @Sydney_Norvell

6:30 p.m. Friday – #12 Menlo at SOU – Riehm Arena

Last chance to watch wrestling at Riehm Arena, before it is demolished for the new facility, is tomorrow night. Both the women and men will be wrestling.

Posted on November 5th, 2015 under only in ashland, people. Tags: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, sports photography, sydney norvell, wrestling. Comments Off on SOU Wrestling

X Suns @ Club 66 (10/15/15)

@xsunsmusic

When Russian Circles came on my Pandora station a few minutes ago, I realized that I still hadn’t processed (or even looked at) my X Suns photos from last month at Club 66. Great band, wonderful performance, no awful vocals to foul things up. Hopefully they keep it that way. BTW, that’s 10 suns, as in the Roman numeral X.

Trent McIntyre and Tim King

Posted on November 3rd, 2015 under only in ashland. Tags: club 66, concert photography, Nikon AF‑S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens, Nikon D750, X Suns. Comments Off on X Suns

Lauren McGowne

@courtney_setzer @SOURaiders @RaiderVB @LMcGowne @souwbb

Courtney Setzer

Lauren McGowne and Courtney Setzer were named Players of the Week for the Cascade Conference. Details here.

Posted on November 2nd, 2015 under only in ashland, people. Tags: basketball, Courtney Setzer, Lauren McGowne, Nikon AF‑S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on Players of the Week

@TravelOregon @NHGoregon

For best results, click on the image when you are viewing this from a computer with a large monitor.

Posted on November 2nd, 2015 under nature, only in ashland. Tags: ashland springs hotel, mt. ashland, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D750, panorama, photoshop photomerge. Comments Off on Early November in Ashland