The Grant Union Prospector volleyball team is ready to defend its Wapiti League and district tournament titles and spike its way to another shot at the state championship title this year.

Grant Union hosts Crane for its first game of the season Friday, Aug. 25, with junior varsity starting at 4 p.m., followed by varsity.

The team ended last season with the best 2A record in the state, 28-4, finishing third at the state tournament.

Shae Speth, who is in her 12th year coaching the team, including nine years as head coach, said she’s encouraged this season.

“The returning players have a ton of experience and finished well last year,” she said. “They work really well together.”

She added the seniors are showing good leadership skills.

Speth said she expects the team go far in the postseason this year, especially if they refine their serve-receive and passing and play with last year’s intensity.

“We definitely want to defend our league and district titles and finish well at state,” she said.

Joining this year’s three seniors are seven juniors, six sophomores and 11 freshmen.

Assistant coaches, Rhonda McCumber, who coaches junior varsity I, and Shanna Northway, junior varsity II, both assist with varsity coaching.

The team lost some key players to graduation, including Heather Mosley and her height at middle; outside hitter Chelsie Kodesh; and libero Natalie Stearns.

This year’s seniors include outside hitter Mariah Moulton, who has been placed on the AVCA Under Armour All-American Watch List for elite senior volleyball student-athletes. The AVCA will select 72 athletes as Under Armour All-Americans in November.

“Mariah continues to get stronger as a hitter and defender,” Speth said.

Moulton said she’s seeing positive attitudes in the team.

“We’ve been to state the last three years, and people expect a lot out of us, and we plan on bringing it,” she said. “We’ve had a strong program, and we plan on keeping it that way.”

Two other seniors on the team are libero Whitney McClellan and opposite Reagan Shelley.

“Whitney has improved a lot with her communication and leadership in the back row,” Speth said, adding that Shelley is showing confidence in her hitting and defense.

Shelley said, although there are a lot of new girls this year, she thinks the team will be strong.

“We’re just going to have to focus on our goals,” she said. “We have really good serving, and I think that’s going to be our biggest strength.”

McClellan said she believes, with this year’s group, they’ll accomplish their goals.

“We’re planning on making it back to the state tournament this year,” she said.

Grant Union will face four league opponents this year, including Enterprise, Imbler, Union and Elgin.

Speth said she thinks they’ll have their strongest competition from Union and Enterprise.

“Union has a lot of seniors, so they may give us some trouble,” she said, adding, “Enterprise has been improving every year.”

Imbler, with 11 seniors who graduated and just one returning starter, is an unknown.

Grant Union earned an AVCA Team Academic Award for 2016-2017, receiving the honor for the third consecutive year.

“Our student-athletes pride themselves on being successful both on the court and in the classroom,” she said.

2017 Grant Union volleyball schedule

Aug. 25: JV/V vs. Crane, 4 p.m. beginning with JV

Aug. 26: V hosts GU Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 2: JV/V @ Heppner Invitational Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 5: JV/V vs. Culver, 5 p.m.

Sept. 6: JV II/JVI vs. Dayville/Monument, 5 p.m.

Sept. 9: V @ Reedsport Volleyball Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 15: V @ Baker Invitational Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 19: JVII, JV I, V @ Burns, 4 p.m.

Sept. 23: JV/V vs. Enterprise, 12 p.m.

Spet. 23: JV/V vs. Elgin, 5 p.m.

Sept. 26: JVII/JVI/V vs. La Grande, 4 p.m.

Sept. 28: JV/V @ Imbler, 4 p.m.

Sept. 29: JV/V vs. Union, 4 p.m.

Oct. 4: JVII/JV1 @ Dayville/Monument in Dayville, 5 p.m.

Oct. 7: JV/V @ Enterprise, 12 p.m.

Oct. 7: JV/V @ Elgin, 5 p.m.

Oct. 12: JVII/JVI vs. Prairie City, 5 p.m.

Oct. 13: JV/V vs. Imbler, 4 p.m.

Oct. 14: JV/V @ Union, 1 p.m.

Oct. 17: JVII/JVI/V vs. Burns, 4 p.m. (senior night)

Oct. 18: JV/V @ Crane, 4 p.m.

Oct. 21: Wapiti District Tournament at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, TBD

Oct. 28: First round state playoffs at Ridgeview High School in Redmond

Nov. 3-4: State playoffs continue at Ridgeview High School in Redmond