Year in Review: Ridgefield volleyball one of 10 to win it all

Delaney Nicoll and teammates still in celebration mode

Note: As we look back on 2018, we would like to congratulate the 10 high school teams that won WIAA state championship during the calendar year. Today, we will feature the Class 2A state volleyball Player of the Year, Delaney Nicoll of Ridgefield, as well as note seven of the other state champions, non-football. Later, look for a story on the best day of sports in 2018. That would have to be Dec. 1, when two Clark County teams won state football titles.

RIDGEFIELD – The smile says it all.

Delaney Nicoll lights up whenever she talks about it, whenever it pops into her mind.

“It’s still so cool. I think about it a lot. I’ll forget for a second, and then I’ll remember. That’s really cool,” Nicoll said.

Delaney Nicoll of Ridgefield poses with the Class 2A volleyball state championship trophy. Nicoll helped the Spudders to the title in November and then was voted the 2A state Player of the Year in December. Photo by Paul Valencia

“We won state more than a month ago, but everything is still continuing. We’re still living it. We’re still living our dream.”

The Spudders came real close in the fall of 2017.

In the fall of 2018, they would not be denied

“Validation. That’s a good word,” Nicoll said. “We all worked so hard for everything, and it paid off.”

The Ridgefield Spudders won the Class 2A state volleyball title in November, becoming the eighth team with Clark County ties to win a high school state championship in the calendar year. Two football teams would add to that list later in this memorable year for the region.

Two weeks ago, the coaches association released the all-state teams for volleyball. Nicoll was voted the 2A Player of the Year.

That just brought the memories back again.

Nicoll is a 6-foot, 1-inch all-around performer. A setter and an outside hitter during most of the season. She moved to the middle for much of the state tournament.

“I just did whatever my team needed me to do,” Nicoll said. “Our coach made some crucial decisions that really helped us at the state tournament. That’s why I like my team so much. We were all open-minded to decisions our coach made. We worked together so perfectly.”

The Spudders won the championship match in four sets, cruising past Lynden 25-16 in the final set.

Year in review: Ridgefield volleyball became the eighth high school sports team from the region to claim a team title in the calendar year. Later, two football teams would win, giving Clark County 10 champions. Photo courtesy of Ridgefield athletics.

“I was kind of playing it like any other game,” Nicoll said.

The Spudders got closer to 25 points, though, and they could feel it.

“It wasn’t just another game. It was our state championship,” Nicoll said. “It meant so much to all of us.”

They soon found out it was special for a lot of other people, too.

“Everyone in the community was so excited,” Nicoll said.

The 2018 championship will always be theirs. They will be able to remember it forever. The Spudders, though, are not done. With only one senior on the 2018 squad, they expect to contend again in 2019.

“Winning state and having (so many) back on the team is extra motivation to try harder next year,” Nicoll said. “We know what it takes to get there. Now we just need to do it again.”

All-State volleyball players from Clark County

4A

Honorable Mention: Gracie Brenner, Skyview, OH; Emma Villauz, Camas, Setter; Emma Nelson, Union, Libero

3A

1st Team: Katie Vroman, Prairie, OH.

2nd Team: Sophia Carter, Prairie, MB; Molly Doyle, Mountain View, MB

Honorable Mention: Molly Packer, Prairie, Libero

2A

Player of the year: Delaney Nicoll, Ridgefield

Coach of the year: Sabrina Dobbs, Ridgefield

1st Team: Nicoll, OH; Kameryn Reynolds, Ridgefield, MB.

2nd Team: Emilea Stepaniuk, Ridgefield, Libero

1A

1st Team: Laynie Erickson, La Center, OH

Honorable Mention: Amanda Holm, La Center, Setter

Here are some links to stories on athletes who were on state championship teams from the 2018 calendar year. And a bonus: Camas won the scholastic cup for excellence in all sports.