Head coach Kristina Thom doesn’t want to talk about it.
Her Westside Christian girls volleyball team is the lone unbeaten team left in Oregon, a fact that was made clear to everyone in attendance at a recent home game from the score table announcer.
For Thom, the recognition is still certainly welcomed, but her Eagles team is much more than a 19-0 record in her eyes.
The team is a reflection of what teamwork, dedication and faith can accomplish.
“It’s not about volleyball, it’s about these fantastic humans and they love volleyball and are really good at the sport,” Thom said. “They know how to do the team thing, they know how to play a required role that is needed. Whether that is physically being on the court during competition or being a gamechanger from the side, they’ve all bought fully into what their role is and I think therein lies the success from a coach’s perspective.”
The Eagles haven’t had an easy path to the 19-0 mark and 10-0 in league play, like going 3-0 at the Cascade Christian Invitational at the end of August to start the season that included wins over Creswell, Cascade and Marist Catholic.
Next, it was a big 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-6, 25-12) win over 3A defending champion and Lewis & Clark League foe Valley Catholic on Sept. 19.
The Eagles also took down 2A title favorite Crosshill Christian on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4, the first a three-set sweep and the second a two-set sweep at the Eagle Classic Volleyball Invitational hosted by Santiam Christian.
It’s all about growth for Thom and why those tough matches against the best of the best are important for her Eagles.
“That’s what it’s about, that they’re just growing,” Thom said. “We’re looking for those competitions where we have no regrets, where we lay it all out there. And I think that’s what’s so fun in high-level volleyball, when we’re playing like a Valley Catholic … The joy of that is both teams are rising up and it’s like you get to level up, both sides.”
Plenty of Eagles have been leveling up all season for Westside Christian, starting with senior setter Ella Perry, who Thom described as a “solid quarterback."
“Anywhere I go, I know I’m going to get pulled aside by coaches and parents from other teams and they’re going to ask about (Perry),” Thom said. “She is not a vertical presence as far as her height, but she is super rangy and athletic and enthusiastic.”
Westside also has a senior libero in Louise Steyn holding down the back row and is someone Thom believes is one the best liberos in the state.
As for hitting the ball, seniors Sam Shepard and Kyler Hildenbrand have been lighting it up all season with junior Simms Todd coming off the bench often and not missing a beat.
Then there’s the middle blockers where senior Kinley Deewall is currently out injured but has continued to lead the team by helping instruct teammates on where to hit a ball or where to be on defense. The senior has excelled at sharing her knowledge of the game as a six-rotation player.
Sophomore Brooklyn Postma and freshman Elliana Dresser have done well in Deewall’s absence on the court, displaying the depth the Eagles have and the big advantage that comes with it.
“When we scout teams, we’re trying to figure out who’s this ball likely going to, who’s the threat?” Thom said. “As a coach, sometimes I get faked out. (Perry) will make a choice and I’m like, ‘Didn’t know she was going there.’ And it’s the right choice.
“There is an arsenal of amazing, high IQ and very athletic players.”
The group doesn’t end there as senior Kate Postma has provided an offensive spark while also holding down a great block, fitting into a welcomed role for the Eagles.
Sophomore Subira Gaciri is training as a setter behind Perry and learning the ropes well as a great scout team player to help the Eagles get better. Raine Spencer is a DS that steps in for injuries and provides a big lift energy wise.
Isabella Lago is another senior currently out with an injury, but has been a “killer” offensively according to Thom while also being a pretty strong block when she’s in.
Above all else though, Thom sees the character in this squad as being the biggest difference maker.
“This squad is some of the highest integrity, kindest, most humble and just loving group of humans I’ve ever encountered,” Thom said. “We’re out there to win, but when we see other players go down with injuries or just hear about something, these girls will stop, circle up and pray. They want the best for whoever it is that is in their presence at that moment.”
The Eagles hope to give their best in a rematch with Valley Catholic set for 6:15 p.m. Oct. 14 on the road. They close the season with three more matches after that against De La Salle North Catholic, Dayton and Yamhill-Carlton.
Win or lose, the goals don’t change for a Westside Christian program that has never reached the state championship game.
In 2023, the Eagles fell in the second round of the state tournament, but avenged that loss in 2024 where they went south to Medford and knocked off the Challengers to make the state quarterfinals in Coos Bay.
After falling to Pleasant Hill in the quarterfinals, the Eagles took home fourth place with two consolation bracket wins, cementing the next step of what Thom and her coaching staff has been building in the program in the last four years.
No matter how 2025 closes out though, Thom is thankful for her first senior class, her coaches, the Westside parents and the group of players as a whole for what they’ve done as Eagles to grow on and off the court.
“I’m so very proud of these girls and I’m honored and privileged to (coach them),” Thom said. “Especially this season, this moment in time of them truly getting to experience the fruits of their labor. They’ve put in a lot of hard work and gritted out so many tough moments.
“They understand how to persevere through adversity.”
austinw@osaa.org
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