11 C.O. high school teams advance to state playoffs; Bend, Summit win volleyball openers

(Update: adding video, Bend, Summit volleyball wins, quotes from Ridgeview volleyball coach and player)

Boys and girls soccer, volleyball playoffs start this week

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Nearly a dozen Central Oregon high school sports teams are getting a chance to compete in the state playoffs for the first since 2019.

Eleven Central Oregon teams are taking part this week in the boys and girls soccer and volleyball playoffs. Six of those teams will be hosting home games: Bend girls soccer, Bend volleyball, Ridgeview volleyball, Sisters volleyball, Summit boys soccer and Summit girls soccer.

Five of the other teams in playoffs will be playing on the road: Culver volleyball, Crook County volleyball, La Pine volleyball, Redmond volleyball and Summit volleyball.

Last year's state playoffs were canceled due to COVID-19.

And the week got off to a promising start, as the Bend volleyball team advanced Monday night, defeating Gresham 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-14). So did the Summit squad, defeating Ida B. Wells 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-21).

So Bend and Summit now have second-round 6A matchups set for Saturday. Bend will host Mountainside, while Summit will be on the road against top-seeded West Linn.

A few other teams to watch during the playoffs: Summit boys soccer, Ridgeview volleyball and Sisters volleyball.

The Storm soccer team is looking to win its first 6A state title after losing in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019. Ridgeview, ranked No. 4 in the state, could win technically back-to-back state titles after the Ravens captured the 2019 crown. Sisters could win its first state title since 2017, but will have to without injured outside hitter Greta Davis, one of the team's best players.

Ridgeview volleyball Head Coach Randi Vaggiano laid out the team's mission: “Just to capitalize on every opportunity we didn’t have last year. And we met our first goal, being undefeated league champs, and now it's to make It to Liberty High School.”

Senior Jenna Albrecht was on the Ravens' 2019 state title team as a sophomore.

“Having this opportunity is just so much fun, and I’m so grateful for it," Albrecht told NewsChannel 21 on Wednesday. “The thought of having something back-to-back like that, or two times, is just amazing to think about.”