NWAC Volleyball Championship 2019
Student Spotlight: Jocelyn Hillyer
A great leader takes her final bow
Twenty-four-year-old Pierce College student Jocelyn Hillyer is a humble athlete, a military wife, a mother, a future educator and a decorated Pierce volleyball player. Her drive and ambition has made a definite impact to those around her and added a sense of family to the team.

Jocelyn Hillyer won the AVCA, All-American two-year college award as a first team pick among fifteen other state wide college students.
As a member of the Raider volleyball team, she earned a number of awards last year. Hillyer won most valuable player for the Northwest Athletic Conference West Division. She was also voted player of the week for Under Armour, and the national Amateur Volleyball Coaches Association award.
Hillyer played for Pierce in 2015 before moving to Texas. She had a scholarship for Texas State University, but found the atmosphere and environment was not for her. She returned to Pierce last year.
Women’s volleyball coach Greg Finel was captivated by Hillyer’s skill, heart and passion. “Hillyer is one of the top five, best female athletes to ever play at Pierce. I don’t know if there will ever be another player like Jocelyn in the Northwest Athletic Conference again,” he said.
Hillyer has a soft but noticeable leadership. She does not allow fear or nerves to set in when she plays because she trusts in her ability. “She has added dimension to the team. There is an underlying feeling that you have to play up to this potential, because you know she’s going to do the same thing,” Finel said.

Jocelyn Hillyer was first introduced to Volleyball when her high school coach approached her. She says she was not any good at first, but today she is one of the top 5 female Pierce athletes.
Teammate Kenzie Seitz relied on Hillyer in order to gain momentum. “Every ball she puts down just fueled me to get the next one dug for her to attack again,” Seitz said.
As a high school freshman, Hillyer made varsity, even though she did not play well. As a beginner, she discovered the value of being a humble athlete. “It puts an aspect on who you are to society and what you cannot only bring to your team but to the world,” she said.
The team would take Hillyer’s 2-year-old daughter with them to games like she was their tiny Raider mascot. Hillyer said she felt as though she had a second family with her team because the player’s loved ones watched over her daughter while they cheered.
The family dynamic moved the Raiders to succeed. The team built a stronger connection because they adopted an “I got your back” mentality. “We cared about each other’s lives and got to know each other on a deeper level, which made us a family – not just a team,” Seitz said.
Hillyer will be exchanging her Raider uniform for a Geoduck this fall. Thanks to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics partial scholarship, she can further her education at Evergreen State College.
She will continue working towards her degree in teaching kindergarten through third grade at Evergreen. Her love of teaching extends from a charming place in her heart. “I didn’t have a good experience growing up with teachers,” she said. “I also came from a minority town, and we didn’t have the resources or teachers that fostered my learning, so I want to be that teacher for children.”
Hillyer took her last bow on Pierce’s court in November; but she will be bringing her determination and influence to Evergreen. “I hope she continues to play for the love and passion of the sport,” Finel said.
Lady Raiders are No. 2 in Conference
Women’s Volleyball Places Third in State Tournament
Pierce’s women’s volleyball team competed in the Northwest Athletic Conference championships from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17, hoping to rank in the top four, which would be a first for the program since 1980.
Though Pierce lost to Spokane and Highline at the Tacoma Convention Center, the Raiders placed third and felt proud of how they ended the season. Players Hattey Smith and Jocelyn Hillyer were the team’s most valuable players throughout the season and during the tournament.
In order to qualify for the championships, teams have to place in the top four out of 16 in the regular season. The tournament was held at the Tacoma Convention Center.
“Jocelyn was the MVP of the West; she finished the season first. She was first team selection,” said women’s volleyball head coach Greg Finel. “Hattey actually finished the season first in assists; she made second team (selection) for the West, and she made second team for the alternate team also.”
Even though those two stood out, the rest of the team did their part and held their own during the matches, Finel said.
“You have players who do really well when they lead different categories,” Finel said. “But it took everybody, every single person and every single moment to be as successful as we were. We had some players stand out this day, and another player stand out that day. So when one player wasn’t doing well, another one stepped up just to pick the other one up.”
The coach reflected on his time here at Pierce and working with the volleyball team. “I’ve been here three years, so it was a combination of all the work we’ve been putting forth in the last three years as far as going out and putting the right foot forward,” Finel said.
The chances of the Pierce women’s volleyball team being in the final two was squashed when they lost to their toughest competitors in the tournament.
As for any changes in the team’s roster next season, Smith said: “Some new freshman. But we have a lot of freshman this year, so the sophomore class will be really big.”
Finel shared his vision for next year’s team. ‘We’re losing three key players. But the goal is to bring in five to six new players that are bigger, better, faster, stronger than the players leaving and some of the players we have. The goal is to find the right fit, not just they can play, and they’re athletic and they’re big. But will they fit into the system and will they get along with the girls we already have?’
For more about Pierce College’s Raiders at NWAC Volleyball Championship, watch this video!
Raiders win first round in tournament
Stronger, faster, better Raiders show what they are made of
Pierce College Raiders (left to right) #14 Ryleigh Burdick and #6 Kenzie Seltz after NWAC Tournament at Pierce College Health Education Center Monday, November 20, 2017.
Raiders vs. Skagit Valley Cardinals
September 14 @ HEC
Raiders Fight Hard for a Division Title
The Raiders volleyball team starts the season with a record of 3-2 in division play.
End of the season review: Volleyball
The season for our volleyball team has ended and the focus for next season begins
The Raiders volleyball team fell into fourth place in the NWAC West division this year, missing the playoffs by just one place down. The team pulled off 5 league wins this season, but came away with 9 losses also. Their division was tough this year with Tacoma going 13-1 and Highline right behind them at 11-3.
The turning point for this season was the match at Grays Harbor. The Raiders needed to win the next 3 out of 4 games in order to reach the play-offs.
The game at Green River, which was the Sophomore night, was a need to win game.
“We played well again, but again Green River stood tall, blocked well, and played well,” said Doug Carlson, Raiders volleyball head coach of the game. “We performed good, but they performed better.”
On the offensive side of the game, the kills ( successful, legal, point-scoring play ) leader this year was Hailey Harn with 195. Right behind her was Brianna Hardee (167) and Taylor Buell(113).
Defensively, the digs (A defensive contact following an opponent’s attack resulting in a playable ball) leader was Helena Stout with 452. Following up was Taylor Buell (284) and Brianna Hardee (254).
“Hailey Harn and Brianna Hardee played really well, hitting outside for us and playing great defence with blocking real well. Those two are our stand out players this year.” Carlson said when asked about stand-out players. Both are sophomores that will not be returning for next season.
This year is a building year. Five freshmen were on the team this year and are expected to be back for next season.
“We have a good freshmen class.” stated Carlson “I am excited to have the freshmen. We will have a good returning class.”
Stats for the season
TEAM PER-GAME:
Games played: 80
Kills per game: 9.65
Assists per game: 8.60
Service aces per game: 1.62
Reception errors per game: 1.46
Digs per game: 19.76
Blocks per game: 1.01
Ball handling errors per game: 0.05
Reception errors per game: 1.46
Overall record: 9-12 Conference: 6-8
Head Coach: Doug Carlson
Asst. Coach: Cami Medlock
Team: : Brianna Glass, Taylor Buell, Karissa Smith, Brittany Smith, Breana Horvill, Lianna Guajardo, Haley Harn, Samatia Huntley, Marissa Morris, Helena Stout

Dominic Wilkerson is the Managing Editor of The Pioneer. Please contact me at [email protected] or 253-964-6604. The Pioneer office is located in...
Thunderbird’s take down third place Raiders
Justin Harmon Staff Writer
It was a tale of two nights for Pierce’s women’s volleyball team. In a match-up pitting the second place Highline Thunderbirds against the third place Pierce Raiders viewers witnessed two talented teams go head to head Wednesday night as they get ready for the upcoming playoffs.
Early on it looked as if it would be the Raiders night. Mackenzie Valdez and Brittany Rutherford were a force to be reckoned with throughout the first set. Behind Kill after Kill the raiders jumped out to a 19-13 lead and were seemingly in control of the game.
Valdez standing 5 feet six inches tall did much of her damage (13 kills overall) in the first set. Valdez along with Rutherford combined for 21 kills altogether and helped set the early tone for the Raider’s volleyball team. “I thought we served well and played good Solid Raider volleyball,” said Head Coach Doug Carlson.
The Thunderbirds would narrow the margin to 21-19 but behind two vicious spikes from Freshman Casey Williams the Raiders would put the set away 25-21.
Unfortunately, that would be the high point of the night for the Raiders. Highline would take a 6-2 lead early in the second set forcing Coach Doug Carlson to take a timeout. The Raiders clawed back to even the score at 6-6 but behind great defense and a flurry of blocks the Thunderbirds went on stifling 19-4 run to close out the second set 25-10.
Mikaela Ballou and Jessica Markham who combined for 27 kills led the Thunderbirds on an 8-0 lead to start set three. The Raiders rallied for a 17-14 point differential over the latter half of the set but couldn’t overcome the early deficit. The Thunderbirds took the third and fourth set by scores of 25-14 and 25-8 all but seizing momentum and taking the win in a dominant effort.
“We didn’t make the adjustments we needed to make. It’s as simple as that,” Said Coach Carlson. When asked if he thought the defense of the Thunderbirds led to the momentum shift he responded,” I thought they were good not great. I don’t think it was anything they did that disrupted us.” The Raiders look to rebound at the Crossover tournament Oct. 18th-19th before traveling to Centralia Oct. 23rd.
Pierce College hosts state championship volleyball game
Denise Yochum
Contributing Writer
Dear College Community,
You may have heard that Pierce College will be hosting the WIAA 2A State Volleyball Championships on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10, at the FS HEC.
This is the first time that Pierce College has had the opportunity to host a state championship event, and it will be quite an undertaking.
The HEC will be fully taken over by the WIAA to run the state championship, and as a result, will have some impact on our normal flow of academics and events.
The HEC will shut down on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 12:00p.m. for set up of the event. There will be no classroom, fitness center, gym, or locker room use in the facility until Monday, Nov. 12. Academic classes in the HEC will move to other buildings on campus for their Friday sessions. Most of the event spectators will use the South Parking Lot and South Overflow Lot. The Dental Hygiene parking lot will be used for event staff and team parking on Friday and Saturday.
If there are any areas of questions or concerns, please direct them to me; otherwise Duncan and Doug will be on-site full-time for the event, and any logistical questions can be directed to them.
We look forward to a great community and state event, and know that this will be attracting students and bringing Pierce College to the forefront of students and parents minds when they are choosing a college.
Go Raiders!
Thanks,
Denise
Denise Yochum
President
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
(253) 964-6776
Lady Raiders volleyball team optimistic for next year

Freshmen head into the offseason prepared for Coach Carlson’s strength and conditioning program
Sarah Carlson and James Cooks
Staff Writers
Despite an entirely new team this year, with a team built entirely on freshman, the Pierce College Volleyball program was represented well with a “good” season, according to Coach Doug Carlson.
So how has this fresh group of young ladies impacted the Pierce College Volleyball Program? Coach Carlson said, “This year’s team has been great to work with. They have each grown a lot this year and I look forward to next season when they have the experience and confidence on top of their skill”.
When asked how he thought his team performed this past season, he answered, “Overall, this past season was a good one. We won about 50 percent of our games, and were 6-6 in the league games.”
He added, “However, we have a lot of room for improvement, and my goal is for each of the players to develop their skill and push themselves before next season.” His proudest moment this season, “Our comeback at Green River CC. We were down 2-1, 20-24, but we came back in the 4th game and won 26-24. We also won the 5th game. It was one of the greatest comebacks I have experienced as a coach, and definitely my proudest moment of this season.”
Coach Carlson points out the Raiders three biggest competitors this year. “TCC, Clark and Lower Columbia. TCC has our number.”
He added, “We were close in both matches but, you know, a point here or a point there will change the whole tenor of game. So it was close, but TCC got us this year. We had two really close games against Lower Columbia and Clark, but in the end, those three teams swept us.”
Over the course of the season, players improve and regress as well. As the season progresses, the leaders of the lockerroom also start show.
This year Carlson identified three players for that category, “Hannah Steidle, Dori Smith and Jennie Demick were probably the most improved this year.”
As far as leadership skills, “I’d have to say all three of my captains (Richelle Carel, Natima Doss and English Bryant) showed great leadership skills. The three of them will definitely all come back next year as captains.”
Two of the three team Captains, English Bryant, Richelle Carel both had similar statements concerning how they feel this past season went.
Bryant claimed, “I enjoyed this season and getting to know each of my teammates and growing with them has been a blast!”
Carel stated,“It was a good year, but next year is going to be even better!”
Every team must continue to improve season to season to improve their play, and ultimately their result. Coach Doug wants that for this team.
This is what he had to say regarding their offseason training plan, “Mainly just overall strength, quickness and jumping ability will need to be improved going into the offseason. The skill is there, it’s just a matter of improving with experience, so I am really excited to see how they each grow as players and as a team coming into the next season!”
Thank you for a great season Lady Raiders! See you on the court next fall.
NWACC West League Table
W-L PCT W-L
Z -Highline 9-3 .750 15-22
X-Tacoma 8-4 .667 26-13
X-Clark 8-4 .667 14-18
X-Low. Col. 7-5 .583 18-23
Pierce 5-7 .417 12-23
G. River 4-8 .333 10-20
Centralia 1-11 .083 3-25
Spotlight: Jennie Demick
Sports can often be a helpful tool in a student’s development over time, and for Jennie Demick learning to play volleyball changed her life forever.
Before Demick found her passion for volleyball, she and her sister grew up in foster care.
At the age of seven, Demick was with her third foster family. A couple adopted her and her biological sister with children of there own. Although Demick and her sister finally found a home, the transition was not without its challenges.
“In the beginning it was difficult because they missed a part of my childhood,” Demick said.
“ I had a different style growing up so I had to adjust to their way of life and meet them in the middle.”
One thing that was able to help her overcome these difficulties was her participation in different sports, starting in the sixth grade.
“ At first, sports were like an escape. There were many problems growing up in my life and I would go to volleyball or soccer practice upset,” Demick said.
“ Sports became my life, but then I had support from my love ones and the passion grew. Playing a sport helped me become more caring.”
As time went on, the confusion of her life turned into dedication for sports, particularly a love for volleyball. Jennie recalls that at one of her sister’s volleyball tournaments, a friend on the team gave me the coaches’ number for a college team. She called him and came in for tryouts. From that moment on, she became devoted to her practices and soon found a family in not only her adoptive parents and sister, but also in her teammates.
Demick refers to her teammates as a family that supports each other on a daily basis.
“If we see one person go down, we help each other,” Demick said.
Volleyball was her main focus, but she also found comfort in figure skating. She helps college students with disabilities because she wants to assistance those in need.
Every situation is different. I honestly have to say sometimes the worse has to come before it becomes good,” Demick said.
“I can remember crying all the time and something good would happen, but life is full of obstacles. This is why we have friends and family there for us.”