Granite Falls volleyball building from grassroots level

The Granite Falls volleyball team has won a combined 11 matches over the past three seasons. The Tigers’ new coach, Deanna Haviland, is focusing on building the program from the ground up. She’s been working with the town’s Boys & Girls Club to boost the sport’s popularity with young children.

“We want to teach the game to kids so they can learn the verbiage and the way we run things at the high school level so they don’t have to learn the basics their freshman year,” Haviland said. “This year we had 16 freshmen turn out. The previous year we had four. (The community involvement) makes a big difference. ”

While looking to the future, Haviland is excited about the potential of her current squad, which has a 1-3 record, to be competitive in the Cascade Conference this fall. Captains Sis Haviland (outside hitter) and Meghan Schwartz (setter) have provided production and leadership.

“They have a better opportunity this year than in the past to have success,” she said of her players. “They’re more cohesive, and they jell well together. This is the first year they’ve really trusted each other on the court.”