Two-sport standout Koering of Woodland will be busy competing for Lady Devils
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 5:53 PM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
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E-mail this articleBefore her senior year at Woodland High School, Cassie Koering mapped out her future.
“I planned to go to Eastern Washington University and enter the nursing program as part of the Army Reserves,” she said. “When the sports seasons began, I started getting more recognition. I realized I enjoyed sports and wanted to keep playing.”
Her father suggested she choose between Clark College of Vancouver and Lower Columbia College to continue her career as a student-athlete, so she could remain close to home and save money.
Koering chose Lower Columbia, but she couldn’t decide whether to play volleyball or basketball. During her prep career at Woodland, she was an all-league standout in both sports.
Instead of sacrificing one, Koering is going to play both with the Lady Devils.
“They said it would be difficult to play both, but Chad (Meadors, LCC women’s basketball coach) said he will have me lay off the basketball practice during volleyball season,” she said. “I’ve never been able to choose which sport is my favorite, and my dad has said my favorite is the one I’m playing at the time. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Meadors said he admires Koering’s determination to compete in back-to-back collegiate sports seasons.
“It takes a special individual to compete in both sports and know what they are getting into,” he said. “She will focus on volleyball before diving into basketball at the end of the season.”
Playing two sports often puts a strain on grades. But Meadors said he’s confident that won’t be an issue for Koering.
“She’s a great student, and I won’t have to worry about her being able to manage her time because she can handle it,” he added.
In volleyball, the 6-foot-2 Koering was an all-Greater St. Helens 2A League first-teamer who led the Beavers to a state berth in 2007.
“Watching Cassie play in open gyms has brought tears to my eyes … because she’s always smiling and putting it all out there,” LCC volleyball coach Marcy Gilchrist said. “Tall, strong girls are a real hot commodity for four-year schools, but we’re fortunate that she wanted to stay home and play. Cassie moves quickly for her size, and she’s one of the better blockers I’ve seen in a long time.”
Koering is looking forward to fine-tuning her skills as a middle blocker at the college level.
“I prefer playing middle blocker,” she said. “As a junior, I flip-flopped between the middle and backside, and I played all-around in club ball last year. I’m looking forward to this season because we have a lot of girls who seem excited about playing here.”
Gilchrist is impressed with Koering’s net savvy.
“A lot of high school players don’t zone in on hitters, but Cassie reads hitters really well,” she said. “You can watch her face and see her eyes move and react. She has that hunger and desire to block the ball, and her blocks go straight down to the floor.”
As a center on the Woodland basketball team, Koering averaged a team-high 17 points per game as a senior while earning league Most Valuable Player honors and a spot on the Daily News All-Area basketball team.
Koering led the Beavers to a seventh-place finish at the 2006 Class 2A State Basketball Championships while earning a reputation as a standout rebounder and shot blocker. She also showed her offensive prowess with a 29-point, 15-rebound performance against Fort Vancouver on Dec. 11.
“Cassie is a low-post threat who also shoots the ball well from 15-16 feet,” Meadors said. “She rebounds well, plays defense and is a big kid in the middle who can block shots. Cassie will both face the basket and work with her back to it, and will help us space the floor on defense. She had a great career at Woodland and will do the same here.”
Koering is equally excited about her role during the basketball season.
“I’ll be the motivational player who gets the team going with energy,” she said. “Whether I’m coming off the bench or starting, I want to keep us ready and going.”
Koering will study nursing and plans to transfer to either Washington State University-Vancouver or the Riverfront Campus at Eastern Washington University when she completes her athletic career at LCC.
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