Story Photos
 Toutle Lake's Denali Preston taps the ball back down during a game against Wahkiakum last season. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Toutle's Preston set to soar with Lady Devils
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 1:21 PM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleWith only two returning players, Lower Columbia College volleyball coach Marcy Gilchrist has tried to fill her roster with hungry, motivated newcomers armed with the appetite to win.
Toutle Lake standout Denali Preston was one of the first student-athletes to answer the call.
“I wanted to come to Lower Columbia because I really like the coaching staff,” she said during a break at the recent Lady Devils Volleyball Camp. “Marcy has coached me before in club ball and I really like her, and when I found out Kevin (Marts, new LCC assistant coach) was going to coach here, I got really excited and wanted to come here more.”
Preston’s volleyball resume is impressive. Besides leading TL to four District 4 Class 2B titles and four appearances at the Class 2B State Championships, she’s a four-time all-Central 2B League first-team setter, and reigning two-time league Most Valuable Player. Her court prowess also earned her first-team all-state honors as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state accolades as a junior.
In addition, she was named to the National Honor Society and was heavily involved in the Future Farmers of America program at Toutle Lake while also lettering in basketball.
“I talked to some other schools but I think I fit better here,” Preston said. “I’ve played club ball since the sixth grade and bring a lot of leadership. We have two returners (Kacie DeRosier and Emily Damschen), and all of the newcomers seem to get along really well. We’re going to have a lot of fun this season.”
The 5-foot-3 Preston split time as a libero and setter at Toutle Lake, and will play both positions with the Lady Devils.
“Denali is a good, all-around player who is fiery and has great ball control skills,” Gilchrist said. “She has the confident court presence that hitters need from a setter so they can build trust. She plays a lot on instinct, and during open gyms she was telling our hitters what types of offense to run without knowing any of our plays.”
Gilchrist compared Preston’s play to a quarterback.
“Denali has a great gameplan and picks and chooses what to run based on her club ball experience,” she said. “She’ll run our offense smoothly because she’s a talker who’ll get our hitters through different situations, and she’s a motivator who gives our hitters a lot of confidence through her words and actions.”
Preston aspires to become a pediatric nurse.
“I might go on to Warner Pacific College or to Central Washington University when I finish here,” she said. “I want to play and study. There’s no way I’ll stop playing volleyball because I enjoy it too much.”
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