Kaitlyn Tuholski has been dishing out assists on the volleyball court for years.
Putting down kills is a recent addition to her repertoire — but she is learning to like it.
“I like setting because I’ve been doing it the longest, but I love being a hitter because the hitters get all the glory,” the Heritage High School graduate said.
A freshman setter/hitter at Northwest Nazarene University, Tuholski is leading the Crusaders in kills. On Sept. 15, she recorded the 24th triple-double in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history with 24 assists, 12 kills and 12 digs in a home win over Montana State-Billings.
Not that there was no glory before. Tuholski was Setter of the Year in 2010 for the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League, a first-team all-league pick, and an first-team All-Region selection by The Columbian.
Northwest Nazarene is 6-4, 3-2 GNAC. The Crusaders have won four of their last five matches, and three of their last four in conference play. Tuholski said a team goal is to finish among the top three in the GNAC and in contention for a place in the NCAA Division II regionals.
Tuholski did not know what to expect when she arrived at NNU in Nampa, Idaho, only that she would work hard and do her best. Crusaders coach Jared Sliger noticed, and was impressed.
“My goal going into training camp was just to impact the team in any way I possibly could,” Tuholski said. “Once the season started and I started playing more and more, I was very shocked — but I enjoyed every minute of it.
“I knew I was competing with a freshman setter, and my coach told me going in that he expected us to both be playing, but he didn’t know how much. Once we got to training camp, he said he was really surprised, and that’s when we started playing a bunch. It was an amazing feeling. It finally felt like all my hard work and all the money and time I put into it really paid off.”
That other freshman, Michelle Terpstra of Ripon, Calif., is the other setter/hitter in the team’s 6-2 alignment — two setters giving the offense six hitters. Terpstra had a triple-double in the season opener.
Tuholski just began hitting as a senior at Heritage and continued to prepare for college during her club season as a setter/hitter. She was recruited for both skills, and she has a team-high 94 kills in 10 matches.
“The coaches really work with me on my technique, and so far I’m leading our team in kills,” she said. “The coaches help me out so much so I could improve so I can hit in the front row.”
Linfield’s Allison earns NWC honors
Linfield College defender Emily Allison was named Northwest Conference Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 11-17. It marked the first conference honor for the junior, a two-year starter for the Wildcats (5-2-1, 2-1-1 NWC).
The Hockinson High School graduate anchored a Linfield defense that helped the Wildcats score their second-ever victory over Puget Sound and remain undefeated in conference action.
NNU’s Steele scores game-winning goal
Hockinson High School graduate Julianne Steele scored the game-winner with just less than two minutes to play in regulation to give the Northwest Nazarene University women’s soccer team a 1-0 shutout conference victory over Simon Fraser University on Saturday afternoon in Nampa, Idaho.
The sophomore midfielder converted in the 88th minute from 15 yards away on an assist from Whitney Wood. NNU is 4-4, 2-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. All four wins were shutouts.
Locals run in Spokane meet
Washington State’s Sarah Bobbe placed fifth and Western Washington’s Lauren Breihof finished 23rd at the Runners Soul Erik Anderson Cross Country Invitational held Saturday at the Plantes Ferry Complex in Spokane.
Bobbe, a Columbia River High School graduate, finished the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) course in 21 minutes, 42 seconds, helping WSU to the team title.
Breihof, an NCAA Division II All-American and graduate of Mountain View High School, finished in 22:34.
There were 229 women entered in the collegiate division of the event, the same course that will play host to both this year’s NCAA-II West Regional meet and NCAA-II national championships.
Western Washington’s Tanner Boyd, a Camas High School graduate, placed 50th in the men’s race in 22:53.
Camas teammates reconnect for UW
Brent Richards and Quinton Beasley are still playing well together in college soccer.
Beasley scored his first goal of the season on an assist from former Camas High School teammate Richards in Washington’s 2-1 win Sunday over Alabama-Birmingham in the Husky Fever Classic tournament.
Two days before, Beasley got the assist on Richards’ second goal in a 4-0 win over Houston Baptist.
Washington (5-1-2) won the tournament.
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