Volleyball preview: Battle Ground’s Van Sickle among best in nation

Resolute Ridgefield: The Spudders made the 2A state tournament last year largely due to Shannon Boyle, who had nearly 500 kills, 300 digs and now plays for Sacramento State. But Boyle was among only three seniors on that team. Can Ridgefield return to state without last year’s top star?

Returning talent: Seventeen of 25 players from last year’s Class 4A Greater St. Helens League all-league teams are back this season. Who will rise above the rest in that talent pool?

Brooke Van Sickle speaks loudest with her hands.

Chatter and the patter of volleyballs being hit filled the Battle Ground High School gym at a recent practice.

But there was no mistaking the sound when Van Sickle unleashed a spike.

Instead of a sharp slap, her hands offered a deep thud you could almost feel in your chest. A split-second later, the crack of the ball compressing against the floor reverberated through the gym.

“We want to make it to state,” Tigers coach Cheyanne Knight said. “I really want that for these kids.”

Volleyball in her blood

Van Sickle has been around volleyball all her life.

Her father, Gary, played for a University of Hawaii team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 1991.

Her mother, Lisa, played professionally in Argentina before returning home to become one of the top-ranked sand volleyball players in Hawaii.

But it wasn’t like Van Sickle could spike the ball before she could walk. She first played organized volleyball in the third grade.

“When she started, she couldn’t serve the ball over the net,” Lisa Van Sickle said.

But Brooke Van Sickle took to the sport quickly and loved the social aspect of tournaments. By the time she was 12, her parents noticed Brooke’s focus sharpening.

“Before the point, she’d be dancing around with her arms out,” Lisa Van Sickle said. “But when the whistle blew, all of the sudden she was in this trance with her arms together, ready for the ball.”

The ‘wow’ moment came when Van Sickle was on a U-14 team that won a tournament in Arizona that included clubs from around in the nation. She more than held her own against some of the best players under 14 in the country.

“That was the turning point when we said ‘wow, she’s pretty good,” Lisa Van Sickle said.

Her reputation has grown nationally since then. She was named one of the top 55 freshman in the nation by the USA Volleyball Association. Through her club, Excel NW, Van Sickle has spent the past year playing in some of the biggest age-group tournaments in the nation.

But nothing compares to Van Sickle’s experience with the U.S. National Team, though, at 5-foot-9, she’s short for a top-level outside hitter.

She called the experience rewarding and humbling.

“I was shorter than the libero,” Van Sickle said. “That was hard for my personal self esteem, but I learned how to deal with it.”

Height is one reason Van Sickle will likely forgo playing for the U.S. Youth National Team at the U-18 world championships in 2015. She wants to focus on rising in the national ranks for beach volleyball, where size is less important.

‘Quiet storm’

Someone with Van Sickle’s pedigree would have every reason to boast.

That’s not her style. She is soft-spoken, almost shy. Being more assertive on the court is a focus of hers.

“I’m working on that,” Van Sickle said. “I just play my best and hopefully everyone will jump with me and play well. That’s how I lead, just through playing.”

As outside hitter and setter for the Tigers, Van Sickle’s presence is all over the court. Last season she had 232 kills, 25 blocks, 180 assists, 144 digs, and 40 aces.

Vocal or not, teammates are hearing Van Sickle’s message.

“Brooke is like a quiet storm,” said Tigers sophomore Hana Wyles, who also plays club volleyball with Van Sickle on Excel NW. “She doesn’t have to be the loudest on the team. If she’s killing it and setting everyone up nicely, then everyone else plays better.”

Building at Battle Ground

Brooke’s parents have always coached her at the club level, but have been careful never to be overbearing. That shows in that Van Sickle is playing for her hometown high school.

With boundary exceptions, open enrollment and families willing to move, talented athletes often seek out high school teams with winning traditions or certain coaches.

The Van Sickles initially wanted their daughter to play elsewhere in Clark County or at a private school in Portland, but Brooke was having none of it.

“She was crying,” Lisa Van Sickle said. “High school should be fun, and it is with all her friends there. Honestly, we have no regrets.”

So instead of adding to another school’s volleyball legacy, Van Sickle is helping build one. The core of this year’s team includes Van Sickle and seniors Hallie Wyles, Jossilyn Blackman, Celine Murphy, McKenzie Wolfe and Jacklyn Rowland-McGowan.

Knight is entering her fourth year at Battle Ground. She coached Skyview to state each year from 2007-10, finishing third in 2008. Battle Ground started out hot last season and was ranked in the top-10 by the Seattle Times at one point. But the Tigers stumbled at the district tournament.

The Tigers can’t trip up if they’re going to beat Camas, which placed sixth in last year’s 4A state tournament despite having just three seniors.

“I feel like they’re ready now,’ said Knight. “This is the core group of kids who started with me as freshmen. Now it’s time to take control, step up and accomplish those goals we’ve barely missed at times.”