Cleveland has a history as a strong contender in volleyball, and they are continuing that tradition this year. They are ranked 20th in the state and fourth in the PIL and have a record of 17-6. Lincoln is ranked first in the PIL after finishing with an 18-4 record.

Recently they were on a winning streak, winning five in a row, all by margins of 3-0. All five games were against PIL opponents. This streak was ended in their match against Grant, losing 3-1. We also lost to Wilson on senior night, knocking them down from second in the PIL. Despite these two hard losses, though, the Warriors are still in the playoffs and will play Sherwood in the first round on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Sherwood ended the regular season with a record of 13-8, however they are ranked 13th in state. They’re ranked so high despite their record because of the difficulty of their schedule. Being in the Three Rivers League they played third-ranked West Linn and seventh-ranked Lakeridge three times, winning once against each.

Many are nervous about the playoffs. Cleveland has a bad history in the playoffs, failing to make it out of the first round several years in a row, including the 2012 season when the team went undefeated during the regular season.

Last season added to the drought with a first round loss to McNary. When asked about the playoffs, senior Carlin MacMillan said, “We’re excited for the playoffs and I think we are going to do well.”

Make sure to make it out to the rest of the games and support your Warriors in ending their playoff curse.