Philomath High School’s boys volleyball team enters its second season facing the kind of challenge that tests a program’s depth — replacing three all-state caliber players while integrating a largely inexperienced roster.
Gone are outside hitter Carson Winder, libero Raul Sanchez and setter Isac Marcelo, three pillars of last year’s 17-8 squad that placed sixth at a state tournament that had been orchestrated in Hillsboro.
Head coach Helen Bennett is now leaning on a core of returning seniors — Chris Eaton, Mayson Wallace, Tito Martinez and Jaxon Allen — to provide stability as a wave of newcomers finds its footing.
“You lose three pieces of both your offense and defense so yeah, it’s a huge adjustment,” Bennett said. “But that’s what it’s all about — you prepare for the next year.”
Also returning from last season is sophomore Tonalli Brambila-Boatner.
“The fact that they have a year under their belt is huge,” Bennett said. “I’ve got players on my team right now of what Chris and Wally (Wallace) were exactly last year — just newbies and learning the game and trying to control their bodies.”
New to the program this spring are one senior, three juniors, a foreign-exchange student and two freshmen.
“It’s just finding the strengths and weaknesses of all players and trying to get them to work together as a team,” Bennett said. “And then, of course, learning skills and rotations and understanding lineups — that it’s not just what you do on your side but what the other team is doing and how do you adjust to that.”
Based on what she could see in preseason drills, Bennett had to make serious adjustments with how to position players.
“Chris is my setter right now, so I’m giving him up as a hitter, which is unfortunate because he’s one of our top hitters,” Bennett said. “But the good news is that he plays all the way around and so we’re running a 5-and-1 with him and we’re not missing his blocking capabilities.”
Bennett emphasized the advantage of having five returning players.
“They know the deal, they know how I coach, they know the drill and they understand and so that’s why I feel we’re a little bit further along this year,” she said.
Philomath opened the season Monday with a three-set sweep at Marist Catholic, 25-19, 30-28, 25-18. Wallace had a team-high eight kills, Eaton was effective at the net with four blocks to go along with 18 assists. Colvin and St. Clair each had three blocks. Mayo Carrasco served for three of the team’s 12 aces.
“I really liked how grounded the vets were,” Bennett said when asked what she learned from the first match. “Wally had a phenomenal first set and that really kind of set the tone and just developing Chris as a setter in a leadership position. And having Nico (Mayo Carrasco) as libero in the back row really solidified the passing.”
The team’s newcomers had a “deer-in-the-headlights” look to them out on the floor, she said.
“But that’s to be expected,” Bennett added. “We had a lot of nervousness and some confusion that we had to work through.”
In the end, she said the team rose to the occasion and played its game while working through various challenges along the way, including a 6-0 hole in the opening set.
“I was super impressed and feel like we have huge upside potential,” Bennett said.
In this first year of boys volleyball being a sport sanctioned by the Oregon School Activities Association, districts were created with 1A through 4A in the same classification. The Warriors ended up in Special District 3 with Cascade, Newport, Crosshill Christian, Toledo, Western Christian and Willamette Valley Christian.
Bennett said the league plans to have a playoff added onto the regular-season schedule.
“I’m excited for the new competition,” Bennett said. “Our goal is always going to be to win league and make it to state but I’ve never been in a league playoff before so I don’t know how that’s going to pan out.”
The OSAA qualification guidelines only state that three teams from the district will qualify and that it’s up to each to determine what three schools will advance.
Philomath developed a rivalry with Newport by playing five times in the first season, which was played as an “emerging sport” under the OSAA umbrella. The Cubs had a 3-2 edge with the tiebreaker coming in the fourth-sixth-place match at the state tournament.
Philomath’s next match will be against Newport in what will be the Warriors’ home opener on March 31. The Marist match was the only nonconference opponent on the schedule before getting into league play. Bennett said Philomath will host a tournament on April 18 and that the Warriors will also head to a tournament on May 2 at West Salem.
Autumn Hilberg returns as an assistant coach this season.
Philomath 3, Marist Catholic 0
Monday, March 16, at Marist Catholic HS, Eugene
Team 1 2 3 Philomath (1-0) 25 30 25 Marist Catholic (0-1) 19 28 18
Kills—Wallace 8, Sailor 4, Martinez 4. Blocks—Eaton 4, Colvin 3, St. Clair 3. Aces—Mayo Carrasco 3. Digs—Mayo Carrasco 12. Assists—Eaton 18.
Correction, March 18, 2026 7:11 pm: This story was updated at 7:10 p.m. March 18 to remove references to a player that may not be on the team.