4A and 3A state volleyball tournaments moving to southern coast

The 4A and 3A state volleyball tournaments are headed south.

Following a two-year run in Springfield and a stint in Corvallis prior to that, the 2024 4A and 3A state volleyball tournament will be held in Coos Bay, at both North Bend and Marshfield high schools.

OSAA Assistant Executive Director Missy Smith said that the scheduled move came about as a combination of limited options coupled with the southern coastal schools’ recent history of success hosting the 3A state basketball tournaments.

Initial inquiries involving local college options were encountering obstacles due to the time of year conflicting with collegiate volleyball and the beginning stages of men’s and women’s basketball.

Coos Bay — with both Marshfield and North Bend being options — offered answers for logistical questions regarding hosting the events, while the town, along with its residents, local businesses and amenities, have proven to make for a desirable destination experience for the schools and student athletes involved.

Smith said they considered all of that when weighing Marshfield athletic director Greg Mulkey’s pitch to host this year’s volleyball event.

“They want to make it a great event like they do basketball,” Smith told the OSAAtoday. “We wanted to put a first-class event where someone really wanted us also. We are excited about the opportunity.”

North Bend is slated to host the 4A tournament, while Marshfield will be the site for the 3A event.

Another twist in this year’s new lineup scheduled for Nov. 8-9, will be the playing experience in general, which will consist of single-court matches opposed to in year’s past when side-by-side action had two matches playing at once.

Sisters High School won last year’s 3A state championship, with Beaverton’s Valley Catholic placing third, while Marist defeated Marshfield for the 4A title.