



ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Scott Brosius
EVENT MANAGER
Jamie Vasas
COMMUNICATIONS
Chase Fisk
STATISTICS
Jordan Hayes, Lyla Khlee
BALL SHAGGERS
Savannah Filios, Isabella Grutsch
PUBLIC ADDRESS
Emerson Teller
SCOREBOARD
Andrew Troeh
VIDEO WEBCASTS
Eric Albios, Brian Kice, Joe Stuart
OFFICIAL SCORERS
Leslie Benton, Courtney Cunningham
EVENT PROGRAM
A series of circumstances, including a devastating injury, lead Cam Coughlin to continue her volleyball career at Linfield
by natasha freimuth ’28
Volleyball was not always the obvious choice for Linfield junior Cam Coughlin, but after an unexpected introduction to the sport, it has become one of their biggest passions.
“It actually wasn’t my choice,” Coughlin says. “I moved up to Oregon when I was in sixth grade and my mom wanted me to be involved in sports. She put me into volleyball and just like that, I fell in love with it.”
Coughlin’s devotion grew over the next couple of years with those early experiences shaping their ideas for the future.
By seventh grade, they were traveling across the country with a club team, a major milestone that made them realize how deeply they cared about the sport.
“That was the first time I ever traveled for something like that. I was watching the older girls play and thought, ‘Wow, I want to do that, I don’t want to stop.’”
However, after dealing with some rocky experiences in their high school days, Coughlin’s determination wavered, leaving them questioning if they even wanted to continue to col lege.
As luck would have it, the course of their life was changed once again by an unanticipated meeting with the head coach of Linfield’s volleyball program.
“It kind of happened by chance,” Coughlin says, “I had stopped playing but then I met this coach, who invited me to her clinic and we just immediately clicked.” It was this meeting that sparked a trip to Linfield from Coughlin’s hometown of Bend, Oregon. From there on, the choice was clear: It was Linfield or nowhere else.
“I only applied to Linfield. I visited campus and I just knew, this is where I want to be.”
Despite confidence in their choice, the journey was anything but easy. With an extended knee injury keeping them from competition for most of their freshman year, Coughlin struggled finding a rhythm.
“It hurt to even sit down,” Cough lin says, looking back to the fall of 2023. “It was bad. But it made me work harder because I never want to feel like I don’t have the opportunity to play again.”
The injury was a major setback, but their resilience has only grown since they found their way back onto the court.
Thus far in 2025, Coughlin has recorded 18 kills, already surpassing their sophomore season total with over a month left to play.
Becoming a growing force on the court, they have always left a positive impact on their teammates. Fellow teammate and close friend Paige Pa’aluhi says, “We did not talk at all before coming to Linfield…but when we first saw each other, we instantly clicked. I am so lucky to have Cam as a friend and roommate.”
Now an upperclassman, Coughlin occupies a leadership position, helping define the ever-changing culture of the team. Despite the challenge of adapting to three different head coaches in three years, the team has remained a tight-knit group.
“I remember how overwhelmed I was my freshman year,” Coughlin says. “Now I try to help others through that. These people have become my family.”
That same sense of family is rooted in shared experiences and bonding. One of her favorite memories? A wild go-karting outing her freshman year.
“We were whipping around the track at like 50 miles an hour, way faster than we should have. My roommate even went offroading. We were all so competitive and we still talk about it.”
Another recent highlight was participating in a lip-sync battle as a part of team bonding challenge. Their group choreographed their performance the night before. Coughlin explains how they had no idea what they were doing but chose to just live in the moment and figure it out as they went.
“I didn’t want to choreograph. I don’t even know how to dance that well, but I was the last person to call ‘nose goes,’ so I was stuck,” Coughlin says. “But it was it was so much fun. We just had the best time performing together.”
If anything, this is further proof of their personal motto for life.
“Trust,” Coughlin says. “I know sometimes I stray from that, but when I look at everything that’s happened, my bad club experience, the injury, all of it, I realize it all brought me here.
I would’ve never met my coach, or my teammates, or had these experiences. It all worked out.”
And it’s safe to say it has served them well, leading them right to where they need to be.
From an unexpected introduction to volleyball, to finding their place at Linfield, Coughlin’s journey is one of resilience
And definitely far from over.
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The Northwest Conference office announced its weekly Player of the Week awards on Monday afternoon, naming Linfield freshman libero Naia Alefaio-Foifua as the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after a strong week that featured three matches.
For Alefaio-Foifua, it’s the second time in her young career that she’s earned the defensive honor, consistently ranking as one of the top liberos in the region.
Ranking No. 2 in the NWC in digs per set with 4.53, she tallied 56 digs in 12 matches played last week, while adding a pair of aces from behind the service line against Willamette in the midweek matchup.
Majoring in management, Alefaio-Foifua is the daughter of Chante Alefaio & Deshawn Foifua.
Ted Wilson Gymnasium bears the name of the man who coached the Linfield basketball team to more championships than any individual in school history.
Over 20 seasons, Wilson directed the Wildcats in over 500 games, compiling a 324-213 record. Riley Gym was nicknamed the “House of Hustle” out of respect for Wilson’s high-scoring teams, which averaged a school-record 96.5 points a game during the 1977-78 season. The nickname remained when Wilson Gym replaced Riley Gym in 1989.
The numerous accomplishments of past championship teams and individuals from each of Linfield’s varsity sports programs now proudly encircle Wilson Gym’s court. Sixtysix banners now surround Wilson Gym’s playing surface and include every program with championship success. All team and individual national champions are recognized, as well as all national runners-up, both team and individual.
Additionally, a summary of every sport’s conference championship history is displayed, with some conference championship listings dating as far back as the 1930s.
The full-service facility contains locker rooms, offices and classrooms, a fully equipped athletic training room along with display areas that house the trophies and recognitions
of past Linfield teams and athletes.
In 1920, Riley Gym was built adjacent to historic Pioneer Hall at a cost of just over $25,000. Riley Gym served as the basketball home of the Wildcats for 67 seasons. A granddaddy of small college gyms, Riley played host to its first game in December, 1921, and its last game in February, 1989.
Linfield’s first on-campus basketball court was located on the north end of campus in the building now known as Newby Hall. The floor was miniature by today’s standards and there were no boundary lines. The surrounding walls prevented players from leaving the playing area. As a game was about to start, someone would check that all the doors were closed tight, the ball would be tipped off at center court, and it was every player for himself.
Up until 1907, Newby Hall, nicknamed the “Chem Shack,” was illuminated by candles with tin reflectors. In this era, many of the gyms the Wildcats played in were smaller and even more primitive than the one on the Linfield campus.
Around 1900, Linfield played its home basketball games in the old pavilion in the city park. Following practices and games, players had to heat their own shower water using a wood-burning boiler.
Coach Jenna Street is instituting a fresh culture of trust and accountability in rebuilding the Linfield volleyball program
First-year Linfield coach Jenna Street brings a compelling blend of high school, college and club coaching experience to her new position. Most recently, she served as head volleyball coach at Warner Pacific University for one season.
She also previously guided the Multnomah University volleyball program for four years from 2015 until 2018. At Multnomah, she led the first sports team in that school’s history to defeat a NCAA Division II program, surprising Concordia-Portland, and also engineered the first upset of a nationally ranked opponent, leading the Knights to victory over the College of Idaho in 2017.
At the prep level, Street directed Portland’s Wilson High School volleyball team for four years from 2012 until 2015. She guided the Trojans to the Portland Interscholastic League championship during her first season as coach and the program’s first Class 6A state playoff berth in her third season at the helm.
Street founded the Oregon Premier Volleyball Club and has maintained the development program since 2013.
She was a four-year letter winner at Cal Lutheran University and a member of the 2006 team that reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Division III Championships. After completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology from CLU in 2010, she went on to complete a master’s degree at Asuza Pacific University in educational counseling.
A standout volleyball player and two-time first team all-Three Rivers League selection while at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Street brings familiarity with the high school and club volleyball network throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Street and her husband, Marcus, live in Canby and are raising two children, Aria, 10, and Lincoln, 6.
DALE AGBAYANI brings a dynamic blend of leadership, technical expertise, and nationallevel experience to Linfield volleyball program.
As the first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, he works closely with head coach Jenna Street to cultivate talent, develop team culture and guide student-athletes through the collegiate recruitment process.
Beyond Linfield, Agbayani is a cornerstone of Oregon Premier Volleyball Club, where he serves as Boys Director, Assistant Girls Club Director, Master Training Coach and Recruiting Coach. He leads both boys and girls teams and plays a pivotal role in coach development and athlete training across the club.
Before joining Linfield, Agbayani spent four years as associate head coach at Clackamas Community College and later coached at Warner Pacific University, an NAIA institution.
CHON CLAYTON’S resumé combines 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, college and club volleyball level. Most recently, he spent several years coaching at Warner Pacific University in Portland and at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.
Clayton has been involved with the Excel Northwest club program, the Oregon Premier Volleyball Club, the USA High Performance program in the Puget Sound Region, and with USA Volleyball. Along with club season, he enjoys coaching beach volleyball and working at vol-leyball camps during the summer.
At the high school level, he successfully led Neah Bay High School to its first League and District championship and a seventhplace finish at the 1B Washington State Championships in 2007.He was also an assistant coach with the Ridgefield High School volleyball program, which won back-to-back 2A state titles in 2018 and 2019.
Ella Maika, Dannika Goss, Care Elfner, Lola Togia, Lani Taliloa. Second
Dani Pomele, Margaritah Bañuelos, Bella Rodriguez, Paige Pa’aluhi, Araeya Watanabe, Pi’ilani Hirahara, Loke Carter. Front
Anela Madarang-Brandes.
Rietdyk,
NO. NAME
1 Maria Alvarez
2 Dannika Goss
POS. HT. YR./EL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
DS 5-2 Jr./Jr. Seattle, Wash. / Edmonds
S 5-9 So./So. Tillamook, Ore. / Tillamook
3 Anela Madarang-Brandes DS 5-2 Sr./Sr. Waipahu, Hawaii / Waipahu
4 Grace Vu
5 Paige Pa’aluhi
6 Pi’ilani Hirahara
L/DS 4-10 So./Fr. Happy Valley, Ore. / La Salle Catholic Prep
L/DS 5-5 Jr./Jr. Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani
S 5-7 So./So. Honolulu, Hawaii / Roosevelt
8 Autumn Gaboury-Parker OH/MH 5-10 Jr./Jr. Gresham, Ore. / Warner Pacific
9 Naia Alefaio-Foifua L/DS 5-1 Fr./Fr. Seattle, Wash. / Mount Rainier
10 Kaitlyn Hough
11 Nora Myre
12 Camryn Hirst
RS/OH 5-11 So./So. St. John, Wash. / St. John-Endicott
OH/MB 5-8 Jr./Jr. Redmond, Wash. / Eastlake
MB/RS 5-10 Jr./So. Orinda, Calif. / Miramonte
13 Katelyn Mawdsley MB/OH 5-10 So./So. Bend, Ore. / Mountain View
14 Kaylea Rietdyk L/DS 5-6 Jr./Jr. Klamath Falls, Ore. / Mt. Hood C.C.
15 Margaritah Bañuelos S 5-6 Jr./Jr. Auburn, Wash. / Mount Rainier
16 Araeya Watanabe OH/RS 5-7 Sr./Sr. Salem, Ore. / South Salem
17 Cam Coughlin RS/OH 5-11 Jr./Jr. Bend, Ore. / Bend
18 Bella Rodriguez
DS/L 5-7 Jr./Jr. Keizer, Ore. / McNary
19 Madison Millard MB 6-1 So./So. Kailua, Hawaii / Kalaheo
20 Paige Pa’aluhi L/DS 5-5 Jr./Jr. Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani
24 Loke Carter RS/MB 5-10 So./So. Hilo, Hawaii / Kamehameha Schools
26 Care Elfner L 5-7 Jr./Jr. Homewood, Ill. / Baruch College
27 Lola Togia S 5-8 Fr./Fr. Tacoma, Wash. / Eastside Catholic
28 Dani Pomele MH 5-9 Fr./Fr. Seattle, Wash. / Emerald Ridge
34 Ella Maika OH/S 5-9 Fr./Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. / Sierra Vista
36 Lani Taliloa OH/DS 5-8 Fr./Fr. Seatac, Wash. / Mount Rainier
37 Tatum Montiel OH/OPP 5-11 Fr./Fr. Coos Bay, Ore. / Marshfield
HEAD COACH: Jenna Street (first year)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Dale Agbayani, Chon Clayton, Jon Ho
8 autumn gaboury-parker
Linfield enters the weekend tied with Willamette in fifth in the Northwest Conference standings at 2-4, and 4-7 overall. Meanwhile, George Fox is one-match back from the Wildcats, starting the season 1-5 in NWC play and 4-8 overall.
LINFIELD AT A GLANCE
Returning from a weekend road trip to Tacoma, Washington, the ‘Cats fell to two of the top-three teams in the conference in Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound. Linfield has yet to play the bottom two teams in the NWC standings in George Fox and Lewis & Clark, hoping to get back on track in this week’s match ups. Freshman libero Naia Alefaio-Foifua ranks second in the NWC in digs per set, earning her NWC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Junior Nora Myre continues to be a force on offense, ranking No. 1 in the NWC in kills and points per set.
GEORGE FOX AT A GLANCE
Entering the week at 1-5 in conference play, the Bruins hosted Pacific on Tuesday evening, looking to snap a two-match losing streak. George Fox fell in straight sets to Whitman, and dropped a four-set match against Whitworth last Saturday in Newberg. The Bruins are led by Gracie Bearden, who has recorded 30 aces in 45 sets this season, leading the NWC in the category.
The Bruins hold a 40-23 all-time record versus the Wildcats, and have defeated Linfield in 17 straight matches. Linfield boasts a 16-14 record against George Fox inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium. Ten years ago this week was the last time these two programs played a match that was extended to a fifth set.
Lauren
Justyce
Haley
First called “Wildcats” in 1924, Linfield teams have always been known for their scrapiness
It has been a just over a century since Linfield athletic teams were first called “Wildcats.”
According to historical accounts, as competitive athletics grew in popularity and prominence during the 1920s, the student body voted in 1924 that the athletic mascot would be known as a “Wildcat” because Linfield was “a small school with a lot of fight and scratch.”
Before the 1924 vote, spectators at Linfield sports events cheered for the “Baptists,” owing to the school’s early heritage, or the “Cardinal and Purple,” a reference to the school colors.
The current Linfield athletic logo, showing a scowling Wildcat wearing a jauntily cocked sailor’s cap, first became a visual fixture on the sides of the football team’s helmets in 1963 under Hall of Fame coach Paul Durham.
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Regarded as one of the most influential coaches in school history, Durham directed the Wildcats from 1948 to 1967. In 20 seasons, Durham rolled up a career record of 122-51-10 while leading Linfield to seven conference titles and two appearances in the NAIA championship game.
Though that version of the Wildcat logo underwent only minor cosmetic changes over the next six decades, the basic logo from the 1960s remains the recognizable symbol of all Linfield varsity athletic teams today and by extension, it has come to represent many periphery segments of campus life, too.
Linfield teams also sport one of the most unique color schemes in all of college athletics. The college adopted the current colors of Cardinal (Red) and Purple in 1917.
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Three game-changing individuals, plus a do-everything contributor, have been selected for induction into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
The 27th Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame class is set to be enshrined on Friday, November 14, inside Nicholson Library. Pacific Office Automation again is serving as title sponsor of the annual event.
This year’s class includes three outstanding former athletes: national-championship-winning softball player Amanda (Attleberger) Strahm of the class of 2008, and record-setting baseball standout Kevin Schjei from the Class of 2002, and AllAmerica quarterback Aaron Boehme of the Class of 2010. Also chosen for induction based on meritorious service is the late Billy Maxwell of the Class of 1924.
Tickets for this year’s banquet and induction ceremony are on sale now at golinfieldwildcats.com/halloffame.
All Linfield Sports Network webcasts are now carried on FloSports, a conference-wide pay-to-watch platform
Linfield University has joined together with its eight fellow Northwest Conference institutions in support of a new partnership with streaming provider FloSports to offer live and on-demand video coverage of nearly every athletic event Linfield participates in. An annual subscription costs $107.88 ($8.99 per month). A monthly subscription runs $19.99.
Linfield students, faculty and staff with linfield.edu email addresses will enjoy discounted rates of $71.88 per year ($5.99/ month) or $9.99 if purchased monthly.
Schools are expected to receive annual investments from FloSports to build and expand broadcast capabilities and make other investments within the athletic department. Linfield personnel will continue to staff and operate all home broadcasts.
“Entering into this agreement with FloSports was a conferencewide decision,” said Linfield Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Brosius. “While it does represent a change in how our streams are viewed, we do believe this partnership signifies a positive step forward. We anticipate increased quality of our streams conferencewide, as well as programming allowing viewers to watch college sports not just from within our conference, but from all across the country. This is the direction other Division III conferences are moving toward. Many of our out-of-conference competitions already require a FloSports subscription.”
As Brosius noted, FloSports subscribers will have the capability to access more than 40,000 events nationwide spanning 25 different sports.
To establish a FloSports account, head to go.flocollege.com/partner/nwc
REGULAR RATES
$107.88 ANNUALLY
$19.99 MONTHLY
STUDENTS & STAFF RATES
$71.88 ANNUALLY
$9.99 MONTHLY
FloSports expects to deliver live and on-demand coverage of Linfield events across 15 different sports: Football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse. Northwest Conference Championship events in all sports except golf and cross country will also be streamed as part of the annual agreement.
Beyond live competition, FloSports plans to invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.
Each year, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events.
FloSports is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The FloSports app is expected to be pre-installed on most topselling Smart TVs in the U.S. this year.
The Linfield Sports Network continues to bring fans live action of all home Linfield volleyball matches in 2025. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts and play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or Smart TV using the FloSports app.
Live coverage begins 15 minutes prior to the start of each match. Broadcasts include a postgame wrap-up. All live LSN broadcasts are under the direction of Broadcast Operations Coordinator Joe Stuart.
In his fifth year in the position, Stuart oversees technical production and management of LSN broadcasts as well as providing play-by-play commentary on football, basketball, baseball and softball webcasting in addition to assisting with other athletics communications needs.
Linfield senior Brian Kice begins his third season as the play-by-play voice of Wildcats volleyball. Kice, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, began his broadcasting experience
with the LSN in 2023. Senior Eric Albios, a second-generation Wildcat, returns for his third season as program director for all volleyball broadcasts.
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The Wildcat Band continues to support Linfield teams by performing a variety of musical tunes and bringing a fun atmosphere to events of all kinds.
Linfield students of all majors and skill levels are welcome to join the Wildcat Band. As a bonus, band members are eligible for up to $2,000 in scholarships and can earn paracurricular credit for participating. On average, the band rehearses five hours per week, with performances on nights and weekends during football and basketball seasons.
Leading the Wildcat Athletic Band is Joe Ready, who began at Linfield in the fall of 2024.
Hoping to build the excitement and interest in the band over the next few years, Ready says, “My primary goals for the Wildcat Band are for all members to have fun performing music to the best of their ability, and to continue building camaraderie within the band and the Linfield community.”