With COVID-19 putting live sporting events on hold, the Cascade Collegiate Conference wanted to take the time to highlight families within our #ThisIsTheCCC community. Many of our member institutions have administration, coaches and student-athletes family members competing together, making the CCC truly a family affair.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – When it comes to the Southern Oregon University women’s volleyball team, the name Ristvedt is a well-known name. Taylor Ristvedt is a two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Year and last year, along with her two sisters Ella and Kylie, led the Raiders to their second-straight CCC Tournament Championship, presented by U.S. Bank.
The Ristvedts grew up playing sports – starting with soccer before discovering their love of volleyball – but it wasn’t until high school that they were able to play on the same team together.
“It was very crazy growing up with all of us playing sports,” said Taylor, who graduated from SOU with a degree in environmental science and policy with a minor in sociology. “My dad was always running me to all of my sports games, while my mom ran my sisters to all of their events.”
Taylor was a senior when fraternal twins Kylie and Ella – Kylie is older by one minute – were freshmen on the Cleveland High team. That year, Taylor decided to continue her volleyball career in college at SOU, but had no idea that the sisters would be reunited in a few years. Ella, who is majoring in pre-nursing, joined Taylor in 2018 as a freshman and Kylie transferred from the University of Portland the following year to give the sisters one season to all play together.
“Playing together on the same volleyball team in high school was an incredible experience,” said Taylor. When I committed to SOU, I had no idea that we would be playing together again in a few years but it was definitely something that our family had jokingly talked about. When Ella came to SOU, it was amazing for both of us to have two full years together. It’s something that I wouldn’t trade.”
This past season the Ristvedts not only helped the Raiders win the tournament championship, but also the regular-season title for the 15
th time in program history. SOU earned a spot in the NAIA National Championship Tournament as one of the 32 teams to reach the final site and advanced to the Round of 16.
“Being able to share experiences with my siblings, while also being able to see each other’s growth (especially since high school) was amazing,” said Taylor. “We know each other in a different way, so having that connection on and off the court was also really cool.”