Here are the candidates for the SBLive/SI Oregon Volleyball Athlete of the Week as nominated by coaches, fans and readers. 

Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced Monday.

If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email danbrood91@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

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Mayen Akpan, South Medford

The junior had a double-double with 18 kills and 10 digs for the Panthers in their 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 win over rival North Medford in a Southwest Conference match played at South Medford High School.

Ada Bernard, St. Mary’s (Medford)

The junior outside hitter recorded 11 kills, eight digs and eight aces for the Crusaders in their 25-10, 25-15, 25-14 home win over Brookings-Harbor in a Southern Oregon Conference match. She also had 15 kills and eight aces in a win over Rogue River.

Brooklyn Boyd, Centennial

The senior setter had 30 assists, eight kills, five digs and three aces for the Eagles in a win over Parkrose in Northwest Oregon Conference play. She then had 36 assists, 11 digs and three aces in a victory against La Salle Prep.

Katie Brewer, Centennial

The senior middle blocker stepped up with 17 kills, 14 digs and five aces in a win over Parkrose in Northwest Oregon Conference play. She then had 20 kills and 18 digs in a conference victory against La Salle Prep.

Mia Cervantes, Willamette

The senior libero/defensive specialist had 18 digs and three aces to help the Wolverines post a 25-17, 25-11, 25-19 win over Benson in a nonleague match played at Willamette High School.

Poppy Freeman, Cascade Christian

The senior outside hitter had a team-high 13 kills and four digs to help lead the Challengers to a 25-21, 25-17, 25-11 sweep at Lakeview in a Southern Oregon Conference match.

Emma Geiger, Glide

The sophomore had 21 digs and five kills for the Wildcats in their 20-25, 25-12, 26-24, 25-22 home win against South Umpqua in a Far West League contest.

Meagan Hellenthal, Umpqua Valley Christian

The sophomore shined with 14 kills and 13 digs to help the Monarchs get a 25-10, 25-17, 25-16 home win over Elkton in Skyline League action.

Phoebe Hyland, Oregon City

The senior setter had a total of 68 assists, 22 digs and eight aces in helping the Pioneers finish in second place in the championship bracket of the State Preview Tournament, held at South Albany High School.

Grace Ispen, Roseburg

The senior setter/right side had 14 assists, seven aces and three kills to help the Indians sweep Willamette 25-12, 25-19, 25-7 in a Southwest Conference match played at Willamette High School. She then had 47 assists, five blocks and three kills in a five-set loss to Sheldon.

Khloe Livingston, Sprague

The sophomore outside hitter had 11 kills and nine digs for the Olympians in their 25-9, 25-17, 20-20 win at McNary in a Central Valley Conference contest.

Jacie Madden, Klamath Union

The senior outside hitter stepped up with 21 kills and 14 digs for the Pelicans in their 3-0 win over Phoenix in a Skyline Conference match played at Klamath Union High School.

Jordyn Marquett, Oregon City

The senior outside hitter had a total of 31 kills, 27 digs and 11 aces on 96-percent serving in helping the Pioneers take second place in the championship bracket at the State Preview Tournament, held at South Albany High School.

Briella Mathis, South Salem

The junior outside hitter had 15 kills, six aces and three blocks to help the Saxons score a 25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-18 win at Sprague in a Central Valley Conference contest.

Callie Newsome, Mazama

The sophomore outside hitter, with totals of 19 kills, six digs, three aces on 87-percent serving and a block helped the Vikings battle against Henley and get a win over Phoenix in the opening week of Skyline Conference play.

Tori Noffsinger, Yoncalla

The freshman middle blocker/outside hitter had 23 digs, 20 kills and four aces for the Eagles in a 25-19, 23-25, 11-25, 25-22, 15-11 loss to Milo Adventist Academy.

Aya Pantell, Westview

The senior setter had 32 assists, 12 digs, an ace and a kill for the Wildcats in a win at Sunset in Metro League play. She then had 23 assists, 12 digs, three aces and three kills in a league victory against Beaverton.

Nina Read, St. Mary’s Academy

The senior libero/defensive specialist had four aces, passed 40 times at an average rating of 2.13 and added 14 digs for the Blues in their 11-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 win at Lakeridge in a Three Rivers League contest.

Mazie Reeser, Stanfield

The senior outside hitter had 20 digs, 16 kills, three blocks and three aces to help lead the Tigers to a 25-21, 25-20, 25-10 win at Heppner in a key Blue Mountain Conference contest.

Julia Slaughter, South Medford

The junior stepped up with 19 assists, four digs and three aces to help the Panthers top North Medford 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 in a Southwest Conference clash played at South Medford High School.

Kendall Stidham, Crater

The junior setter shined with 36 assists, five digs, two aces and two kills for the Comets n their 25-21, 25-10, 25-19 win over North Eugene in a Midwestern League match played at Crater High School.

Paige Thies, Oregon City

The senior outside hitter had a big performance in helping the Pioneers take second place in the championship bracket at the State Preview Tournament, held at South Albany High School. For the tourney, she had 64 kills while hitting at a .331 percentage while also having 16 digs and three blocks in addition to serving at 95 percent.

Payton Tovey, Thurston

The sophomore outside hitter stepped up with 16 digs and 13 kills to help the Colts rally to score a 17-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-9 win over Springfield in a Midwestern League match played at Thurston High School.

Allison Waechter, Sutherlin

The junior outside hitter had another big performance for the Bulldogs, having 32 kills and 13 digs in their 27-29, 23-25, 25-19, 25-13, 15-5 win at Siuslaw in a Far West League tilt. She then had 34 kills and 17 digs in a five-set win over South Umpqua.

Bryndee Wilson, Camas Valley

The senior had 17 assists, 16 aces and four digs to help lead the Hornets to a 25-9, 25-12, 25-13 home win over Pacific in a Skyline League contest.

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The Oregon Ducks recorded a dominating 34-13 win over the UCLA Bruins on Saturday night. Was this enough to give the Ducks the top spot in the Big Ten Power Rankings heading into Week 6?

It seems boring at this point, but the Ohio State Buckeyes remain No. 1 in this week’s Big Ten power rankings. The Buckeyes waltzed into East Lansing on Saturday night and beat the Michigan State Spartans 38-7. Ohio State has won every game in the first half this season. It hasn’t been close.

Hopefully, Iowa will give them a football game next week.

Next Game: 10/5 vs. Iowa

Oregon opened up Big Ten play Saturday night with a 34-13 win over UCLA. The Ducks controlled the game from start to finish. The Oregon offensive line has produced back-to-back good performances after struggling out of the gates this season. Additionally, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been lights out.

Oregon appears to be rounding into form right as conference play begins. Next, the Ducks host Michigan State on a short week.

Next Game: 10/4 vs. Michigan State

Penn State edged out Illinois in a hard-fought 21-7 win. It was not easy sledding for the Nittany Lions but they ended up pulling out the two-touchdown win over a tough Illini team. The Penn State defense didn’t allow a single point in the final three quarters.

They hold serve at number three this week.

Next Game: 10/5 vs. UCLA

The Wolverines avoided disaster late against Minnesota. Michigan saw their 24-3 lead trimmed down to 27-24 following a Golden Gopher touchdown. On the ensuing onside kick, it appeared Minnesota had recovered and was poised to tie or take the lead late. The refs saved the day and made a very questionable offsides call to wipe the recovery away, sealing a 27-24 Michigan win.

Next Game: 10/5 at Washington

USC bounced back from their loss the week prior. The Trojans took down the Wisconsin Badgers 38-21 for their first-ever Big Ten conference victory. The Trojans looked to be in trouble at halftime being down 21-10. They completely dominated the 2nd half, outscoring the Badgers 28-0.

For USC, they now have to hope quarterback Miller Moss’s head injury suffered doesn’t cost him time.

Next Game: 10/5 at Minnesota

Indiana continues to win football games. The Hoosiers are off to a 5-0 start and find themselves at the top of the Big Ten. They took down Maryland 42-28. Indiana could even be higher on this list. They will continue to trend upwards if they keep winning football games. The Hoosiers have been one of the best stories in college football this season.

They look to clinch bowl eligibility against Northwestern.

Next Game: 10/5 at Northwestern

Illinois suffered its first loss of the season, going down 21-7 to Penn State. The Illinois defense kept them in the game, but the offense wasn’t able to generate any points after the first quarter. It was hard to drop them so far, but everyone else picked up convincing wins.

Illinois has a great opportunity to get back on track at home against Purdue following the bye week.

Next Game: 10/12 vs. Purdue

Rutgers gave Big Ten newcomer Washington a rude welcoming gift to the conference on Friday night. The Scarlet Knights held off Washington 21-18. The Huskies missed a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 4-0. Next up is a big road game at Nebraska.

Next Game: 10/5 at Nebraska

Nebraska won a sloppy game against Purdue 28-10. The Husker’s offense was stagnant most of the afternoon but turned it on late in the 3rd quarter to propel them to a win.

Nebraska drops a spot on here but probably doesn’t care as they are back in the win column. Next up is undefeated Rutgers.

Next Game: 10/5 vs. Rutgers

Not much to say here. Iowa didn’t even play this week but no other Big Ten earned their way into the top ten. Congrats Hawkeyes, you hold your spot!

Next Game: 10/5 at No. 3 Ohio State

MORE: Oregon Ducks Release Cancer ‘Heroes’ Uniforms Designed By Dan Lanning’s Family

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MORE: What’s The Drama: Oregon Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Former Duck Bryan Addison Heated Exchange

MORE: Oregon Ducks Wide Receiver Tez Johnson Breaks School Record vs. UCLA Bruins

MORE: Oregon Ducks Offensive Lineman Josh Conerly Jr. Reveals Relationship with Phil Knight

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning On Bryan Addison Possible Targeting on Terrance Ferguson

Editor’s note: Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Stay informed with OPB on the presidential race, key congressional battles and other local contests and ballot measures in Oregon and Southwest Washington at opb.org/elections.

An Oregon ballot measure will ask voters this November whether to make it easier for cannabis workers to unionize.

Under Ballot Measure 119, United for Cannabis Workers Act, employers at cannabis retail and processing businesses would be required to sign a “labor peace agreement” with a labor union to receive a license from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. In that agreement, employers must agree not to interfere with organizing efforts if their employees choose to unionize.

As of early September, there’s no organized opposition to the measure, although a business lobbying group opposed a similar law that died in the Oregon Legislature last year.

What you need to know about voting in Oregon and Southwest Washington

Because of vague federal laws, cannabis workers are often denied the right to unionize, said Miles Eshaia, a spokesperson for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 — Oregon’s largest private sector labor union.

“This should have been something that came out when Oregon passed legalization for recreational use,” Eshaia said.

UFCW 555 has pushed for the measure to become law. Earlier this summer, the union spent over $2 million on a signature collection campaign to qualify for the ballot.

Eshaia said some cannabis employees might work cultivating, harvesting and processing cannabis and be exposed to chemicals without wearing the proper protective equipment. He said some workers also have to deal with hazardous working conditions. But when workers speak up, they’re sometimes met with intimidation or the threat of losing their jobs.

“We want to make sure that workers have a safe working environment,” Eshaia said. “We don’t want them to be exposed to toxic chemicals if they don’t need to be. We want to negotiate their own safety and working conditions because that’s only fair.”

Issues important to Oregon voters

The most current data shows there are 7,281 workers in the cannabis field, the majority of which work on the retail, transportation and warehousing side of the industry, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

If passed, Measure 119 would likely give most workers in the industry the right to unionize, unless the worker is classified solely as an agricultural worker. That’s because agricultural laborers are not protected or allowed to unionize under the National Labor Relations Act.

Similar laws are already on the books in states like California, New York and New Jersey.

Listen to ‘OPB Politics Now’

This isn’t the first time UFCW 555 has tried to pass a similar law to protect cannabis workers. The union also pushed for the policy in the form of House Bill 3183 during the 2023 state legislative session, but that bill died. At the time, some lawmakers were concerned the bill would have been unconstitutional.

Groups like the Oregon Business and Industry (OBI), a lobbying group, opposed the bill because it would have required employers to “surrender rights protected by federal law.”

This time around, OBI has not publicly opposed Measure 119. Erik Lukens, a spokesperson for OBI, told OPB in an email that the group would not speculate on potential litigation. Lukens did say it will talk with its members and consider possible actions when the time is right if the measure passes.

The Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon, an advocacy and lobbying group for cannabis retailers, is neither supporting nor opposing the measure, according to Mike Getlin, the board chair of the organization.

“The owners of these businesses are not antagonistic to labor organizing, it’s not who we are,” Getlin said. “The vast majority of us have worked on that side of the fence as well. We are, as a whole, not career managers. So we understand the critical role that a healthy workforce and strong protections for that workforce plays.”

He said he disagrees with the claim that cannabis processing facilities are unsafe.

“This idea that these are big burly unsafe facilities poorly managed with a bunch of dangerous barrels of chemicals laying around and people walking in and not getting paid. If you’ve ever walked into an OLCC [Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission] license facility, you immediately start to realize how disingenuous that is,” he said.

Getlin added he worries groups might want to tack on more requirements to labor agreements that employers might not be able to have a fair say in.

“Most egregiously in California — where this policy has morphed into something very different from a simple labor peace agreement, which has led to complex, expensive litigation and has led to challenges in enforcement,” he said. “And has led to a host of other negative outcomes for the relationship between ownership and labor in those markets.”

At least one federal lawsuit in California was filed in April of 2024. A cannabis dispensary there is alleging the policy is unconstitutional, violates the company’s right to due process and supersedes federal labor laws.

Eshaia said he does not see Oregon having the same issue.

“We’re trying to fix something here. Every worker deserves the right to have safe working conditions,” he said. “They deserve the right to a union if they choose. Let’s just play catch up to other states because there’s no need not to.”