Curtis downs Tumwater for Kent Classic championship

Just one thing has come between Curtis High School’s volleyball team and an unblemished record this season: the Tumwater Thunderbirds.

So on Saturday, the Vikings used powerful serves and big swings to shut down the defending Class 2A state champion, 2-0, and win the Kent Classic at Kentwood High School.

“It was kind of sweet to play them in the finals,” said Curtis coach Michael Miller. “That was who we wanted to see.”

“We always enjoy playing them, because they push us.”

Coming into the 29-team tournament, top-seeded Tumwater had bested every opponent it faced this season — including handing Curtis its sole loss in a 3-1 match earlier this month.

“Third time’s a charm,” said Curtis senior offensive hitter Camryn Buell, noting that Tumwater also beat them in their Sept. 5 jamboree. “Our plan was to serve them tough and capitalize, and I feel like we did that well.”

In the championship final, Curtis took advantage of Tumwater’s struggles with serve-receive and won long rallies to boost their momentum.

“It’s hard, because the expectation is that they’re always going to win,” said Tumwater coach Tana Otton. “And there’s times when they’re just not going to do it.”

Besting the Thunderbirds capped off a stellar tournament for the Vikings. After starting the day with a 27-25 loss in the opening set of their match with Inglemoor, they went on a run that included a 2-0 shutout of three-time defending 4A state champion Bellarmine Prep.

“That was great,” said senior outside hitter Elly McEachern. “That was something we’ve been working for since before I even started going to Curtis, so it was great to start out strong and take it from them.”

In its semifinal against Jackson of Mill Creek, Curtis lost the opening set, 25-18, before rallying to win 25-7, 15-13.

But Miller never lost confidence in his team, which he said has its sights set on a state title.

“If we lose the first set, it doesn’t rattle us,” he said. “We always come out strong and our best set is always our second set.”

Jackson and Lakeside of Seattle tied for third. Bellarmine won the Silver Division with wins over Skyline and Columbia River.

Olympia’s run in the Bronze Division ended with a 2-1 loss to perennial 2A stalwart Burlington-Edison. The final point was decided by a referee’s call on a double play that Bears coach Laurie Creighton said “dismayed” both teams.

“The disappointment was that he had set a standard of calling nothing in terms of ball-handling and double contacts the whole match,” she said, “and then he called that on the concluding point.”

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 11:08 PM with the headline "Curtis downs Tumwater for Kent Classic championship."