High school volleyball district roundup: Peninsula locks up WCD 3/4 3A title. They’re aiming for a much bigger trophy
Volleyball action continued in the south sound as teams battled for district titles. Here’s a closer look at the action.
PENINSULA 3, AUBURN RIVERSIDE 1
Peninsula celebrated -- but only for a minute.
They know there’s bigger and better things on the way, when the 3A state tournament rolls around on November 18.
After a match-sealing fourth set in the WCD 2/3 3A championship, the Seahawks boarded their team bus, with visions of the Yakima Valley SunDome in their heads. Of course, they were excited for their less-than-an-hour-old victory, but there’s a different trophy Peninsula wants.
A much bigger trophy.
“We’re riding a high right now, and it’s pretty cool,” coach Katrina Cardinal told The News Tribune. “And it’s not like they played like they expected it. Because they had to work for every single point.”
The Seahawks actually won two games on Saturday. They took down Auburn Riverside 3-1 to win a district title, but beat Kelso hours earlier to get to the championship match.
Peninsula handled Auburn Riverside in the game’s opening two sets, and it wasn’t the Ravens team they expected to see, Cardinal said. When fatigue hit, the Ravens clawed back, taking the third set and avoiding a title-game sweep.
“After so many really stressful matches, your brain just kind of goes,” Cardinal said. “And you could see that. That third (set) was the Auburn Riverside we were expecting to see. ... Nothing was going our way.”
The fourth set, Cardinal said, went exactly how she thought the entire game would be played: two squads, fighting tooth and nail for every point available. That’s how the Kelso game transpired, even though Peninsula won that game, 3-1, too.
Call Lauren Wittmers Saturday’s unsung hero. When Peninsula “reset” for what would be the fourth and final set, Peninsula’s senior setter used what Cardinal calls a high-volleyball IQ to move opposing blockers and use teammates as decoys.
“She was so amazing this weekend,” Cardinal said.
CURTIS 3, GRAHAM KAPOWSIN 0
Two games, two sweeps: too easy for the Vikings.
Curtis shut out Olympia in a WCD 3/4 4A semifinal Saturday afternoon, and beat Graham Kapowsin for a district title on their home court.
“We’re on top of the world,” coach Taylor Buell said. “We’ve worked so hard for this all season. They’re so excited for state.”
Their night could be described in three words: focused, simple, controlled. That’s how Buell saw it, and that was their mindset going in, she said. Everyone had to do their job, and they executed well, she added.
Even if the scoreboard never reflected it, Graham Kapowsin put up a fight. They’re one of the tougher teams to play, Buell said, and were ranked higher in the district seeding; Curtis seventh, and the Eagles fifth.
But the Vikings followed a simple formula: to side-out, and steal points on Graham Kapowsin serves.
Rudi Reyes, Curtis’ senior captain and middle hitter, “stepped up” for her last pair of games in the Curtis gymnasium. And Ariana Medchill dominated as the Vikings’ right side hitter, who challenged opposing Eagles trying to keep the ball alive.
Both squads qualified for state at the Yakima Valley SunDome next week.
Curtis possesses the district title, but there’s a bigger goal ahead.
“Our job is not done yet,” Buell said. “We are fully focused on state.
“But we’re still taking this one all in.”
STEILACOOM 3, ENUMCLAW 0
What a run for the Steilacoom High School volleyball team to win the District 2/3 2A Volleyball tournament. Not only did they take down the number one seed Washington in a 3-0 matchup, they took down Enumclaw in straight sets in the championship game.
Winning 25-18, 25-22, and 25-12, it was the Sentinels’ defense that carried them to the championship. Senior captain and setter Danielle Faamausili led her team with four blocks, 23 digs and 41 assists in the championship game.
The defense of the Sentinels played with an approach of controlling the chaos on the court. They implemented working around the players getting blocks and funneling the balls to the defenders if it gets beyond the net.
Rarely, if at all, did the Sentinels allow the ball to hit the floor. They played together with a calm and a focus to keep the ball in the air for their offense to set everything up.
The hustling defense allowed Faamausili to distribute the ball to her teammates, such as senior outside hitter Gabrielle Faamausili, Danielle’s sister. She came away from the championship match with 17 kills, and added four blocks of her own.
Senior Nia Bernal also had four blocks in the Sentinel’s championship win as well.
With a district championship under their belts, the Sentinel’s are setting their sights on the state tournament to be held next week from November 19-20 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
This story was originally published November 13, 2021 at 10:05 PM.