High school volleyball state roundup: Graham-Kapowsin topples Lake Stevens for 4A title
SATURDAY’S GAMES
4A
NO. 7 GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 3, NO. 4 LAKE STEVENS 0
25-21, 25-18, 25-22
Graham-Kapowsin swept Lake Stevens in Saturday’s 4A title match, upsetting the fourth-ranked Vikings and securing a state championship at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
“Everyone felt it,” said two-time TNT All-Area Player of the Year Hailey Brockway, a senior outside hitter. “Everyone felt it in their bones that we were gonna win.
“We’re so confident in our play.”
The Eagles stormed to Saturday’s championship following a pair of Friday wins: first via sweep over No. 10 Gonzaga Prep in the opening round and later over No. 15 Olympia, 3-1, in the quarterfinals.
Then came Graham-Kapowsin’s first true upset: another sweep over No. 3 Mount Rainier in the state semifinals Saturday morning.
“We knew that no one expected a lot of us, and it was just kind of an amazing thing,” Brockway said. “Because you have this confidence that you’re gonna take over every game. And we really did.”
NO. 1 PUYALLUP 3, NO. 3 MOUNT RAINIER 0
25-7, 25-20, 25-19
Puyallup suffered a surprising 3-1 loss (23-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-21) to No. 4 Lake Stevens earlier in the day, putting the one blemish on an otherwise perfect season for the Vikings.
The loss knocked them from getting to the championship match as well, sending them down to take on the Rams in the 3rd/4th place match for the 4A state tournament.
Last time Mount Rainier and Puyallup met was in the 4A District 3/4 volleyball tournament finals, where the Vikings won 3-0. A week later and the song remains the same.
Puyallup again swept the Rams after a dominating first set where they won 25-7. Although Mount Rainier scored 20 and 19 in the next two sets, they were not enough to overcome the Viking juggernaut.
Puyallup takes home third place in the 4A state volleyball tournament, their best finish since taking fifth in 2017.
NO. 5 CURTIS 3, NO. 15 OLYMPIA 1
25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-12
The Vikings got the better of the Bears for the second time this season, winning 3-1 like they did on September 12. Unlike last time, this win gave Curtis fifth place at the WIAA 4A volleyball tournament.
The Vikings’ day began with a 3-0 win over No. 9 Camas, where the Papermakers crept closer and closer to the Vikings’ lead. Those game scores were 25-17, 25-23 and 27-25.
In their match against Olympia, Curtis’ defense limited the Bears to just 16 points in the opening set. However, Olynpia came back and won the second set 23-25. From there, the Viking defense clenched up and limited the scoring opportunities for their opponent.
“I think it was really fun playing them. Our league represented really well at state, and it was a great way to go out,” coach Taylor Bautista said. “We enjoy it when our league has success because that creates great competition. Our girls came in knowing it was our last time playing together. All weekend we talked about who wanted it more, and then we came into focus.”
After dropping the second set, Curtis took the third and fourth set 25-20 and 25-12. The win gives the Vikings their best finish at state since 2017 when they came in fourth.
2A
NO. 1 LYNDEN 3, NO. 6 WASHINGTON 1
13-25, 25-22, 18-25, 18-25
Washington handled Enumclaw in five sets earlier Saturday, but dropped its fifth-place match with top-ranked Lynden after losing senior libero Helen Palaita to injury.
The Patriots finished sixth in the 2A bracket following a 2A SPSL regular-season crown and District 2/3 title, the latter claimed Nov. 12.
Washington posted a 15-1 record in league play and finished 17-4 overall.
Senior outside hitter Sirena Peredo set a school record with 303 kills in 58 sets (through Friday’s quarterfinals).
The Patriots toppled No. 11 Fife in Friday’s first round, capping a perfect 3-0 season over its league rival.
“It was very special,” head coach Paul Souza said. “When you play a team as many times as we did... it’s tough to beat a team (three) times in a row, no matter the sport.”
NO. 6 WASHINGTON 3, NO. 7 ENUMCLAW 2
25-8, 25-19, 11-25, 25-27, 15-6
The Patriots have this way of coming out super strong against their opponents. And the Hornets know this very well as this was their fourth meeting this season. Unfortunately, they could not get over the hump and nab a win from their 2A SPSL rivals.
Allowing only eight and 19 points in the first two sets, Washington looked like they were ready to put the game away in set three. However, senior opposite hitter Taiya Stafford came off the bench for Enumclaw and sparked her team.
“Taiya Stafford was a bright spot for us. She just ignited us when she came off the bench occasionally. She had a little extra tonight in game three,” said coach Jackie Carel. “By game three they had an injury from their libero, and we capitalized on that. We had the momentum and things were not going their way. I told my team that they had to keep swinging, couldn’t change the game plan, and keep serving tough. It was very exciting until the end.”
The Hornets came back and took the third and fourth set to force a fifth set. But after all the emotional highs and lows of the previous four sets, they ultimately fell in the last one.
Losing their fourth meeting against Washington sent Enumclaw home and away from any placing in the state tournament.
NO. 10 NORTH KITSAP 3, NO. 11 FIFE 2
26-24, 15-25, 25-17, 22-25, 15-7
The Trojans did not want to exit the 2A state tournament, as they had a back and forth battle with the Vikings in their matchup.
However, Fife ran out of gas after scoring at least 22 points in each of the first fourth sets as they dropped the final set 15-7. The loss puts the Trojans officially out of the tournament.
NO. 12 MARK MORRIS 3, NO. 8 WHITE RIVER 0
25-18, 25-16, 25-21
The Hornets couldn’t get a rally going against the Monarchs as they failed to take a single set in the two teams’ matchup.
Getting as close as scoring 21 points, White River was swept 3-0. They are eliminated from the 2A state volleyball tournament.
11/18
4A
NO. 1 PUYALLUP 3, NO. 9 CAMAS 0
25-21, 25-18, 25-18
There is a reason why the Vikings are the top seed in the WIAA 4A state volleyball tournament, and they showed it off in both their matchups on Friday.
First up was No. 16 Skyline. Although the Spartans had reason to be at the tournament, Puyallup absolutely suffocated them with their defense. Skyline was swept in three games (25-9, 25-12, 25-10) as senior outside hitter Ivy Vindivich used her versatile skill set to confuse and expose the holes in their opponents’ defensive front.
“Coming into the tournament, we felt that we came this far as an undefeated squad for a reason, and that every match is going to be a battle,” said coach Allie Schumacher. “On offense, Ivy was playing very confidently and making mature and smart choices. We saw Camas at districts and took scouting report notes. We had a game plan of going heavy in the middle.”
The Papermakers made it a closer match than the Spartans did, but Puyallup was still able to sweep their opponents in this match as well. Junior Dani Brown was an all-around force for the Vikings against Camas.
She came away with nine kills, two blocks and two aces in the match. Brown’s presence at the net made it so the balls coming from the Papermakers side were slowed down. Thus, making it easier for the Puyallup defense to get set and counter back.
Vindivich finished with 18 kills, senior Sophia Sheppard had 11 digs, and sophomore Reese Sheppard also contributed 11 digs.
The win guarantees Puyallup a top-four finish in the state tournament. Their next opponent will be Lake Stevens at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, November 19.
NO. 3 MOUNT RAINIER 3, NO. 6 WENATCHEE 2
25-14, 25-27, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13
The Rams had an early morning as they took the court against the 14th-seeded Braves at 7 a.m. However, coach Pat Taitano had a plan for his team to practice at 6 a.m. in the days leading up to the tournament to get their bodies used to early movement.
And it paid off dividends. Mount Rainier’s defense shut down Kamiakin in their sweep as the Rams allowed less and less points throughout the match (25-21, 25-18, 25-16). Helping lead the way offensively were senior middles Leah Roe and Briseis Lemafa.
Both players played effectively on both sides of the ball, scoring lots of points from the middle for the Mount Rainier offense and preventing Kamiakin from getting on a roll.
“The whole team is good defensively, and we got a lot of points from middle Leah Rowe and Briseis Lemafa,” said Taitano. “Against Wenatchee, it was just two teams battling each other. Both teams had a great game plan going into it. It felt like it came down to miniscule points down the stretch and a little bit of luck. I told the team ‘ let’s stay focused on the ball and score points,’ because we needed everybody offensively. Our outside hitters senior Celia Dowell and sophomore Alani Taliloa made the difference.”
The match against the Panthers, however, was a back and forth battle for the Rams. After taking the first set 25-14, Wenatchee surprised Mount Rainier by taking the second set 25-27.
The Panthers coming back from being down in the second set knocked the Rams knocked them back on their heels, even dropping the next set 23-25 and going down 1-2 in the match.
Not willing to go down without a fight, Dowel and Taliloa started their run of scoring huge points from the outside and taking back control of the match. Mount Rainier came back in set four with a 25-22 win, and then took the clincher 15-13 in game five.
The win puts Mount Rainier into the top four in 4A in the state, and gives them a date with Graham-Kapowsin for a berth in the state championship. That game will occur at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, November 19.
NO. 7 GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 3, NO. 15 OLYMPIA 1
25-11, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16
Graham-Kapowsin toppled league-rival Olympia in the state quarterfinals Friday, pushing the Eagles into the bracket’s ‘final four’ for consecutive seasons.
Olympia took the third set to avoid elimination, ultimately losing in four at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Both Graham-Kapowsin and Olympia won earlier Friday in the bracket’s first round.
The Eagles swept No. 10 Gonzaga Prep in three sets, and the Bears stunned No. 2 North Creek in four sets, sending a perennial state participant to the loser’s bracket and setting up a 4A SPSL rematch in the quarterfinal.
In two prior meetings on Sept. 20 and Oct. 12, Graham-Kawposin swept the rival Bears in three sets.
The 4A SPSL dominated the remainder of the state bracket Friday night. When quarterfinal play began, four of state’s eight remaining program hailed from the South Sound.
Now in the loser’s bracket, Olympia can still earn fifth-place state honors with a pair of wins Saturday.
NO. 14 KAMIAKIN 3, NO. 11 KENNEDY CATHOLIC 1
18-25, 25-20, 25-22, 26-24
The Lancers took the first set against the Braves, but couldn’t rally to win the match. However, that didn’t stop them from keeping it close as they never lost a set by more than five points.
Earlier in the day, Kennedy Catholic squared up against No. 6 Wenatchee. Unfortunately, they were swept 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20). With both losses, the Lancers are eliminated from state.
NO. 4 LAKE STEVENS 3, NO. 5 CURTIS 2
19-25, 26-24, 25-20, 22-25,13-15
Lake Stevens rallied for crucial fourth and fifth sets, emerging victorious over Curtis in the state quarterfinals on Friday night.
Lake Stevens avenged a disappointing first-round loss last year as the tournament’s third seed. Now ranked fourth, the Vikings only a pair of Saturday wins from a state title at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Curtis swept No. 12 Jackson earlier Friday in the opening Round of 16, sending the Vikings from University Place to the quarterfinals.
Curtis can guarantee at least a sixth-place state finish with a win in Saturday’s loser’s bracket.
3A
NO. 3 PENINSULA 3, NO. 5 BELLEVUE 2
25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-12
After suffering a heartbreaking loss Thursday to Bishop Blanchet, the Seahawks came into the consolation bracket playing a little slow.
Although they took the first set from Ferndale in their matchup, it was almost point for point leading up to the end. However, as coach Katrina Cardinal would describe, the team began to warm up and played with some heat in the second set.
“It was hard to rally after the heartache from yesterday. We started out slower, matching point for point, letting them lead the tempo at times,” she said. “But, we are a warm up team. In game two we played with some heat. Once we got our attack, we pushed it. [Junior] Evalyn Sutherland was a serving machine, and we totally cruised against Ferndale in the third set.”
Peninsula swept the Golden Eagles out of the tournament, winning their games 25-22, 25-15 and 25-22. Then came the real test, No. 5 Bellevue.
There is some familiarity between the two programs as the Seahawks took down the Wolverines 3-0 in the third round of the 2021 3A state tournament. And even though the seniors are the players who were playing for their legacy, it was freshman Samantha Karjala who stole the show.
Karjala was sent to the outside as a solo blocker. Wherever she went, she caused pressure on the Wolverines. She would get blocks, play with grit and even got the final kill to seal the Peninsula win.
After finishing in second place in 2021, the Seahawks will lay claim to fifth place in 2022.
NO. 5 BELLEVUE 3, NO. 8 NORTH THURSTON 0
25-15, 25-10, 25-20
The Rams’ offense could not put together a serve and receive game, or any consistent offensive rhythm for that matter, as they were swept out of the WIAA 3A state volleyball tournament by the Wolverines.
However, the defense was able to put together a strong showing on the court for North Thurston. Senior libero McKenzie Uyehara led her team in digs, and the rest of the Rams’ defense shut down Bellevue’s middle of the court.
“Our defense was really good today. They did a really good job shutting down Bellevue’s middle, but their [senior Brooke Huard] is a smart hitter,” coach Jackie Meyer said. “It’s frustrating to try and make adjustments, then they counter those adjustments. [Freshman] Samantha Humphrey had a good hitting game, but they shut us down and we didn’t have many kills.”
North Thurston couldn’t find any of the holes in the Wolverine’s defense, although they made it close in the third and deciding set. The Rams will finish in the top 10 in the state.
2A
NO. 2 COLUMBIA RIVER 3, NO. 7 ENUMCLAW 0
25-15, 25-14, 25-10
Though the Rapids proved to be a difficult challenge for the Hornets, they can hold their heads high knowing they can accomplish what they set out to do.
It all started with their matchup against No. 10 North Kitsap. After dropping the first set 22-25, Enumclaw coach Jackie Carel had to remind her team that they needed to be patient. If they can chip away five or ten points against their opponent, they can come back and win those types of games.
“I think that happens with us, we get off with that slow start and that’s all it was,” she said. “We talked about how we needed to be patient, things weren’t going our way. We thought we could do this and we got our confidence back. That’s all it took. We weren’t down, we knew we had to do better and we really rolled with it.”
The Hornets were able to complete a comeback against the Vikings by scoring 25-7, 25-20, and 25-19 in those sets. Junior outside hitter Bella Firnkoess came away with nine kills in that game, senior outside hitter Macy Furtwangler had 17 kills, and freshman libero Haley Osborne had five aces.
However, the plan against Columbia River just didn’t come to fruition enough. Enumclaw tried to chip away at the score, but the highest point total they got was 15.
The next time the Hornets take the court will be against 2A SPSL rival Washington at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, November 20.
NO. 3 BURLINGTON-EDISON 3, NO. 6 WASHINGTON 0
25-14, 25-14, 25-10
The Patriots could not figure out a way to score more than 14 points in any set in their loss to the Tigers on Friday. Getting swept 3-0 lands Washington in the consolation bracket where they will face 2A SPSL rival No. 7 Enumclaw for a shot at making the 5th/6th place game.
Earlier in the day, Washington defeated another league rival in Fife 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-21).
NO. 11 FIFE 3, NO. 14 SAMMAMISH 1
25-11, 25-21, 20-25, 25-15
Fife handled No. 14 Sammamish from the loser’s bracket Friday, advancing to Saturday play and keeping hopes for a seventh-place state finish alive.
Fife’s win came in response to a first-round loss at the hands of league-rival No. 6 Washington earlier Friday.
The Trojans meet No. 10 North Kitsap next at 11:45 a.m. PT Saturday. The winner advances to a seventh-place match, scheduled for 3:15 p.m. at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
NO. 8 WHITE RIVER 3, NO. 16 BLACK HILLS 1
25-17, 21-25, 25-19, 25-13
The Hornets had a very busy day on the court. In their first match, they took it to all five sets in a 3-2 loss against No. 9 Pullman (21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-17, 15-13).
Rather than going five more sets, White River settled for four. This time they won 3-1 over the Wolves (25-17, 21-25, 25-19, 25-13). The win advances White River to the consolation bracket where they have a shot at 5th/6th place in the state tournament.
Black Hills was eliminated from the state tournament after this loss and a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Lynden (25-10, 25-17, 25-17) earlier in the day.
11/17
NO. 1 LAKESIDE 3, NO 8 NORTH THURSTON 0
25-18, 25-15, 25-11
The Rams had a tough early test against Meadowdale in their opening round of the WIAA 3A state tournament. After taking the first two sets against the Mavericks 25-23 and 25-18, the third set turned into a marathon.
Despite the front row blocking really well for North Thurston, Meadowdale kept finding the holes in the defense and the score crept up evenly. Eventually, the Mavericks outlasted the Rams and took the third set 27-29.
In the fourth set, junior Alexis Meyer decided that she was going to take over the game herself. She went on a 12-0 run serving, effectively controlling the game and giving the Rams ultimate control of the match. They eventually won 25-12 and took the match 3-1.
Then came the real test: number one seeded Lakeside.
“Lakeside hurt us against the tip, meaning they had off speed shots over the blocks,” said coach Jackie Meyer. “We had our moments, and we hit really well. Freshmen Sammy Humphrey and Addison Conner, and Alexis hit the ball really well. However, they just did a really good job scouting us.”
Although North Thurston could stay point-for-point with the Lions in the beginning of sets, Lakeside would run away with the match. They swept the Rams and only allowed them to score 18, 15, and 11 points respectively in each set.
The loss sends North Thurston into the consolation bracket where they will face single-elimination. Their first test will be against No. 5 Bellevue at 12:30 p.m. Friday. If they win, then they automatically can place either 5th or 6th in the state.
NO. 11 BISHOP BLANCHET 3, NO. 3 PENINSULA 1
25-20, 17-25, 25-22, 25-22
The Seahawks suffered an upset against the Bears, but still can find their way into placing at the WIAA 3A state volleyball tournament.
Their first matchup came against No. 14 Lynnwood where despite a close first set, Peninsula handled with strong defense. They swept the Royals 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-10).
Bishop Blanchet was a different story, however. Keeping the first set close at 25-20, the Seahawks came back and took the second 17-25.
Again, the defense for Peninsula rallied to control the remainder of the match. Lynnwood however found their weak spots and etched out two more set wins, both of which were 25-22.
The split day puts the Seahawks in the consolation bracket where they have a matchup against No. 10 Ferndale at 12:30 p.m. Friday. A win will automatically get Peninsula a trophy.
NO. 15 KELSO 3, NO. 7 GIG HARBOR 0
25-23, 25-17, 26-24
The Tides were twice upset by lower seeds in the WIAA 3A state volleyball tournament on Thursday. Losing their early matchup against No.10 Ferndale 3-1 (25-18, 25-12, 12-25, 25-14) sent them to the consolation bracket earlier than they would have hoped.
There they met up with No. 15 Kelso where, despite keeping the sets very close, Gig Harbor was swept 3-0.
With both losses, the Tides are eliminated from state.
NO. 14 LYNNWOOD 3, NO. 19 AUBURN RIVERSIDE 1
25-20, 25-18, 21-25, 25-16
Although they tried to keep every set close, the Ravens ultimately could not crack the Royals’ defense due to a lack of a passing and serving game. That lack of cohesion put Auburn Riverside down 2-0 early, scoring 20 points in the first and 18 points in the second.
However, that’s not to say that they didn’t get points when Auburn Riverside needed them. Junior middle hitter Sophie Danielson was a bright spot for the Ravens’ offense as when they faced critical moments in the match, she got the kills and points to keep her team alive.
“We were able to secure the third set and that was what we needed,” said coach Michael Tienda. “We thought that we could build a comeback off of that from there. But Lynnwood did their job and they played a really good game. We were making more errors than usual, and they were more focused.”
The offense found their rhythm in the third set as they took it 21-25 from Lynwood.
Sophomore setter Bryanna Dodson was the driving force behind Auburn Riverside’s defense. She protected the lines intensely by traveling to make sure the deep balls hit by the Royals were picked up and put back into play.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, they could not dig themselves out of the hole they were in. Lynwood came back and suffocated the Auburn Riverside defense, forcing them to score their lowest amount of points in the match with 16.
The loss eliminates the Ravens from the state tournament.
NO. 16 LAKE WASHINGTON 3, NO. 17 SILAS 0
25-23, 25-16, 25-13
The game plan for the Rams was to get the Kangaroos uncomfortable and out of their system early with tough serving.
It was working mostly in the first set, as players like senior Kyona Fox-Flores had a stretch of really good serves for Silas. She even picked up an ace during that stretch. However, it wasn’t enough as the Rams lost the first set 25-23.
And equally as unfortunate, Lake Washington made the proper adjustments in between sets and held Silas to fewer and fewer points as the match went on. The game plan the Rams came in with was no longer working, despite the team’s efforts.
“We were right there with them in the first set,” said coach Ann Hansen. “Our plan was to serve them tough and get them out of their system. We did a good job of that in the first set, and challenged their passers and made them move. But for whatever reason, we let up on that and they took big swings. They challenged us with balls down the line and took the momentum.”
Although they were losing the momentum of the match, the Rams continued to find ways to score points and keep themselves in both sets. Junior Ivy Brown led Silas in kills with 11 in the matchup, and senior Anna Storm chipped in with four.
Defensively, sophomore Sammy Caron led with 11 digs and junior Valerie Brandt had nine also. Both players hustled to keep the balls in the game, helping Brandt get her team-leading 20 assists as well.
In the end, the Kangaroos swept the Rams 3-0 in the match, eliminating them from the 3A state tournament.
NOVEMBER 12
CLASS 4A
PUYALLUP 3, MOUNT RAINIER 0
Last year, the Rams were bouncing the Vikings out of the District 3/4 4A volleyball tournament and sending them home. From that moment on, coach Allie Schumacher and her team have been working to get back to this moment and rewrite it for themselves.
And they did. Riding in on an undefeated season at 18-0, Puyallup won their next four games with a combined score of 12-0. They did not just win districts, they absolutely dominated the rest of the competition including a revenge game against Mount Rainier.
“I think coming into this season, we wanted it to be our redemption year,” Schumacher said. “We didn’t get the ending we wanted last year, so this group of girls came back this season very hungry. We approach every match like it is the biggest match we’ll play this season. It doesn’t matter what games we won in the past, our record is 0-0 in the game we are playing and the other team wants to take us down.”
Senior outside hitter Ivy Vindivich and senior libero Sophia Sheppard led the Vikings in their win over the Rams. Their leadership on the court proved to be invaluable as they were able to direct the offense and defense with ease.
The win for Puyallup will certainly put them in the 4A state tournament. Coach Schumacher hopes her team will continue to keep their approach of every team wanting to take them down, and that they want to prove they are the best team in the state.
OTHER SCHOOLS
Mount Rainier will take second in the district tournament as they got to the championship with a 3-0 win over Curtis earlier Saturday afternoon. However, they already had an automatic berth to the state tournament as they clinched their spot by winning 3-0 over Emerald Ridge and 3-0 over Union on Friday.
Curtis will take third at districts with a 3-1 win over Camas and clinch a spot at state. And like Mount Rainier, a 3-0 win over Kentwood and a 3-2 win over Graham-Kapowsin on Friday guaranteed them a spot.
Speaking of Graham-Kapowsin, the Eagles, Olympia, and Kennedy Catholic all clinched their spots at state as well. Graham-Kapowsin and Kennedy Catholic each got automatic berths by reaching the 5th/6th place game, and Olympia took down Bellarmone 3-1 for their berth.
CLASS 3A
NO. 1 PENINSULA 3, NO. 8 GIG HARBOR 1
Somehow, the 3A District 3 volleyball tournament was going to come down to the Seahawks and Tides. These types of events always do.
In the third meeting of these top 3A SSC programs, Peninsula was carrying the momentum of their 3-0 win over Prarie earlier in the day. But in their matchup against Gig Harbor, there was the expected chippiness these teams bring to one another.
The first order of business was for the Seahawk defense to stop the Tides’ momentum as they just came off a 3-2 win over North Thurston.
“[Senior outside hitter] Langley Griffin was on fire tonight, I don’t think anyone could have stopped her,” said coach Katrina Cardinal. “She was super intense on the court. It was pretty heated since there was a back-and-forth between the players. Gig Harbor was getting blocks, and that got her so fired up that as a strong outside hitter, Griffin took over the match.”
Griffin’s intensity was contagious as well, as freshman middle Sam Karjala started feeding off of it and got blocks for Peninsula when they most needed them. Senior Laney Sneva also felt the intensity coming off of Griffin and started to use that cannon of an arm to get points for the Seahawks at critical moments too.
Junior libero Evalyn Sutherland played the most critical role for Peninsula as she was able to muster up 25 digs against the Tides. In keeping those balls alive, the Seahawks swung momentum their way and took the district title from their rivals.
Luckily, both teams are destined for the 3A state tournament so a possible round four between these schools is still on the table.
OTHER SCHOOLS
With their 3-0 win over Silas Saturday, North Thurston already clinched a spot in the 3A state tournament. However, their seeded took a hit with a 3-2 loss to Gig Harbor earlier Saturday. That did not deter them, however. In their last match of the day, North Thurston swept Prairie 3-0 and took home third place at districts.
Silas also clinched a spot in the 3A state tournament, albeit after a 3-1 loss to Kelso to put them in sixth place at districts. That loss came after back-to-back 3-0 wins over Central Kitsap in their first matchup of the day, and then Auburn Riverside in the second.
Auburn Riverside claimed seventh place in the district tournament after a 3-0 win over Spanaway Lake and clinched the last state playoff berth. Their first match of the day was a 3-1 win over Capital, but then got swept by Silas. The Sentinels fell just short of a playoff berth after starting the day with a promising 3-0 win over Lincoln but then dropping their next game 3-0 to Kelso.
CLASS 2A (District 3)
NO. 2 WASHINGTON 3, NO. 8 FIFE 1
25-15, 25-27, 25-16, 25-18
Although Fife was the Cinderella story of the District 2/3 2A volleyball tournament, the clock struck midnight when the took on the Patriots.
Splitting the first two sets of the match, coach Paul Souza’s squad composed themselves and relied on the standby of senior outside hitters Sirena Peredo and Mame Leia to take over the match. And they absolutely delivered.
“Fife played over their heads in the tournament, they were one of those teams that just caught on fire,” Souza said. “We started slow, and next thing you know they were ahead. Peredo is the MVP of our league, and she just broke the school record of 800-plus kills at Washington. The whole group has done very well since freshman year and I hope this makes for a deep run at state.”
The Washington defense put a stronghold against the Trojan offense as they allowed 16 and 18 points respectively in the following two games. That set them up for taking the district title and in a great spot for the state tournament.
OTHER SCHOOLS
Despite the loss in the district championship, Fife is guaranteed a spot in the 2A state tournament. Earlier in their day, they escaped White River winning 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 35-22).
White River was also guaranteed a spot in the 2A state tournament when they were sent to the 3rd/4th place game against Enumclaw. In the closest match of the day, Enumclaw squeaked by White River winning 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 16-15).
CLASS 2A (District 4)
BLACK HILLS 3, TUMWATER 0
The Black Hills High School volleyball team clinched a berth to the 2A state tournament with their 3-0 win over Tumwater. After originally getting swept in the first round by Mark Morris, the Wolves came back strong by defeating RA Long 3-0 in their second round of the district tournament.
As for the T-Birds, they actually won their opening round matchup against Hockinson 3-0. However, in their second round matchup against Ridgefield, they were swept 3-0 into the consolation bracket where they fell to Black Hills.
W.F. West joins the Tumwater in missing the state tournament as well. In their opening round, the Bearcats were swept 3-0 by Ridgefield. In their next round, W.F. West kept the tournament hopes alive with a 3-1 win over Hockinson.
Unfortunately for the Bearcats, their run came to an end against Mark Morris as they were bounced out 3-0 in their final round.
CLASS 1A
NO. 1 CHELAN 3, NO. 2 ANNIE WRIGHT 0
25-17, 25-18, 25-19
The Golden Gators made school history by bringing home second place in the WIAA 1A state volleyball tournament, as no other sport in Annie Wright has placed higher than fourth.
Earlier in their day, the Golden Gators faced off against Cascade Christian for the fifth time in the season. Even though coach Jeff Grosshans always warns his team that it’s hard to beat an opponent three times in a row, Annie Wright was able to overcome the Cougars.
Once again led by senior Rae Wartelle’s hard-nosed play on the court, the Golden Gators held down Cascade Christian 25-16, 25-15, and 25-13. That set the stage for Annie Wright to take on the number one seeded Mountain Goats.
“We knew we had our work cut out for us. We watched them last year and knew how powerful they were,” said coach Grosshans. “Our goal was to be here at the championship with them. We were going to battle against them in the end and we did. Honestly, that was the best loss we could’ve had. A few years ago we made it our goal to get here, and now that box was checked.”
If Wartelle is able to get more sets her way, she has the ability to take over the game for the Golden Gators. However, Chelan kept the ball away from her as best they could and that left the best offensive player Annie Wright had underused.
The win marks the third state championship for Chelan High School.
NO. 5 LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 3, NO. 6 CASCADE CHRISTIAN 2
23-25, 23-25, 25-11, 25-15, 15-9
Even though they were outplayed by Annie Wright, it was not from a lack of effort on the Cougars side. The incredibly young team just didn’t have what it took to overcome their rival and that sent them to take on the Lyncs for 3rd place in the WIAA 1A state volleyball tournament.
However, that did not stop Cascade Christian from rallying and making it a thrilling five-set match.
“We knew what we were going against, but we didn’t settle and we rallied for the next game,” said coach Jeff Suarez. “I am really proud of these girls. They are very young, but we competed very well. When things went our way, we were rolling. Annie Wright beat us down and it could’ve been easy to roll over, but we fought hard against Lynden Christian. They have a pedigree of championships and they were excellent on the court.”
The Cougars had their hands nearly on the third-place trophy after going up 2-0 in the match with two 23-25 wins. However, the experience that the Lyncs have shined through and took over the match.
However, in the fifth and final match, Cascade Christian was up at one point 8-7. But Lynden Chrisitan rallied to win the last set and take home their best finish at state since 2018 when they came in first place.
This story was originally published November 13, 2022 at 7:46 PM.
