High school volleyball preview: Top teams, players in South Sound in 2023
The high school volleyball season is underway in the South Sound and across Washington. Here are the top teams and players to watch this fall.
4A NPSL
Under first-year coach Amanda Sewell and boasting six returning starters, Tahoma has gotten off to a torrid start in 2023 at 5-0 overall. The Bears are one of three 4A NPSL teams at 1-0 early in league play. Senior middle blocker Avery Kimball controls the net for the Bears while junior setter Annika Wright facilitates the offense. Kentwood and Kennedy Catholic also were unbeaten through the first couple of weeks of the season. And don’t forget about defending champion Mount Rainier. The Rams went 13-0 in league play a year ago. Mount Rainier has split games against 3A NPSL district opponents so far in 2023 — losing to 3A favorite Auburn Riverside while beating Auburn. Tahoma graduated just two seniors from a squad that went 7-2 in league play in 2022 and are already on pace to be better in 2023.
4A SPSL
Whoever wins the 4A SPSL, rest assured they’ll be battle tested. In the South Division, Olympia has early-season victories over the teams considered to be the favorites in the North Division in Curtis and Puyallup. The win over the Vikings from Puyallup didn’t count in the league standings, however. The league contest between the two perennial powers won’t happen for a couple of weeks. Curtis has a nonleague win against Top 5 state power Lake Stevens, the state runner-up in 2022. Don’t count out Emerald Ridge, either. The league is so strong that defending 4A state champion Graham-Kapowsin — which graduated three-time TNT All-Area player of the year Hailey Brockway — is picked third in the South Division. The Eagles were one of four 4A SPSL teams to advance to the state 4A quarterfinals a season ago, marking the second straight season that happened. Curtis and Puyallup went down to Lake Stevens in the quarters and semis before Graham-Kapowsin beat the winner of the Vikings round robin in the final.
3A NPSL
The defending 3A champions from Auburn Riverside lost only to 4A opponents within the league schedule, and early in the 2023 season, the Ravens are 2-2 with losses again only to unbeaten 4A rivals from Kentwood and Kennedy Catholic. Setter Bryanna Dawson is now a junior, coming off of two stellar years as a freshman and sophomore. With an offense that runs through Dawson, Auburn Riverside appears poised for yet another league title come late October and a playoff berth. The Ravens only nonleague match to date was a loss to another 4A power on the road at Puyallup.
3A PCL
This one is setting up to be a barn-burner of a race to the end, with at least four teams staking claims to being able to win the league. Perennial contender Lincoln is off to a good start with three victories, including a conference win over Mount Tahoma. Lakes and its mix of returning big names plus an influx of new talent is off to a solid start that includes two league wins. The Lancers have front line returning first-team all-league selections in sophomore outside hitter Elizabeth Filiaga and sophomore middle blocker Marley Alefaio plus have welcomed senior OH Jaelynn Gross, whose military family moved into the district before school started. Silas played a difficult early-season schedule but is 2-0 in league play. The Rams have one of the feature hitters in the 3A PCL in senior Ivy Brown. Spanaway Lake and Stadium also will have something to say about who gets out of the 3A PCL and advances in the postseason. The Sentinels are led by their senior sisters, outside hitter Lemasino Fuamatu and setter Tanumaleu Fuamatu.
3A SSC
North Thurston might remain young, but the Rams have youth with talent and experience leading the way in 2023. Senior Alexis Meyer leads the way in Lacey, and is a returning first-team all-league selection as a junior. She’ll be complemented by a pair of sophomores who got plenty of playing time as freshmen a year ago in outside hitter Addy Conner and setter Sammy Humphrey. The Rams are off to a good start, including an early victory over Capital and outside hitter Grace Williams and company. Expect Peninsula to have something to say about it, though, led by middle blocker Ziah Sneva, while Gig Harbor and Central Kitsap should contend for playoff spots. North Thurston simply has a lot returning from a team that got to state a season ago.
2A SPSL
Before the season began, it would have been easy to simply look at Washington’s history and returning roster and call the Patriots the favorite again this fall. Washington ran through the league, going 15-1, in 2022. Yet this season, Washington has lost three times within the SPSL. Which translates to this — the league might run through the east side of the league. White River’s Hornets began their schedule with five victories and seem to be set up for a long run of success with six freshmen and three sophomores making up most of its 14-person roster. Just up the road, the other Hornets from Enumclaw also began the 2023 campaign strong, going 4-0.
2A EvCo
Tumwater might be the play here. Black Hills is going through something of a transition. Thunderbirds coach Molly Cichosz has tweaked the way Tumwater is preparing. The team’s defensive line is set with all-league libero Brooklynn Hayes and defensive specialist Lalie Betschart anchoring the back row. Setter Emily Robello might be poised for a breakout season for a team that already has begun 2023 at 2-0 in league play.
1A Nisqually
It’s difficult to bet against the defending league champion when they’ve gotten off to another fast start in the early going. Annie Wright won it’s first five matches of the season despite replacing a large portion of its roster after several seniors graduated off a team that played in the 1A state championship a year ago, losing to Chelan. However, with most of its roster returning, including all-league first-team selection Layne Dent at outside hitter, Cascade Christian believes it has the lineup to challenge the Gators in 2023. The Cougars, off to an early 4-0 start of their own, face the Gators for the first of two Nisqually showdowns on Sept. 25.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MB Marley Alefaio, Lakes, soph.
OH Susannah Barnett, Olympia, sr.
MB Danielle Brown, Puyallup, sr.
OH Ivy Brown, Silas, sr.
OH Hannah Byers, Olympia, sr.
S Elli Davis, Capital, jr.
OH Layne Dent, Cascade Christian, jr.
S Bryanna Dodson, Auburn Riverside, jr.
S Peyton Ensign, Curtis, jr.
OH Elizabeth Filiaga, Lakes, soph.
OH Lemasino Fuamatu, Spanaway Lake, sr.
S Tanumaleu Fuamatu, Spanaway Lake, jr.
RH Rylie Hangca, Puyallup, sr.
L Brooklynn Hayes, Tumwater, sr.
MB Avery Kimball, Tahoma, sr.
OH Keira Leingang, Bellarmine Prep, sr.
M Emilia Linden, Fife, sr.
OH Alexis Meyer, North Thurston, sr.
OH Selana Morales, Curtis, soph.
MB Malia Oden, Annie Wright, sr.
OH Natalie Piasecki, Gig Harbor, sr.
S Anna Saladana, Stadium, sr.
S Reese Sheppard, Puyallup, jr.
MB Ziah Sneva, Peninsula, jr.
OH Tessa Templin, Stadium, sr.
OH Jasmine Terry, Rogers, soph.
OH Jenica Walling, Cascade Christian, soph.
S Lydia Ward, Gig Harbor, sr.
OH Grace Wesenberg, Emerald Ridge, sr.
OH Grace Williams, Capital, jr.
S Annika Wright, Tahoma, Jr.
OH Bridgett Woodruff, Bellarmine Prep, sr.