FORKS — The Forks volleyball team is making its first trip to a state volleyball tournament since 2003.
And the Spartans qualified for state in the most unlikely scenario possible.
Forks, the second-place team in the Pacific B League behind Raymond, won three matches and lost two at the District 4 tournament to put itself into the consolation final against Raymond.
Raymond went 12-0 in the Pacific B League and twice beat Forks 3-2 during the regular season, but the Spartans buried Raymond 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-20) the third time around. Kyra Neel came up with 11 kills, Kadie Wood nine kills and Kaidence Riley six kills and four blocks in the win.
Coach Jennifer LeDuke said the motto of this year’s team has been “all the things.”
“They all played amazing. The way they all worked together as a team, never got down and controlled their emotions. ‘All the things,’ ” LeDuke said.
“Forks has not been to state since 2003 when us coaches played in high school. Going to state as a player was amazing but taking a team to state as a coach is the best. Getting to watch them experience walking in that dome, the sound of the court under your feet, playing at the dome is priceless. I am so proud of all of them,” she said.
Forks (13-7) enters the state 2B tournament as a No. 16 seed and will play the No. 1 seed Kalama (20-0) on Thursday.
While that looks like a daunting match, the Spartans move on win or lose. They will play a second match Thursday against either No. 9 Toutle Lake or No. 8 Napavine.
Port Angeles, Sequim
Meanwhile, Port Angeles and Sequim begin play in the District 2/3 2A tournament Friday at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma. Six out of the 16 district teams from the Olympic League, the South Puget Sound League and the Metro League move on to the state 2A tournament.
Sequim (12-5) finished second in the Olympic 2A league and second in the Olympic League tournament and received a relatively high No. 5 seed, which means the Wolves move on to the second round win or lose.
The Wolves face No. 4 seed White River at 3 p.m. Friday. White River (15-2) finished second in the South Puget Sound League. If Sequim wins, the Wolves automatically qualify for the state 2A tournament at the Yakima SunDome on Nov. 18 and 19. Sequim would then move on to play Saturday in the district semifinals against either No. 1 seed North Kitsap or No. 8 Fife.
If the Wolves lose, they remain very much alive for state. They would go into the consolation bracket later Friday against one of two low seeds, either No. 13 North Mason or No. 12 Orting. If they win that match, they would move on to a Saturday match, likely against either Fife or No. 9 Highline, for the chance to qualify for state.
Port Angeles (11-7), which finished third in the Olympic League and fourth in the league tournament after being upset by North Mason on Saturday, slipped to a No. 10 seed and has a more difficult road to the state 2A tournament. Port Angeles will have to win three straight at district to make state.
The Roughriders begin in a loser-out match at 11 a.m. Friday, going up against No. 15 Clover Park, a 6-11 team out of the SPSL.
If they win, the Riders would play either No. 7 Foster or No. 2 Washington later on Friday. They would have to win that match and then another match Saturday to make state.
Neah Bay
Meanwhile, Neah Bay begins play in the 1B state tournament in Yakima on Thursday as a No. 8 seed.
The Red Devils play No. 9 Wilbur-Creston-Keller at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Win or lose, Neah Bay plays a second match on Thursday.
