JOYCE — Two area volleyball teams went into the Class 1B Tri-District tournament and two teams came out with berths to this week’s state tournament at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Neah Bay and Quilcene both went 2-1 Saturday to claim the Tri-District’s third and fourth seeds, respectively, at state.
The Red Devils and Rangers opened the tournament at Crescent High School playing each other, with Quilcene taking the match in three sets 25-7, 25-18, 25-21.
“We started off pretty slow,” Neah Bay coach Rebekah Monette said. “Against Quilcene was a little faster pace than we were used to.”
The Rangers moved on to the semifinals, where they were the slow starters against Mount Vernon Christian.
Right when Quilcene got going, things fell apart, with one player suffering a quick bout with food poisoning and another and another a sprained ankle.
“We were just starting to get good roll on them,” Quilcene coach Joni Crowell said.
The Hurricanes won in four sets 25-6, 25-13, 16-25, 25-23.
The Rangers went on to defeat Providence Classical Christian in three sets 25-19, 25-22, 25-20.
Quilcene faces a familiar foe in the opening round of the state tournament, Tri-District and SeaTac League champion Christian Faith on Friday at
11:30 a.m.
The eighth-ranked Rangers have fallen in three sets twice this season to the third-ranked Eagles.
“We at least know their strengths and weaknesses,” Crowell said with a laugh.
“We’re pretty excited. They at least get our girls pretty pumped up to play.”
Crowell said the Rangers’ goal is to improve on their eighth-place finish last year at state.
They have already improved their district finish from fifth to fourth and their league standing from third to second.
Neah Bay takes third
The Red Devils followed up their loss to Quilcene with a five-set win over Evergreen Lutheran 25-13, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13.
Then then beat Crosspoint Academy 25-20, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21.
Monette said Neah Bay had good play from Haily Greene, Faye Chartraw, Holly Greene, Morgan Buzzell, Savannah Goodrich, Vivaca Wachendorf, Vonte Aguirre and Kayla Winck.
“I have a very even team, I don’t have a single superstar,” Monette said.
“Everybody is strong and does their job.”
Neah Bay will open state against Sunnyside Christian on Friday at 8 a.m.
“We have an excellent team this year and we’re hoping to have a good showing,” Monette said.
“We’re going to sit down [today] and reorient our goals for state.”
Sequim falls at districts
TACOMA — The Wolves were placed in the tougher side of the bracket at the district tournament at Franklin Pierce High School and came up short of the state tournament.
Sequim opened districts with a four-set loss to White River 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-12.
Emma LeBlanc served 12 of 13 for the Wolves with an impressive 16 perfect passes and 25 digs.
Alyse Armstrong recorded 17 kills, 11 assists and 12 digs; Emily Wallner had 17 assists; Rylie Roberts finished with 17 kills and 10 digs; Megan Breckenridge served 12 of 14 with two aces, 12 digs and four kills; and Mattie Clark was a perfect 13 for 13 on serves with two aces, three stuff blocks and six digs.
The Wolves then played Highline, which they defeated in three sets 25-18, 25-4, 25-17.
LeBlanc went on a 16-point serving run in the second set.
“That’s the longest serving run that anyone’s had in a long time on our team,” Sequim coach Jennie Webber Heilman said.
“She just kept serving and serving.”
LeBlanc finished 25 for 27 serving with five aces.
As a team, Sequim had 17 aces in the match and were 90 percent on serves.
Roberts served 6 for 6 with three aces and five digs; Breckenridge was 6 for 6 with four kills and three stuff blocks; Syndney Balkan was 4 for 4 with an ace, four digs and three perfect passes; and McKenzie Bentz was 5 for 5 with four digs.
Ella Christiansen contributed three kills and three stuff blocks; Wallner had four aces, four kills and 10 assists; and Armstrong had three aces, five kills and nine assists.
The Wolves then advanced to face Steilacoom, to whom they fell in five sets 25-18, 24-26, 20-25, 25-22, 15-10.
“It was just a battle,” Webber Heilman said.
“We were tied in fourth gane at 22, basically just three points away [from winning the match], and just couldn’t quite get it done.”
The Wolves recorded 127 digs in the match.
“We just needed a little more offense,” Webber Heilman said.
LeBlanc had 42 digs and 25 perfect passes — “That’s the highest total we’ve ever had,” Webber Heilman said. — and served 15 for 17 with an ace.
Roberts had 38 digs, nine kills and seven perfect passes; Christiansen had seven kills and two stuff blocks; Breckenridge served 11 for 11 with an ace and seven kills; and Kylee Salazar contributed 10 kills and 14 digs while earning the praise of her coach.
“Kylee Salazra, she just kind of came alive,” Webber Heilman said of the senior.
Wallner served 20 for 22 with two aces, nine kills and 21 assists, and Armstrong was 18 of 19 serving with one ace, five perfect passes,
14 kills, 15 assists, four stuff blocks and 22 digs.
Seattle Christian 3, Port Townsend 2
SILVERDALE — The Redhawks’ season ended in the first round of the Class 1A West Central District tournament on Thursday.
Port Townsend fell in five sets to Seattle Christian.
“It was a point for point match,” Redhawks coach Nettie Hawkins said.
“Both teams had their ups and downs, and unfortunately our season was the one that had to end.”
For Port Townsend, Abby McGuire had nine kills, eight assists, four aces and 10 digs; Addi Richert finished with five kills, seven digs and two blocks; Megan Lee tallied 15 digs; Baili Shaw recorded six kills, five aces and four digs; Rio Golden had 13 digs; Jenna Carson contributed two blocks; Amy Hemsley had six assists and three digs; and Megan Juran finished with four aces and five digs.
“I had such an amazing group of talented athletes this year, in which I’m graduating nine varsity players,” Hawkins said.
“Sad to see them go because we have grown to be as a family the last four years, as eight of them have been on varsity since freshman year, but so blessed and grateful for the relationships that have been made.”
