11/23/2024
By Sandy Ringer
(Yakima, WA) The Yakima SunDome was again the setting for the 3A State Volleyball Tournament. One thing is for certain and that is there will be a new 3A State Champion. The Mead Panthers have won 2 of the last 3 and would likely be here to defend their title except in the recent re-classification the Panthers are now a 4A team and are competing in the 4A tournament as the 14 seed.
The most recent Champion in the current tournament is Mt Spokane who won back to back titles in 2018 and 2019. The Wildcats are the 6 seed. Maybe a 1st time Champion will emerge as #1 Ridgeline, #2 North Thurston, #4 West Seattle have never won a Volleyball Championship. #3 Prairie took the title in 2012 and #5 Seattle Prep won it in 2010.
We’ll cover each round of the tournament on this post with the schedule, results and round-by-round re-caps as the results become final. This story will cover all 26 matches.
3A State Tournament
Saturday, November 23 Day 2
State Championship Match
(1) Ridgeline 3, (2) North Thurston 2 (18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-13, 15-6)
Consider the torch officially lit.
Now the Ridgefield Falcons plan to keep to the flame going.
The fourth-year school quickly set a standard while making its first appearance at the Class 3A state volleyball tournament, capturing the championship with a five-set victory over North Thurston Saturday night at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
The top-seeded Falcons expect it to become a tradition. So, they didn’t flinch when they feel behind tough NT, 1-0 and 2-1.
“We had nothing to lose,” coach Whitney Abell said. “This is our first opportunity at state, so whether we lose, we’re setting the tone. We have a lot of upcoming kids who are very talented. The team chose the saying ‘Keep it lit’ as in pass the torch. We’re going to set the standard and pass it down to the next group. That speaks volume as to who these kids are. They’re not just about themselves and what we accomplish.”
The Falcons never lost faith and pulled off the two-hour thriller, 18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-13, 15-6. The match, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., started more than an hour and a half late as the tournament ran behind and finished well after 11.
No. 2 North Thurston played with passion as well and is trying to build a tradition of its own. This is the Rams’ best showing after finishing a disappointing fourth in 2023, when they were seeded No. 1 but lost in the semifinals.
“They set a goal to get to this game and they achieved it,” coach Jackie Meyer said. “They played some of their best volleyball throughout the tournament, so I’m very proud of them. They’re very young. We only have one senior. We were excited to make a run.”
It often looked as though it would be a run to the top.
Addy Conner, a 6-foot-3 junior who finished with a match-high 20 kills, came out firing as NT jetted to an 11-7 lead. At 24-16, Ridgeline fought off a pair of set points before junior Samantha Humphrey ended it.
The Falcons seemed unfazed. They opened the second set with 4-0 spurt and built leads of 7-2, 13-7, 19-10 and 22-12 before squaring the match with a 25-13 win.
Ryan Libey, a 5-11 sophomore, keyed the comeback and wound up with 18 kills and six blocks, ultimately earning the match MVP honors.
North Thurston regained control early in the third set and was up 22-16 before Ridgeline reeled off four straight points. The Rams won it 25-21 on a block by sophomore Ava Almonte.
Naturally, Ridgeline had a response, bolting to a 12-6 advantage in the fourth that blossomed to 19-11. At 19-13, the Falcons ran off the final six points with Libey logging a late block and senior Reagan Rothley adding an ace.
They were feeling it by then and dominated the fifth set, racing in front 11-2 and never looking back.
Araleigh Arnold handed out 37 assists and had a trio of aces, while Kayla Ross did her part with 14 assists, while Rahni Green contributed 13 kills and two blocks. All are seniors. Junior Olivia Phipps delivered 12 kills.
For North Thurston, Humphrey had 34 assists and sophomore Abby Losey piled up 16 kills.
Ridgefield was coming off a five-set semifinal win over Seattle Prep. Abell credited the resiliency to the seasoning her players got while competing in the ultra-tough Greater Spokane League.
“We have very tough teams in our league and these girls just stepped up and decided they wanted to use those opportunities to prepare for this and they stayed calm, they stayed composed,” the 2006 North Central graduate said. “They worked hard every day and continued to compete and continued to get better and lean on each other and challenged each other every day at practice so we could get better every day.”
Abell also said cohesiveness was key.
“They chose the motto ‘We before me’ for this season and they embrace their roles and they truly, deeply care for each other as a team,” she said. “That is what set this team apart and allowed them to be where they are today – believing in and trusting themselves and knowing that the person next to them is going to work just as hard and back them up every single point, every single game.”
Libey, who mostly played with the junior varsity last season, wanted to make sure the seniors left with smiles.
“We all just really wanted to take advantage of our last opportunity together because we have seven seniors and we knew that we could win this, so we came out with a lot of energy,” she said.
Rothley seemed dazed in the aftermath.
“I’m kind of in disbelief,” she said. “I feel like we’ve been working all season for a goal, we consistently get better and better and we’re at the top of the world, especially with our group of girls. This is unbelievable, crazy. I don’t even know how to explain it.”
ESN Postgame Show
North Thurston gets off to a fast start
Ridgeline evens the match to send it to a 5th set
Ridgeline completes the comeback to win
Semifinals (Winner to Championship, Loser to 3rd place game)
(2) North Thurston 3, (6) Mount Spokane (25-22, 25-20, 25-19)
(1) Ridgeline 3, (5) Seattle Prep 2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-11)
Semifinal Round Recap
Some teams seem to have one or two big horses to ride when it comes to championship runs.
North Thurston has a stable full.
The second-seeded Rams showed their versatility while rolling past No. 6 Mount Spokane and earning a berth in the title match, 25-22, 25-20, 25-19.
They play No. 1 Ridgeline in the 7:30 p.m. title match. The Falcons earned their spot by edging No. 5 Seattle Prep, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-11.
Sure, MVP Addy Conner came up with most of the big plays delivering 12 kills and four blocks in the sweep. But down the stretch, NT got kills from Samantha Humphrey, Abby Losey and Ava Almonte to help hold off Mount Spokane.
The Wildcats had whittled an 18-11 deficit to 21-18 behind the efforts of Berkeley Nelson and Lexi Wideman.
But the Rams wouldn’t be denied. After placing fourth in last year’s tourney (their only state trophy), they were laser-focused on playing for the big prize.
Mount Spokane will still go home with a fifth straight trophy, playing Seattle Prep for third and fourth places. The Wildcats won the 2019 title and followed with three top-six finishes.
Ridgeline continued its magic ride against a tough Prep team that had upset on its mind.
The Panthers, who have a rich tradition, rode the strong net play of Idaho-bound Gabi Smith to take the opening set, 25-23.
But Ridgeline, which only opened in 2021, pulled even with a 27-25 win in the second as Rahni Green (Cal Poly Humboldt) stepped up. Sophomore Ryan Libey keyed the Falcons’ 25-19 third set, but Seattle Prep answered, 25-17 with Smith again flexing her muscle.
The Panthers trailed just 11-10 in the final set before senior Reagan Rothley rang up a pair of kills. It was 14-11 when Libey hammered the final kill to take the MVP
Trophy Round
7th/8th Place (15) Bellevue 3, (9) Lynnwood 2 (23-25, 25-15, 26-24, 22-25, 15-9)
5th/6th (10) White River (8) Liberty 3, (10) White River 0 (27-25, 25-22, 26-24)
3rd/4th Place (6) Mount Spokane 3, (5) Seattle Prep 2 (25-23, 25-27, 23-25. 25-21, 17-15)
Trophy Round Recap
Semifinal losers sometimes struggle to bring their best stuff to the consolation final.
That wasn’t the case with Mount Spokane and Seattle Prep, which clearly cared about ending the 3A tournament on a high note.
In the end, it was the No. 6 Wildcats who outlasted the No. 5 Panthers to capture third place, 25-23, 25-27, 23-25. 25-21, 17-15. Seattle Prep wound up fourth.
Both teams improved their showings from the previous year, when Mount Spokane was sixth and Seattle Prep eighth. It’s the fifth straight trophy for Mount Spokane, which wore the crown in 2019.
Seattle Prep let a 2-1 lead slip away with some crucial errors down the stretch. But the Panthers battled. Down 14-11 in the fifth, they rallied to take a 15-14 lead on back-to-back kills by Lucia Schneider, one of Prep’s four seniors. Berkeley Neilson’s kill saved a set point and the Wildcats closed it out from there.
Junior Delaney Davis delivered the MVP performance.
No. 8 Liberty of Issaquah recorded its best tournament finish by placing fifth, sweeping No. 9 Lynnwood in three tight sets, 27-25, 25-22, 26-24.
Maiya Lester, a 6-1 senior, was named MVP. Liberty took home seventh place last year. The Patriots’ only other trophies came in 2A (seventh in 2017, eighth in 2014).
Lester is one of only three seniors on the roster.
Juniors Taylor Arnold and Grace Harrison drew notice for Lynnwood, which finished sixth. The Hornets, who came into the tournament 19-1, placed third a year ago and were seventh in 2003.
No. 15 Bellevue finished the tournament on a three-match win streak to claim seventh place, topping No. 9 Lynnwood in the match for seventh and eighth places, 25-23, 15-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9.
Pretty impressive for a team that had to survive a play-in match to reach the official opening round. The school’s only other state volleyball trophy came in 2016 (sixth place).
Kaitlyn Nguyen was tabbed match MVP with other notice going to teammates Mia Palcisco and Niah Pham. All are just juniors. In fact, it’s a young team overall with no seniors, so expect the Wolverines to be back.
Lynnwood got hardware to add to the third-place trophy from last year’s tourney. The Royals’ only other top-eight finish was in 2003 (seventh). Their top performers in the finale were Evangeline Sum, Ady Morgan, Harmony Johnson and Sammy Holmer – all seniors.
Consolation (Winner to Trophy Round, Loser Out)
(15) Bellevue 3, (11) Timberline 2 (25-20, 23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-11)
(9) Lynnwood (13) Snohomish
(3) Prairie (10) White River 3, (3) Prairie 0 (25-23, 25-20, 28-26)
(8) Liberty 3, (4) West Seattle 2 (25-18, 20-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-12)
Consolation Round Recap
White River took a step up from 2A this season and gets to take home a trophy.
The No. 10 Hornets knocked off No. No. 3 Prairie in a hard-fought sweep to assure themselves of some hardware, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26. Senior Kianna Rohner was a rock enroute to her MVP award.
White River, which went 1-2 in each of the past two 2A tourneys, but took fifth in 2019 and 2021, plays No. 8 Liberty of Issaquah for fifth and sixth places.
Liberty sent No. 4 West Seattle home in a long five-set match to reach the trophy round, 25-18, 20-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-12. Junior Julianne Lee left with the MVP award.
No. 15 Bellevue had to win a play-in match to reach the round of 16. The Wolverines lost to No. 2 North Thurston there, but responded with two victories to clinch a trophy. They toppled No. 11 Timberline to earn a shot at seventh place, 25-20, 22-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-11.
Mia Palcisco powered the way and got the MVP nod. Bellevue’s only other trophy came in 2016 (sixth place).
The Wolverines will face No. 9 Lynnwood in that final match. Junior Makena Kaleo keyed the Royals’ 3-1 win over WesCo rival Snohomish to advance, 25-9, 23-25, 25-19, 25-9. Kaleo, the match MVP, served especially tough and seemed to provide a calming presence whenever Snohomish made a push.
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Friday, November 22 Day 1
Play-In Round (Winner to Round of 16, Loser Out)
8am
Crt 1 (14) Kennewick 3, (19) Eastside Catholic 2 (25-27, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-13
Crt 2 (15) Bellevue 3, (18) Ferndale 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-20)
Crt 4 (13) Stanwood 3, (20) Lakes 0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-23)
Crt 5 (16) Bishop Blanchet 3, (17) Bellarmine Prep 2 (26-24, 25-27, 25-14, 19-25, 15-11)
Play-In Round Recap
Junior Juleah Leapai powered 15th-seeded Bellevue into the double-elimination round with a 3-0 victory over No. 18 Ferndale (25-15, 25-17, 25-20), earning MVP honors. Sophomore Trinity Aptacy was also key.
Nerves seemed to get the best of No. 14 Kennewick early in the opener against No. 19 Eastside Catholic. The Lions enjoyed seven-point leads in each of the first two sets only to lose both, 27-25, 25-22. But they regained composure to sweep the final three, 25-21, 25-18, 15-13.
The Crusaders jumped in front 5-1 in the fifth set before Kennewick stormed ahead 12-9. EC tied it at 12, but The Lions led 13-12 when Senior Cali Shoenberg hammered a kill to make it 14-12 and the ultimately advanced on a tipped ball blocked out of bounds. Junior Leslie Perez was tabbed MVP. Shoenberg also stood out along with Callie Stemp and Phoebe Bland.
Eastside senior Lauren Wiese, a 6-foot-3 MB who has signed with Baylor, finished her prep career with a strong performance. Teammates Avery Merritt and Lola Togia played tough as well.
No. 16 Bishop Blanchet also had to survive a five-set thriller against No. 17 Bellarmine Prep to remain alive (26-24, 25-27, 25-14, 19-25, 15-11). The Bears came from behind in the last set. Sophomore Erin Hofmeister got the MVP nod.
No. 20 Lakes saved five match points before coming up short against No. 13 Stanwood, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-23). Match MVP went to sophomore Harper Neyens.
Opening Round (Winners to Quarterfinals, Losers to Consolation)
Crt 4 (6) Mt Spokane 3, (11) Timberline 2 (25-20, 25-22, 18-25, 18-25, 18-16)
Crt 5 (3) Prairie 3, (14) Kennewick 1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-20)
Crt 1 (10) White River 3, (7) Central Kitsap 1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-7)
Crt 2 (2) North Thurston 3, (15) Bellevue 0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-12)
Crt 4 (5) Seattle Prep 3, (12) Snohomish 0 (25-14, 25-8, 15-11)
Crt 5 (3) West Seattle 3, (13) Stanwood 0 (25-23, 31-29, 25-14)
Crt 1 (8) Liberty 3, (9) Lynnwood 2 (24-26, 25-27, 25-22, 25-14, 15-10)
Crt 2 (1) Ridgeline 3, (16) Bishop Blanchet 0 (31-29, 25-16, 25-18)
First Round Recap
Ridgeline.
Remember the name.
The Falcons plan to force you to as they make their presence felt in the Class 3A state tournament.
The Spokane County school, located in the town of Liberty Lake, opened in 2021 and become competitive in volleyball out of the gate as part of the loaded Greater Spokane League.
The Falcons are making their first state after coming up one win short last season.
They are seeded No. 1 and played like it in their opener against No. 16 Bishop Blanchet, posting a 3-0 sweep (31-29, 25-16, 25-18).
Sophomore Ryan Libey delivered the final kill in that tight opening set, then ended the match with a block to nail down the MVP award.
Ridgeline will take on No. 8 Liberty of Issaquah in the quarterfinals.
Liberty mounted a major comeback over No. 9 Lynnwood in the final opening-round match of the day. The Patriots lost the first two sets, but were ultra competitive – 26-24, 27-25. Then they turned the tables and swept the final three, 25-22, 25-14, 15-10.
Lynnwood made some runs and fought off five set points before going down.
Liberty’s Maiya Lester, a 6-1 senior, led the comeback and garnered MVP status. She had a strong supporting cast that included Alicia Lester, Julianne Lee, Gabriella Catherall and Kendreah Beazer..
For Lynnwood, top performers were Evangeline Sum, Harmony Johnson, Sammy Holmer and Makena Kaleo.
Consolation Round (Loser Out)
Crt 2 (11) Timberline 3, (14) Kennewick 0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-16)
Crt 3 (15) Bellevue 3, (7) Central Kitsap 0 (25-22, 25-20, 26-24)
Crt 4 (12) Snohomish 3, (13) Stanwood 1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23)
Crt 5 (9) Lynnwood 3 (16) Bishop Blanchet 0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-18)
Consolation Round Recap
Bellevue believes it is a top-eight team.
The 15th-seeded Wolverines have a chance to prove it Saturday morning at 8, when they play No. 11 Timberline with a spot in the trophy round on the line.
They kept their trophy hopes alive by upsetting No. 7 Central Kitsap Friday, 25-22, 25-20, 26-24.
Bellevue had to win a play-in match Friday morning, then lost to No. 2 North Thurston. Junior Kaitlyn Nguyen delivered an MVP performance that included three kills and six service points in the opening set. She also had four kills in the third.
Timberline toppled No. 14 Kennewick to avoid elimination, 25-16, 25-23, 25-16. The Blazers blew out to a 16-8 lead and Kealani Naipo closed out the set with a kill. After a tight second set, they regained control and got the match-ending kill from sophomore Kinley Smith.
One of the most resilient performances in the tournament came from No. 9 Lynnwood.
The Royals lost a 3-2 heartbreaker to No. 8 Liberty in the opening round after leading 2-0. They only had about 30 minutes to stew about it as they faced elimination in the consolation bracket against No. 16 Bishop Blanchet.
Lynnwood responded with a 3-0 victory to stay in the trophy hunt, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18, with Miah Morales earning the MVP. The Royals play No. 13 Snohomish at 10 a.m. in an all-WesCo battle. Lynnwood won both earlier meetings.
Snohomish’s consolation victory came at another WesCo rival’s expense – Stanwood. Those two were 1-1 on the season, but this one went the Panthers’ way, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23. Junior Heidi Chambers claimed the MVP.
Quarterfinals (Winner to Semifinals, Loser to Consolation)
9pm
Crt 1 (6) Mt. Spokane 3, vs (3) Prairie 1 (14-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-23)
Crt 2 (10) White River vs (2) North Thurston 3, (10) White River 1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18)
Crt 4 (5) Seattle Prep 3, (4) West Seattle 0 (21-25, 27-25, 25-9, 25-19)
Crt 5 (1) Ridgeline 3, (8) Liberty 0 (25-21, 25-10, 25-18)
Quarterfinal Round Recap
Mount Spokane made sure the trophy run didn’t end here.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats upset No. 3 Prairie to advance to the semifinals and assure themselves some hardware for a fifth straight tournament. They earned the big prize in 2019, then were fifth, fourth and last season sixth (there was no tourney in 2020 due to COVID).
Mount Spokane plays No. 2 North Thurston in Saturday’s semifinals at noon. The other noon semi pairs No. 1 Ridgeline against No. 5 Seattle Prep.
Prairie started strong as sophomore Gracie Jacoby notched five kills in a 25-14 victory. But MVP Berkeley Nelson, also a sophomore, put together 16 kills and 12 blocks over the final three sets as the Wildcats won out, 25-16, 25-18, 25-23.
North Thurston is back in the semifinals for a second straight season. The Rams are hoping for better results this time around as they dropped their last two and wound up fourth – their only state trophy.
NT beat No. 10 White River in the quarterfinals Friday, 25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18. Sophomore OH Abby Losey was stellar to snag the MVP honor. White River rode the play of Kianna Rohner and Jordy Kaelin to take that second set.
Ridgeline continued to roll with a 3-0 win over No. 8 Liberty, 25-21, 25-10, 25-18, thanks largely to 5-11 sophomore Ryan Libey, the match MVP.
The Falcons are making the most of their first tournament appearance (the school opened in 2021). Senior setters Araleigh Arnold and Kayla Ross spread the ball well to key a balanced attack, netting seven assists each. Libey logged four kills and three blocks.
Liberty was led by Julianne Lee’s nine kills. Gabriella Catherall handed out 10 assists.
Seattle Prep advanced by topping No. 4 West Seattle, a Metro League rival, 21-25, 27-25, 25-9, 25-19. MVP Maddy Connor made the difference as the Panthers are assured of a top-four finish. They were eighth last season and seek their fifth championship, first since 2010.
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