State Championship Matches to Watch: Division 3A
The summit of the high school volleyball season in the state of Washington has arrived as starting on Thursday the best teams of the Evergreen State will battle each other at this year’s State Championship. The Yakima Valley SunDome once…
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Continue ReadingThe summit of the high school volleyball season in the state of Washington has arrived as starting on Thursday the best teams of the Evergreen State will battle each other at this year’s State Championship.
The Yakima Valley SunDome once again hosts the season-ending tournament. Chelan, Oakesdale and La Conner lifted the trophies of Classes 1A, 1B and 2B last weekend and now it’s time for competition to start in the three remaining divisions.
Class 3A is up next with the playoffs starting of Thursday and here are a few matches for you to keep an eye on:
3A
North Thurston (17) vs Interlake (16) – 9.45am
Ranked 17th and 16th heading to the State Championship, North Thurston and Interlake should make for an exciting matchup early on. The Rams from Lacey won 11 out of their 21 matches and ranked second in the 3A South Sound district with 8 victories and five losses. Senior outside hitter Brooke Parsons, junior middle blocker Laney Sneva and junior setter Eli Spencer were North Thurston’s key contributors in the regular season and the team will rely a lot on them in Yakima.
The Interlake Saints from Bellevue were considerably better during the regular season, securing a 21-9 win record and triumphing in nine of their 12 league matches to rank second in the 3A KingCo district. The team has two reliable and experience outside hitters in seniors Lauren Riffe and Sandy Seetharaman but also the energy of sophomores Isabel Cai (setter) and Alex Besteman (middle blocker).
Arlington (11) vs Bishop Blanchet (6) – 11.45am
Arlington was nearly unstoppable during the regular season, posting a 23-3 win record and winning 17 out of 19 league matches to rank second in the 2A/3A Wesco District. Give a lot of credit for their campaign to seniors Taylor Pederson Taylor Pederson 5'6" | S Arlington | 2022 WA (setter), Malia Shepherd Malia Shepherd 5'7" | OH Arlington | 2022 WA and Emily Mekelburg Emily Mekelburg 6'0" | OH Arlington | 2022 WA (outside hitter), who have been real studs for the Eagles.
Bishop Blanchet also showed strength ahead of the State Championship by finishing third in the competitive 3A Metro district with a 9-3 win record and an overall campaign of 16 wins and five losses. Senior outside hitters Malai Richardson and Annika Kinerk and junior opposite Ava Cussac have been in great form all season.
Bellevue (7) vs Seattle Prep (10) – 11.45am
Bellevue topped the 3A KingCo district with a solid campaign of 11 wins and one loss on their way to secure a 16-2 win record for the season. The Wolverines had two juniors, outside hitters Nyah Taylor and Brooke Huard, as their main offensive pieces in the system brilliantly run by senior setter Izzy Koo.
Seattle Prep was a little more inconsistent throughout the season, ranking fourth in the 3A Metro district with eight wins and four losses and registering 11 victories and five setbacks ahead of the State Championship. Sophomore middle blocker Tea Bosanac is a handful to deal with at the net and she gets good help from senior Ave Kitiona (outside hitter) and juniors Lauren Lansing (middle blocker) and Ava Berard (outside hitter/libero).