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Trailing Olympia in the championship match, Capital rallied, completing a thrilling comeback to win the Capital City Classic, a 16-team high school volleyball tournament.
“I never doubt this team,” Capital coach Natalie Zukowski said. “They always fight to the finish.”
Capital beat the Bears, 25-19, in the first game of the finals. Olympia bounced back to win the second game, 25-18, and was leading the third-and-deciding game, 11-10, before Capital rallied.
Capital finished with a 5-1 streak, winning the third game, 15-12, and the match on Kristyn Ross’ overhand spike.
“Kristyn is our go-to player,” Zukowski said. “We were really consistent the whole tournament. We shook off our mistakes. Everyone contributed.”
Going into the all-day tournament, Olympia coach Laurie Creighton could have had reason to doubt her team’s chances.
Four of her seniors missed pool play because they were taking the SAT test. Three of them were starters.
“Usually, you don’t have much of a chance with three starters out,” Creighton said. “But I had confidence in these kids. We have lots of depth.”
With a new starting lineup that worked together for the first time at Friday’s practice, Olympia was the only team to go undefeated in pool play, finishing 6-0.
Olympia’s Chole Hallum, a junior libero, got her first start of the season.
“It’s a different team because we’re bigger and we have more depth,” said Jennifer Liedes, a second-team all-league middle blocker. “We have so much trust in each other. It doesn’t matter who we play.”
Olympia played pool play without Liedes, Annie Sing, Michelle Christy and Amber Tran.
Capital, which won five of six matches in pool play, had beaten Olympia, 3-1, on Sept. 16.
Ross was named tournament MVP and was one of three Cougars named to the all-tournament team. Gabi Vega and Courtney Cuyle joined her.
Olympia’s Lauren Herseth and Christie Colasurdo made the all-tournament team, along with Selah’s Natalie Fickes and Central Kitsap’s Asha Hill.
Tumwater finished 5-1 in pool play, then lost to Gig Harbor and Selah in the championship round.
Tumwater, which starts four sophomores and two juniors, is a young team two years after winning the Class 2A state championship.
“Our potential is huge,” Tumwater coach Tana Croft said. “We’re young. I can see the talent. Our biggest thing is consistency.”
“This is a great tournament,” Croft said. “Great teams. Great play. You see the things you need to work on.”
In pool play, Tumwater beat Central Kitsap (25-16, 19-25), Olympic (25-17, 25-16) and Timberline (27-25, 25-15).
Black Hills went 3-3 in pool play. Timberline was 2-4 in pool play.
In the tournament semifinals, Olympia defeated Gig Harbor 15-6 in the third-and-deciding game to advance. Gig Harbor, ranked in the top 10 in the state, went 5-1 in pool play.
Gail Wood: 360-754-5443 gwood@theolympian.com
