-- Class 2A team-by-team capsules
Friday's opening-round matches
8 a.m.: Enumclaw v. Eastside Catholic
8 a.m.: Kennewick v. Camas
8 a.m.: Capital v. Mt. Spokane
9:45 a.m.: Mount Si v. Meadowdale
9:45 a.m.: Bainbridge v. Prairie
9:45 a.m.: Timberline v. Seattle Prep
11:45 a.m.: Glacier Peak v. Auburn Mountainview
11:45 a.m.: Mercer Island v. West Valley (Yakima)
FAVORITES
West Valley (Yakima)
Location: Yakima
Coach: Katie Hinckley
How they qualified: Won 3A Eastern regional tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (third place)
Key players: S Julia Nathe, jr.; OH Morgan McDowell, sr.
Notable: The top-ranked Rams (31-0) are the only undefeated team in the tournament, and knocked off second-ranked Mount Spokane for the second time this season in the regional tournament title match.
Seattle Prep Panthers
Location: Seattle
Coach: Marcene Sullivan
How they qualified: Won SeaKing tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (state champions)
Key players: OH/MH Olivia Magill, sr.; L Adrianna Mosca, jr.
Notable: Seattle Prep has edged league-rival Eastside Catholic three out of four times this season, but a fifth time could come Saturday if both reach the championship match. Seattle Prep also defeated Eastside Catholic for the 2010 state title.
CONTENDERS
Mount Spokane Wildcats
Location: Spokane
Coach: Dave Whitehead
How they qualified: Placed second in 3A Eastern regional.
Last state appearance: 2010 (fourth place)
Key players: RS/MH Marissa Verduci, sr.; OH Kennadie Clute, jr.
Notable: Clute and Verduci lead a balanced net attack for the Wildcats, who have three hitters with 160-plus kills, led by Clute at 240. The Wildcats lost two matches to undefeated and top-ranked West Valley of Yakima, including the Eastern regional title match.
Eastside Catholic Crusaders
Location: Seattle
Coach: Mike Bryant
How they qualified: Placed second at SeaKing tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (second place)
Key players: OH/MH Kam McLain, sr.; OH Kat Towslee, so.; S Emilee Derus, sr.
Notable: The Boston College-bound McLain pounded out 54 kills in three matches in the SeaKing tournament. Bryant is in his first season as coach after serving as the women’s volleyball coach at The Evergreen State College in 2010.
Meadowdale Mavericks
Location: Lynnwood
Coach: Machen Shrum
How they qualified: Won 3A District 1 tournament
Last state appearance: 2010 (did not place)
Key players: S Payton Schrum, sr.; OH Lindsay Miner, sr.
Notable: Miner and Schrum’s play at the district tournament helped the Mavericks to their fourth straight state berth. Coach Schrum and Schrum, the senior setter, are mother and daughter.
Camas Papermakers
Location: Camas
Coach: Julie Nidick
How they qualified: Won West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (fifth place)
Key players: OH Brindl Langley, jr.; DS Joy Richter, sr.; MB Sydney Schwartz, sr.
Notable: No doubt, the Papermakers are battled-tested coming into state. The team won all four matches on their way to winning the district title, including three against other state-ranked teams – No. 9 Capital, No. 5 Auburn Mountainview and No. 4 and league-rival Prairie for the district title.
Prairie Falcons MIGHT SURPRISE Mount Si Wildcats Timberline Blazers Capital Cougars LONGSHOTS Kennewick Lions Bainbridge Spartans Glacier Peak Grizzlies Mercer Island Islanders
Location: Brush Prairie
Coach: Andrea Doerfler
How they qualified: Placed second at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2009 (third place)
Key players: DS Katie Pagel, sr.,; OH Karlee Lubenow, jr.; OH Jessica McDonald, sr.
Notable: Prairie and Camas proved once again to be the top teams in the 3A GSHL. The Falcons ended the Papermakers’ three-year reign as 3A subdistrict champions, before Camas returned the favor in the district title match. Defensive specialist Malia Doerfler is listed at 4-feet-9, the smallest player in the tournament.
Auburn Mountainview Lions
Location: Auburn
Coach: Momi Bowles
How they qualified: Placed third at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (did not place)
Key players: MH Kelsey Fausko, sr.; OH Caitlin Carr, sr.
Notable: The high school opened in 2005, and the volleyball program has qualified for state every year except its first year of existence. The Lions are big upfront – five players stand 5-feet-11 or taller.
Location: Snoqualmie
Coach: Bonnie Foote
How they qualified: Placed third at SeaKing district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (sixth place)
Key players: OH Lyndsay Carr, so.; S Lauren Smith, jr.
Notable: After falling to Bainbridge in the SeaKing district quarterfinals, the Wildcats rebounded to earn their fifth consecutive state berth with wins over Liberty, Holy Names and Mercer Island.
Location: Lacey
Coach: Krista Manke
How they qualified: Placed fifth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (did not place)
Key players: S Hunter Manke, so.; MH Riley Podowicz, so.; OH Sarah Lizee, sr.
Notable: The Blazers ended a 29-year state draught back in 20098, but have failed to take home a trophy in three appearances since. Timberline played some of its best volleyball at the district tournament, beating Columbia River and Peninsula to reach state for the third straight year.
Location: Olympia
Coach: Natalie Zukowski
How they qualified: Placed fourth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2010 (did not place)
Key players: OH Dani Tabor, jr.; L Marissa Ottesen, fr.; OH Rachel Erickson, fr.
Notable: Since starting the season 0-2, Capital won 13 straight matches at one stretch and qualified for state the tough way – winning two loser-out matches. Tabor, the co-3A Narrows MVP, had 31 kills in a 3-1 winner-to-state match against Hudson’s Bay.
Enumclaw Hornets
Location: Enumclaw
Coach: Jackie Carel
How they qualified: Placed sixth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2008 (did not place)
Key players: OH HaleeMae Dennis, sr.; MH Danielle Saltarelli, sr.; OH Molly Colyer, sr.
Notable: The Hornets learned to play much of the 3A SPSL season without Dennis, who went down with an injury, but return to help the team get to state for the first time since 2008.
Location: Kennewick
Coach: Julie Maciboba
How they qualified: Placed third at 3A Eastern regional tournament.
Last state appearance: 2010 (did not place)
Key players: OH Meghan McIntyre, sr.; S Maddie Zinslie, jr.
Notable: Following a semifinal loss to second-ranked Mount Spokane in the regional, the Lions bounced back to earn their second straight state berth after a three-set win over rival Kamiakin to claim the third seed.
Location: Bainbridge Island
Coach: Julie Miller
How they qualified: Placed fifth at SeaKing district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2006 (fourth place)
Key players: OH Nina Mutty, sr.; L Emma Burgess, so.
Notable: After making the semifinals of the SeaKing tournament, the Spartans had to win three matches, including a winner-to-state match against Holy Names, to claim their first state trip in five years.
Location: Snohomish
Coach: Chris Pratt
How they qualified: Placed second at 3A District 1 tournament.
Last state appearance: None
Key players: OH Ruby Mensing, jr; L Taylor Rasmussen, sr.; S Amanda Burgess, sr.
Notable: Glacier Peak opened in 2008, and it’s the Grizzlies’ first state tournament appearance. The team had to work for it at the district tournament, needing to win three loser-out contest to do so, including two five-set matches. Burgess recorded 57 assists in a regular-season match this season against Meadowdale.
Location: Mercer Island
Coach: Susah McKay
How they qualified: Placed fourth at SeaKing district tournament.
Last state appearance: 2008 (fourth place)
Key players: OH Lorial Yeadon, jr.; OH Sara Lindquist, so.
Notable: The Islanders pushed their way through the consolation bracket of the SeaKing tournament before eventually falling to Mount Si, which also defeated Mercer Island for the KingCo regular-season.
