CLASS 2A (Bracket)
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Pierce College and Lakes High School, Lakewood
Friday's first-round matchups
11 a.m. – Capital (14-3) v. West Valley of Yakima (15-1)
11 a.m. – Sumner (13-6) v. Burlington-Edison (15-2)
12:45 p.m. – Sehome (14-4) v. Washington (17-3)
12:45 p.m. – Selah (14-2) v. White River (10-11)
2:45 p.m. – Anacortes (16-1) v. Fife (17-2)
2:45 p.m. – Tumwater (17-0) v. East Valley of Yakima (14-4)
4:30 p.m. -- Mark Morris (9-8) v. Colville (17-0)
4:30 p.m. – Steilacoom (10-10) v. Sequim (18-1)
Team that will travel the furthest distance: Colville (367.6 miles)
Team that will travel the shortest distance: Steilacoom (half-mile)
FAVORITES
West Valley (Yakima) Rams
Coach: Katie Hinckley
How they qualified: Placed second at CWAC district
Last state appearance: 2011 (Class 3A); state champions
Key players: L Carly Riehl, sr.; OH Ally Moore, sr.; S Julie Nathe, sr.
Notable: The Rams, fresh off a Class 3A state title a year ago, haven’t lost a league match since 2010, but were upended by Selah in the CWAC tournament title match last weekend. Nathe is the most experience setter in the tournament; she’s been a starter since her freshman year. In three-plus seasons, she’s closing in 2,500 career assists.
Tumwater Thunderbirds
Coach: Tana Otton
How they qualified: Won 2A Southwest District IV tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; second place
Key players: OH Karlee Sampson, sr.; MH Hannah Hanson, sr.; S Courtney Bowen, sr.
Notable: Since 2007, the T-Birds have played in the 2A state title match three times, including last season. Coach Tana Otton, a Tumwater High grad, has coached in four state title matches and won two (Tumwater in ‘08 and Meridian in ‘98). Led by eight seniors, Tumwater won both the Capitol City and Adidas Invitational this season, defeating 3A and 4A teams along the way.
Colville Indians
Coach: Missy Bennett
How they qualified: Placed third at GNL/CWAC regional tournament
Last state appearance: 2011 (Class 1A); state champions
Key players: OPP Joellee Buckner, sr.; S Leanna Carr, sr.; OH/MH Jessie Glidewell, sr.
Notable: No matter what classification they’re in, the Indians continue to dominate. Over the past three years (between 1A and 2A), Colville has an eye-popping 99-3 (including tournament play) the past three years. The wins have piled up despite a season-ending knee injury to middle hitter Aubrey Buckner in early October.
CONTENDERS
Selah Vikings
Coach: Kay Abrele
How they qualified: Won CWAC tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; third place
Key players: S Kera Dexter, sr.; OH Kailee Wood, sr.; OH Taylor Wicht, sr.
Notable: Dating back to 1993, the Vikings have won state trophies in all 18 state appearances. At last week’s CWAC title match against rival West Valley, the team was forced to transition to a 5-1 (one-setter) offense after a recent shoulder injury to Cheyenne Fletcher, and the combination worked at the right time -- topping West Valley in three sets, a team Selah lost to in two regular-season matches in league play. Selah traditionally is a 6-2 (two-setter) offensive team.
Anacortes Seahawks
Coach: Kelsey Swapp
How they qualified: Placed second at District 1/ 2 2A tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; fifth place
Key players: OH Jessica Riddle, sr.; OH Mattie Keltner, sr.; L Kiana Calles, jr.
Notable: The Seahawks only feature three seniors, but the youth has turned into an experienced bunch as the season has progressed. Up until last weekend’s loss to Burlington-Edison in the district title match, 3-1, the Seahawks were unbeaten. This is the team’s fourth straight state appearance.
Burlington-Edison Tigers
Coach: Tawnya Brewer
How they qualified: Won District 1/2 2A tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; state champions
Key players: MH Kim Rabenstein, sr.; S Molly McTaggart, sr.; OH Maggie McTaggart, jr.
Notable: A rebuilding year for the Tigers? Not so. The squad welcomes back three players who played in last year’s state championship match over Tumwater, and after finishing second in the 3A/2A/1A Northwest Conference, Burlington-Edison grabbed the district’s top seed again after topping previously unbeaten Anacortes in the district title match.
MIGHT SURPRISE
Capital Cougars
Coach: Natalie Zukowski
How they qualified: Placed second at 2A Southwest District IV tournament
Last state appearance: 2011 (Class 3A); did not place
Key players: OH Dani Tabor, sr.; OH Rachel Erickson, soph.; L Marissa Ottesen, soph.
Notable: Almost half of the Cougars’ roster is made up of sophomores, but Erickson, along with Tabor, a senior, provided a big 1-2 punch at the net and have tallied multiple 20-plus kills matches this season. All three of the team’s losses have come to Tumwater, including in last weekend’s district title match. The Cougars are looking for their first state trophy since 2003 (seventh at Class 4A).
East Valley (Yakima) Red Devils
Coach: Darci Dekker
How they qualified: Placed fourth at the GNL/CWAC regional tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; did not place.
Key players: OH Samantha McCrumb, sr.; MH Maddie Gamache, sr.; S Maci Beierle, jr.
Notable: Could this be the Red Devils’ time to earn their first state trophy in program history? East Valley of Yakima topped East Valley of Spokane in three sets to earn the final state berth. The team is making its second straight state appearance and third over the past four years.
Sequim Wolves
Coach: Jennie Webber-Heilman
How they qualified: Won 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2010; did not place
Key players: MH Haleigh Harrison, sr.; S Taylor Balkan, sr.; OH Rylleigh Zbaraschuck, sr.
Notable: Never before has Webber-Heilman, in her 19th year at the helm, had three seniors be four-year varsity players like Harrison, Balkan and Zbaraschuck have done. The Olympic League champions only dropped two sets in league play this season and are currently riding a 16-match winning streak; its lone loss came against 4A South Kitsap in five sets.
Mark Morris Monarchs
Coach: Lisa Verage
How they qualified: Placed third at 2A Southwest District IV tournament
Last state appearance: 2009; did not place
Key players: OH Tayler Blackman, sr.; OH Mackenzie Hastings, sr.; OPP/OH Carly Grindstaff, sr.
Notable: The Monarchs are playing their best volleyball at the right time. After barely making the postseason, they made the most of it at the district tournament once they got there. They defeated crosstown rival R.A. Long in five sets to earn a state berth. The program’s last state placing was in 2008 (eighth).
Fife Trojans
Coach: Shawnna Shula
How they qualified: Placed third at 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2010; seventh place
Key players: OH Eva Linden, soph.; OH Lara Linden, sr.; S Audra Koke, sr.
Notable: The reason for the Trojans’ success has primarily come from the Linden sisters, who had a combined 49 kills in a five-set match over SPSL 2A rival Washington. Fife got its state berth with a sweep of Olympic, then topped Sumner, 3-0, in a state seeding match.
Sehome Mariners
Coach: Kristy White
How they qualified: Placed third at District 1/2 2A tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; did not place
Key players: MH Katie Becker, sr.; L Kendra Thomas, jr.; OH Taylor Kyall, jr.
Notable: Reaching state for the second straight year didn’t come easy for the Mariners. They worked their way through the consolation bracket of the district tournament to earn a state berth and topped Lynden, 3-1, for the final state berth.
LONGSHOTS
Washington Patriots
Coach: Paul Souza
How they qualified: Placed second at 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2009; did not place
Key players: OH Tasi Peredo, jr.; MH Abby Evans, jr.; OPP/S Breanna Glass, sr.
Notable: The Patriots started out with nine straight wins, and are making just their third consecutive state berth over the past 27 years. Peredo, at 5-foot-4, is one of the top all-around players in the South Puget Sound 2A and has a 38-inch verticle. The program’s only state trophy in volleyball came in 1977 when it won the 3A state title.
Steilacoom Sentinels
Coach: Alyssa Schafer
How they qualified: Placed sixth at 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2004; did not place
Key players: OH Alex King, sr.; MH McKenna Crawford, jr.
Notable: This is the Sentinels’ first state appearance in eight years and they won’t have to travel far to play their matches. The high school campus is just a half-mile from Pierce College. Steilacoom survived a five-set thriller against North Kitsap in a winner-to-match at the district tournament to earn a state berth.
White River Hornets
Coach: Stryder Argo
How they qualified: Placed fifth at 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; fourth place
Key players: S Cassidy Kunst, jr; OPP Jade Crawford, jr.; OH Alisha Bidwell, jr.
Notable: Last season was a big step up for the Hornets, who earned their second-highest state placing in program history. White River earned its third consecutive state berth after defeating Olympic in five sets in a winner-to-state match at the district tournament last weekend.
Sumner Spartans
Coach: Mike Fitzpatrick
How they qualified: Placed fourth at 2A West Central District III tournament
Last state appearance: 2008 (Class 3A); fifth place
Key players: OH Kaetlyn Brown, sr.; S Brittany Smith, sr.; OH Karissa Smith, jr.
Notable: Fitzpatrick is one of the more long-tenured coaches in all of Class 2A; he’s guided the Spartans to six state appearances, but no player on the current roster was in high school when Sumner last made the state tournament.
-- By Meg Wochnick, staff writer
