State volleyball preview: Class 4A team-by-team outlook

CLASS 4A (Bracket)
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Saint Martin's University and Timberline High School, Lacey
Friday's first-round matches
11:45 a.m. – Newport of Bellevue (17-2) v. Emerald Ridge (16-3)
1:30 p.m. -- Gig Harbor (15-5) v. Jackson (15-1)
1:30 p.m. – Puyallup (13-5) v. Richland (13-3)
1:30 p.m. -- Lake Stevens (14-5) v. Bellarmine Prep (18-1)
3:15 p.m. – Union (14-6) v. Skyline (15-3)
3:15 p.m. – Olympia (12-7) v. Wenatchee (11-1)
3:15 p.m. – Monroe (14-3) v. Camas (16-2)
5:15 p.m. – Mead (14-0) v. Auburn Riverside (13-5)

FAVORITES
Jackson Timberwolves
Coach: Ashley Allen
How they qualified: Won District 1 tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; fourth place
Key players: OH Emmy Allen, sr.; S Haley McDonald, sr.; OH Miah Diirell, sr.
Notable: The Allens are sisters, with coach Allen being seven years older than the Timberwolves’ top player, younger sister Emmy Allen, a WSU recruit. They’ve already won one state title together -- in 2010 -- began this season ranked No. 17 nationally by PrepVolleyball.com.

Mead Panthers
Coach: Judy Kight
How they qualified: Won 4A East regional tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; did not place
Key players: S Jonni Door, sr.; OH Dana Norris, sr.; MH Hannah Zalopany, sr.
Notable: Mead’s tradition is second to none -- 14 consecutive state berths with seven first-place trophies. Last year was the first time since 1997 that the Panthers failed to place at state. Mead topped Jackson in the annual Crossover Classic in October in what many believed to be a 4A state finals preview.

CONTENDERS
Bellarmine Prep Lions
Coach: Jody DeGroot
How they qualified: Won 4A West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; eighth place
Key players: OH Courtney Schwan, jr.; S Katy DeGroot, sr.; L Julie Wright, jr.
Notable: Last season’s state title-winning hopes ended in the opening round, and the two-time defending district champions are looking for more. Schwan, who has verbally committed to UW, was named to the U.S. Youth National Team last summer, and is the top recruit for the Class of 2014.

Camas Papermakers
Coach: Julie Nidick
How they qualified: Placed second at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2011 (Class 3A); did not place
Key players: S Abbie Younkin, sr.; OH Brindl Langley, sr.; OH Natalie Zea, sr.
Notable: The Papermakers’ transition to Class 4A this season has been a smooth one -- 4A GSHL champions and finished runners up at the bi-district tournament last week, falling to Bellarmine in straight sets. Camas has a lengthy tradition at state -- 11 appearances since 1998.

MIGHT SURPRISE
Emerald Ridge Jaguars
Co-coaches: Bobby McGivern and Jill Fox-Mullen
How they qualified: Placed third at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2005; third place
Key players: OH Jenna Mullen, soph.; L Leia Roy, sr.; S Isabella Zubrod, soph.
Notable: The Jaguars might be young, but are talented, too. They heavily rely on a quartet of sophomores, led by Mullen, who has pounded down more than 200 kills this season. Every time the Jaguars have qualified for state (five), they’ve earned a state trophy.

Olympia Bears
Coach: Laurie Creighton
How they qualified: Placed sixth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; state champions
Key players: MH Michaela Berendt, sr.; OH Rachel Kelson, jr.; S Tiana McIntosh, sr.
Notable: Don’t count out the defending state champions just yet. Injuries took their toll earlier in the season, but the Bears believe they have found their groove. This is Creighton’s tallest team in her 34 years as head coach, led by the Villanova-bond Berendt, who stands 6-foot-4.

Newport (Bellevue) Knights
Coach: Jeremy Brown
How they qualified: Placed second at KingCo tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; seventh place
Key players: OH Casey Schoenlein, jr.; S Emmy Freed, jr.; OH Anna Crabtree, jr.
Notable: The Knights won 17 of their previous 18 matches until running into a red-hot Skyline team in the KingCo tournament title match. Look for big things from the 6-foot-3 Schoenlein, recently named MVP of the KingCo. She and Crabtree also are experienced beach volleyball players.

Puyallup Vikings
Coach: Tony Batinovich
How they qualified: Placed fifth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; fifth place
Key players: OH Maddie Davis, sr.; MH Braylie Jeffers, jr.; S Makenzie March, sr.
Notable: Despite a mini two-match losing skid to non-state-qualifying teams to end the regular-season, the Vikings turned their play around when it mattered most -- the postseason. The team went 3-1 at district, including knocking off Kent-Meridian, 3-0, to earn a state berth.

Richland Bombers
Coach: Bob Raidl
How they qualified: Placed second at 4A East regional tournament
Last state appearance: 2010; did not place
Key players: OH Liz Quick, sr.; S Macey Weitz, jr.; OPP Alisha Bettinson, sr.
Notable: The Bombers were on the brink of elimination in its winner-to-state regional match against Central Valley before winning in five sets after trailing 2-0. Quick not only is a top-notch hitter, but she’s also a nationally-ranked pole vaulter. Richland has never won a state trophy.

Skyline Spartans
Coach: Callie Wesson
How they qualified: Won KingCo tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; sixth place
Key players: OH Halle Erdahl, sr.; OH Crystal Anderson, sr.; L Kennedy Stoa, sr.
Notable: The Spartans come into state with big momentum after being Newport of Bellevue in the KingCo tournament title match. The team’s size likely will create a mismatch for their state opponents; seven players range from 5-10 to 6-2.

Monroe Bearcats
Coach: April Munoz
How they qualified: Placed second at District 1 tournament
Last state appearance: 2008; did not place
Key players: S DD Latimoore, sr.; OH Melina Seabrook, sr.; L/DS Jannae Groeneweg, sr.
Notable: The underdog role has seemed to fit the Bearcats all season, but they steamrolled through the 4A Wesco North undefeated before running into Jackson for the district title. This is the program’s first state berth since 2008 when it ended a four-year state run.

LONGSHOTS
Gig Harbor Tides
Coach: Sue Westering
How they qualified: Placed seventh at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2010; did not place
Key players: OH Courtney Jost, sr.; MH Maddie Knecht, sr.; MH Liz Frederickson, jr.
Notable: The Tides can overwhelm many teams with their height cross the net, led by Knecht, who is 6-foot-3. She tallied 10 blocks in two district tournament matches last week, including five in a winner-to-state match win over Curtis. The program hasn’t won a state trophy since 1997 (seventh).

Lake Stevens Vikings
Co-coaches: Amy Wiklund and Kyle Hoglund
How they qualified: Placed third at District 1 tournament
Last state appearance: 1989
Key players: L/DS Alexis Alverson, jr.; OH Emily Vandergrift, soph.; OH Kahlia Kelliher, jr.
Notable: What a way to enter the state tournament for the first time in 23 years. The Vikings did it the hard way, winning four straight loser-out matches at the district tournament. Alverson had a match-high 20 kills in a 3-1 win over Eastlake for the final state berth.

Union Titans
Coach: Josh Kreunen
How they qualified: Placed fourth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2008 (Class 3A); did not place
Key players: OH Megan LaFond, jr.; OH Rhiannon Morfin, sr.; S Sammy Savage, sr.
Notable: All three of the Titans’ losses before the bi-district tournament came courtesy of 4A GSHL champion Camas. Union took Bellarmine Prep to five sets after trailing two sets to none at the bi-district semifinals.

Wenatchee Panthers
Coach: LeAnne McGahrey
How they qualified: Won District 6 tournament
Last state appearance: 2011; did not place
Key players: OH Rachel Lieber, jr.; OH Sydney Rae Berg, sr.; MH Christie Adams, sr.
Notable: Playing in their third consecutive state tournament, this is the most experienced postseason team the Panthers have had. No team has been able to defeat Wenatchee since mid-September, when it suffered a Big Nine League loss to Eisenhower.

Auburn Riverside Ravens
Coach: Chris Leverenz
How they qualified: Placed eighth at West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament
Last state appearance: 2009; third place
Key players: MH Brenna Bruil, sr.; OH Katherine Hood, sr.; S Carson Heilborn, soph.
Notable: Facing elimination at the district tournament, Bruil came up clutch in the team’s 3-0 win over Kentwood to send the Ravens back to the state tournament since Bruil’s freshman season when the program finished third in 4A. All of Auburn Riverside’s players range from 5-7 to 5-10 in height.

--By Meg Wochnick, staff writer