TACOMA — The Port Angeles and Sequim volleyball teams both advanced to the Class 2A state championship.
The Roughriders advance as the West Central District fourth seed while Sequim is the fifth seed.
This is only the second time in school history that the Riders have played at state. The other time was 1989.
The Riders went 2-2 at district, held at Franklin Pierce.
“We played very well and played very aggressive,” Port Angeles coach Christine Halberg said. “But we are young playing at this level of competition.”
The Riders won two matches on Friday, beating Evergreen 3-0, then Interlake 3-1.
Emily Drake managed a total of 62 assists for both games while Danielle Rutherford had nine kills, five digs and two aces against Evergreen.
Kiah Jones had 10 kills, 16 digs, three blocks and served 10-for-10 to help lead the team past Interlake in its second of back-to-back matches.
The Riders lost to top ranked Fife 3-0 in their first match on Saturday, then gave it all they had against North Kitsap before falling 3-2 and landing them the fourth seed heading into the state tournament.
The Riders will play Friday morning at state in Kennewick at the Toyota Center.
Sequim moves on
TACOMA — The Wolves went 3-1 at the district tourney.
“We did really well mixing it up,” Sequim coach Jennie Webber-Heilman said. “We have a few days of practice, so hopefully we can get some work done.”
The Wolves defeated Sumner 3-0 but fell 3-1 to White River on Friday.
Moving on to Saturday’s matches, Sequim beat Evergreen 3-0 and cut it close against Olympic, taking a 3-2 victory.
The Wolves advance to the state tournament and will play in Kennewick on Friday as the fifth seed after winning a coin toss against sixth-seed Interlake.
Girls Soccer Sumner 1, Port Angeles 0, SO
SUMNER — The Riders faced off against the top-seeded Spartans on Friday at the Class 2A West Central District championships but had their postseason appearance cut short with the heartbreaking loss.
The two teams played to a 0-0 deadlock through regulation and overtime before the Spartans won the penalty-kick shootout 3-1.
“They are a top-ranked, two-way team who has been averaging five goals a game,” Port Angeles coach Scott Moseley said.
“To hold them scoreless was our goal, but we didn’t get the penalty kicks like we wanted.”
This had been the first district appearance for the Port Angeles girls soccer team in at least 10 years.
Girls Swimming PA at districts
RENTON — The Roughriders captured third place at the West Central District championships, sending one of their largest groups ever to the state meet.
“This is by far our biggest state team,” coach Rich Butler said.
The Riders will be represented at every state event, 14.
The state championships are set for Thursday and Friday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Earning individual state berths are swimmers Tracie Macias in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 butterfly, Tarah Erickson in the 50 and 100 freestyle, and Ashlee Reid in the 100 free and 100 backstroke.
All three relay teams also are going, including the 200 medley with Reid, Jenna Moore, Macias and Erickson, the 200 free with Kelly Winn, Moore, Erickson and Macias, and the 400 free with Tori Bock, Brooke Sires, Winn and Reid.
Three divers also earned state berths, including Allison Hodgin, Kyrie Reyes and Tannesha Jackson.
The state preliminaries are set for Thursday with the top 16 in each event advancing to the finals Friday.