Three area volleyball teams will try to make a statement at state tournaments starting today.
The potent Port Angeles Roughriders will try to place at state for the first time in school history at the Class 2A championships at The Evergreen State College in Olympia while Crescent and Neah Bay will attempt to better their best state showings, seventh for the Red Devils and eighth for the Loggers, at Yakima SunDome.
2A Tournament
OLYMPIA — The Riders (16-3) will be looking for their second state win when they take on unranked Ephrata in the first round at 11:45 a.m. today.
“We don’t know a whole lot about Ephrata but we think we are pretty well matched up with them,” Port Angeles coach Christine Halberg said.
“If we go in ready to go, we will do well.”
Winning right away will be important for the Riders because they will get a top-10 team in the second round, Halberg said.
Lurking in the championship quarterfinals will be the winner between No. 3 Tumwater and No. 8 Sehome.
The quarterfinal match starts at 8:15 p.m. today.
The Port Angeles-Ephrata loser will play the Tumwater-Sehome loser in the loser-out consolation quarterfinals today at 5:15 p.m. the losers of those two matches face off in the loser-out consolation quarterfinals at 5:15 p.m. today.
“Winning that first match is very important,” Halberg said.
Port Angeles went through most of the regular season undefeated before losing to eventual Olympic League-champion North Kitsap in the last match of the regular season and in the subdistrict championship match.
At the West Central District championships, the Riders beat powerhouse Interlake before losing to White River in the district title match.
Port Angeles had beaten White River in the subdistrict semifinals.
“I feel good about our chances at state,” Halberg said. “We have a good draw.”
Port Angeles has only one win in two tries at state.
The Riders went two-and-out last year and 1-2 the only other time they were at state, in 4A competition, in 1989.
Last year’s trip to state gave the Riders invaluable experience, according to Halberg.
“That gave us an idea of what to expect and that’s a plus,” she said. “Most of the kids on the team played at state last year.
“I do feel good about our chances this year. Our goal is to finish in the top eight, and we have a good chance at that.”
The Riders learned Thursday that they are getting a lot of respect from the Olympic League as Kiah Jones was selected as the league MVP, Lauren Norton was named the defensive player of the year and setter Emily Drake also made the first team.
The 2A tournament lasts through Saturday with the championship match at 7 p.m. on the final day, third-fourth place match at 5 p.m., fifth-sixth place final at 3 p.m. and consolation final (for seventh and eighth) at 3 p.m.
1B Tournament
Crescent Loggers
YAKIMA — The Loggers (13-2) are aiming for the top four.
“I feel good about our bracket,” Crescent coach Alex Baker said.
“If the Crescent Loggers play like they can play, they will end up in the top four.”
Crescent, which beat two 1A teams this year and is ranked No. 8 in 1B, is having one of its best seasons.
“I think you have to play better teams to get better,” Baker said about Crescent’s decision to play three bigger schools this fall.
The Loggers open state play against unranked Seton Catholic, a No. 2 district seed that is playing in a No. 1 spot for district champion King’s Way Christian, which was kicked out of state by Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) for playing more matches than are allowed in one season.
King’s Way has beaten Seton Catholic three times this year, but they are the only Seton losses.
“They have a 6-foot middle hitter who is a dominate player for them,” Baker said.
“They work her as a horse.”
Cheyenne Cunning, though, is the only blocker the team has.
“We match up very well with them,” Baker said. “They are longer than us in size but the Crescent Loggers are more defensively sound than they are, and Seton is not as diverse as Crescent is.”
Cunning will have her hands full at the net against the Logger attack.
“We hit from four locations out of six very strong,” Baker said.
“I’m looking forward to see how their middle blocker can run from side to side to block all of our players.”
If everything goes well, the Loggers could end up having their best state tourney.
“The Loggers are looking forward to having a good state tournament,” Baker added.
Crescent had its best state tourney in 2006 when it claimed eighth place.
1B Tournament
Neah Bay
Red Devils
YAKIMA — The Red Devils are on the tough side of the bracket.
The No. 1 and 2 seeds in state are sitting in the bottom part of the bracket where Neah Bay resides.
The Red Devils first take on No. 6 Moses Lake Christian Academy at 11:45 a.m. today in the first round.
The winner plays No. 2 Almira Coulee Hartline or No. 9 Tekoa-Oakesdale in the championship quarterfinals at 8:15 p.m. today.
The Neah Bay-Moses Lake loser takes on the Almira Coulee-Tekoa-Oakesdale loser in the consolation quarterfinals at 5:15 p.m. today.
Top-ranked Christian Faith is taking on unranked Odessa-Harrington in the first round at 1:30 p.m. today.
The Red Devils captured seventh place at state in 2008.