Washington high school (WIAA) state volleyball tournaments underway in Yakima
YAKIMA, Wash. – While the state high school volleyball tournaments will look a little different this year at the Yakima Valley SunDome, the top line in three of this week’s four tournaments will be quite familiar.
After several years of having two three-day schedules with three tournaments being played – including a Friday in which all three tourneys are going – the WIAA has paired things up.
Three two-day events with two classifications playing gets going Wednesday for Class 2B and 1B with trophies being handed out Thursday. Class 2A and 1A will follow Friday and Saturday and things will wrap up Nov. 17-18 with 4A and 3A.
While the action might be spread out a little more across the SunDome’s five courts, the teams seeded atop the tournaments, at least this first week, are on title defenses.
Columbia River in Class 2A and 1B Oakesdale will be playing for three-peats while Chelan has a fourth consecutive 1A crown in its sights.
Photo by Eric Trent
CLASS 2A (bracket here)
The Rapids have rolled toward a third consecutive championship, dropping just one set this season. The Dreves' sisters - senior Lauren, an Auburn signee, and junior Sydney - again lead the attack.
“They’re well aware that the longer that we are up there (at No. 1), the harder it is to stay up there,” Columbia River coach Breanne Smedley said. “We know we’re to get every team’s best.”
Lynden, which sits atop the RPI, is the second seed with its only loss a five-set setback against 4A contender Curtis.
Back-to-back runner-up Ridgefield is seeded sixth led by 6-foot-6 Stanford-bound middle blocker Lizzy Andrew. A quarterfinal against No. 3 Ellensburg and the Bulldogs’ own towering star – 6-4 junior and Oregon State commit Alama Marrs – could be in the offing.
Photo by Jerrel Swenning
CLASS 1A (bracket here)
Top-seeded Chelan was hit pretty hard by graduation but continues to reload under coach Abby Lewellen.
Sophomore Brynn Hughbanks, who burst onto the state scene last year with booming spikes, was the Caribou Trail co-player of the year for the Goats who are going for their fourth straight championship.
No. 2 seed Cascade Christian was fourth last season and had just one senior on its roster last fall and along with seventh-seeded La Center enter the tournament undefeated.
Cedar Park Christian is ranked No. 1 in the RPI and is the third seed with Northwest Conference rivals Meridian and Nooksack Valley seeded Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
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CLASS 2B (bracket here)
With La Conner’s Marbles having departed – Suzanne retiring after a Hall-of-Fame coaching career and daughter Ellis playing at CWU – there figures to be a new 2B champion after the Braves, who are seeded No. 11 this year, won the past four championships.
Southwest Washington power and 2022 fifth-place finisher Adna is the top seed after an undefeated run through the Central 2B. The Pirates could meet RPI No. 3 River View in the quarterfinals. The eighth-seeded Panthers were unbeaten before being upended by No. 4 Goldendale in EWAC district action.
Manson, SBLive.com’s preseason No. 1, is seeded second and is unbeaten with nonleague victories against three-time defending 1A champion Chelan, which is seeded No. 1 in its tournament.
The Trojans could meet No. 3 Colfax in a semifinal. Runners-up a year ago, the Bulldogs haven’t won the championship since 2017.
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CLASS 1B (bracket here)
If not for a hiccup in the 2019 championship match versus Pomeroy, top-seeded and unbeaten Oakesdale would be going for its eighth championship in a row.
Led by CWU recruit Peyton Davis, the Nighthawks are eyeing their third straight title after ripping through the tough Southeast 1B and loaded non-conference slate.
“I think it does a great job preparing us for state,” Oakesdale coach McKinzie Turner said. “Everybody wants to be the team to take us down.”
Neah Bay is seeded second after a fifth-place finish last year with a young roster. The Red Devils could meet No. 3 and ’22 runner-up Mossyrock in the semifinals.
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