Bethel Steps Up To Win State Title

State volleyball

Bethel couldn’t have played better.

That was the case Saturday night. Then again, that was the case all year.

The Braves capped a 34-0 season by beating Prairie 15-5, 15-4 in the State AAA volleyball championship match at the Arena.

The match had little suspense. Bethel, of Spanaway, scored 25 consecutive points after Prairie took a 5-2 lead in the first game.

The Braves dropped just three games all year.

“We don’t have any power,” said modest first-year coach John Reopelle. “We just finesse ‘em.”

Reopelle was Bethel’s assistant coach for 10 years until Kevin Aoki took the job at Pacific Lutheran University. Bethel has been at state 8 of 10 years, but had never hit the top. The school’s last state title in a girls sport was basketball in 1974, Reopelle said.

“I never envisioned this at all,” said Bethel senior Rachelle Gienger. “We knew we could go to state and do well, but never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d win a state championship.”

Bethel entered the tournament most concerned about Ferris. The two met in Saturday’s semifinals, but Bethel survived despite a 21-9 Ferris scoring streak that started late in the first game.

“I don’t think there was another team besides Ferris that played our kind of defense,” Reopelle said.

Greater Spokane League teams won the previous four state titles.

Prairie, a relatively young team from Vancouver, achieved its highest state placing. Coach Chelinda Dettorre took the Falcons to fourth place in ‘93 and fifth last year. Prairie beat Bethel last year in the match for fifth and sixth.

Mead and Ferris of the GSL both had shots at qualifying for the final but couldn’t score points at key times.

Mead, which placed third, nearly beat Prairie in the morning quarterfinals. Mead served for the first game at 14-13 but lost the final three points. The Panthers trailed the second game 13-12 but encountered raw luck. A bad Prairie serve was replayed when an errant ball rolled onto the court. The second serve was good for a 14-12 lead, then Prairie ended the match.

Mead rebounded by sweeping Kentridge, Ferris and Auburn. The Panthers beat Auburn for third place 16-14, 15-9 after trailing the opener 14-12 and the second 8-2.

Mead matched its best state showing, set in 1989.

“The level of play (at state) is so much higher than in ‘89 because of club ball,” said Panthers coach Judy Kight.

Jessica Sanborn, the middle blocker headed to either UCLA, Michigan State or Long Beach State, led Mead in the Auburn match. The 6-3 senior had seven kills, seven blocks and four digs.

“It was exciting playing at state,” Sanborn said. “I liked everything except the bright lights. They blinded me.”

Ferris finished sixth after zipping through Friday’s matches without dropping a game.

The Saxons alternated good and bad streaks all day. During a quarterfinal win over Bellarmine, Ferris scored eight consecutive points in the first game and nine straight in the second.

In the semifinal, Ferris lost to Bethel 15-10 in the opener after trailing 9-1. The Saxons powered ahead 13-4 in the second game, yet the Braves picked up their defense and scored the final 11 points.

“We just didn’t have it after that,” said Ferris coach Stacey Ward.

Ferris lost to Mead, then won its first game against Sehome 15-7 by scoring seven straight. Sehome took a 9-0 edge in the second game and allowed the Saxons just eight more points in two games.

“I thought we would have done better,” said Ward, who has also guided the Saxons to third and seventh at state. “I always thought we could win (state) anyway.”

Ferris played with just three seniors: Darcy Ruemping, Jennifer Meeker and Brooke Blevins. Ruemping had 15 digs against Sehome, and Elissa Ross added double-figure digs against Bellarmine and Mead. For the day, Janelle Morrisette had 103 assists and Amy George 35 kills.

In the match, for seventh and eighth, Kentridge beat Bellarmine 15-10, 16-14. Kentridge was the lone former champ in the 16-team field.

Class A

Woodland rallied from a 10-2 third-game deficit to beat defending champion Colfax 15-8, 9-15, 15-10 in the title match at Chelan High School.

Woodland’s Mandy Cody had four kills in the final game and served the final three points.

Alison Harder, Tracy Tribbett and Michelle Mellor combined for 39 kills for Colfax in the title match. Angie Hall and Lindsay Thiele added 17 digs apiece.

Colfax opened the day with a 14-16, 15-6, 15-11 win over Ridgefield, which it beat in last year’s title match. Harder had five service aces to lead the rally. Mellor had 18 assists, and Hall 11 kills and 20 digs.

Hall had 12 digs, Tribbett 11 assists and Thiele nine kills to lead the Bulldogs over Goldendale 15-8, 15-9 in the semifinals.

, DataTimes