WV-Yakima wins regional; GSL out
CHENEY – This was a topsy-turvy tourney.
In the seven matches that made up the 3A Regional volleyball tournament at Cheney High School on Saturday, the higher-seeded team won exactly twice.
The region’s No. 1 berth in next weekend’s State 3A tournament went to West Valley-Yakima (14-2), the No. 3 seed out of the Mid-Valley League. The Rams knocked M-V champion Selah into the consolation bracket (26-24, 13-25, 14-25, 25-18, 18-16) and defeated No. 2-seed Prosser to claim the first of two state tournament berths (25-19, 24-26, 25-15, 25-18).
The WV Vikings (13-2) rallied after dropping the first two games in a showdown with Prosser for the second and final state berth to win in five games (27-29, 21-25, 29-27, 25-19, 15-13) – the second time a higher-seeded team won a match. Prosser’s opening-round win over Greater Spokane League No. 3 seed East Valley was the first.
Being a No. 1 seed, however did not make for an easy time for Selah, which played three consecutive five-game matches in the tournament.
With the tournament turned upside-down, the first three teams to be shaken out and eliminated were all from the GSL.
No. 2 seed West Valley-Spokane was swept in three games by its Yakima counterpart, 25-8, 25-11, 25-17, in an opening-round, loser-out match. The third-seeded Knights were eliminated by Prosser 25-16, 25-21, 25-18, also in the first round.
As the No. 1 seed from the GSL, North Central was seeded directly into the double-elimination portion of the tournament, but NC’s second chance fell just short.
Prosser knocked NC into the consolation round 19-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-18, and Selah dodged game point against the Indians in the fifth and deciding game to take a 25-20, 25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 18-16 win.
NC served at 15-14 in the fifth game but could not find a winning shot. The Indians staved off Selah’s first game-point service at 15-16 before falling.
Senior Alaina Smith had 10 kills and 25 digs in NC’s loss to Selah, and Shantal Haugen passed for 33 assists.
“I’m just so proud of the way my girls fought back,” NC coach Mary O. Goebel said.
When a team hasn’t won a lot of matches, it can be tough knowing how to put away a good team down the stretch.
The three GSL entries won a combined 15 matches in what is likely the toughest 4A volleyball league in the state. WV and NC each won six matches during the regular season and still entered the tournament a match less than .500.
On the other hand, each of the M-V entries had 11 wins. Selah came in with one regular-season loss. WV-Yakima had two losses coming into the regional and Prosser entered with three defeats.
“I don’t know that it makes that much of a difference,” Goebel said. “I know we came in here very proud to be the No. 1 seed out of our league, and I think we played well. It’s just tough to put away a team that’s as good as these Mid-Valley teams are.”