State volleyball: Great Northern League champion Pullman has momentum on its side

The Pullman Greyhounds put together their most complete performance of the season last week against Ephrata in the Great Northern League-Central Washington Athletic Conference crossover match to earn a berth to the State 2A tournament.

Pullman (21-3) plays a first-round match against Steilacoom on Friday at 11:45 a.m. at Central Washington University.

The Sentinels (21-3), out of the South Puget Sound league, boast one of the tallest players in the state in junior Charity Hines, who is 6-foot-4.

“They, I think, play a little bit of a slower pace than we do, which is good so we can get our blocks closed easier,” first-year head coach Megan McNannay said.

McNannay inherited a Greyhounds team that had only lost one league match in two seasons. She continued the run of success by dominating the GNL, going 12-0 in league play.

“This is my first year coaching this team, so coming in it was great to already have strong leaders and really experienced players on the team,” McNannay said.

The core four are senior Maddy Oelke and juniors Addison Hawes, Mikayla Uhlenkott and Hanna Gecas.

“I think we have a pretty good team and have a good shot at getting a trophy,” McNannay said.

Cheney vs. Burlington-Edison, 11:45 a.m. Friday at CWU: The Blackhawks defeated the Prosser Mustangs 3-1 on Saturday to earn a trip to state. Cheney (15-7) only went 7-5 in the GNL before ripping off two wins over Clarkston and East Valley in the District 7 championships.

The Blackhawks face the Tigers of the Northwest 3A/2A/1A league. Burlington-Edison (23-3) finished at the top of the league and hasn’t lost a match in almost a month.

1A

Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) vs. Goldendale, 5:15 p.m. Friday: The Lakeside Eagles (15-2) went undefeated in the Northeast 1A league this season, having not dropped a set since Oct. 17.

The Timberwolves (16-2) were one of three South Central Athletic Conference teams sent to tournament. They topped Zillah last week 3-1 in their last action before state.

Freeman vs. La Salle, 3:15 p.m. Friday: La Salle (15-1) was the top team out of the SCAC, dropping five sets all season.

The Scotties (12-4) from the NEA league went 2-1 in districts last week, sweeping Newport and Riverside but losing 3-0 to Lakeside leading up to state.

2B

Northwest Christian vs. Kittitas/Thorp, 11:45 a.m. Thursday: The NWC Crusaders (22-5) cruised through the Northeast 2B North, dropping only one set.

The Coyotes (18-9) finished third in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference. They are 6-1 in their last seven matches.

Colfax vs. Brewster, 1:30 p.m. Thursday: The Bulldogs (13-5) have no seniors on their roster, yet they were a top team in the Northeast 2B South.

They face a Brewster team (21-4) that didn’t lose a set during Central Washington 2B league play.

Liberty vs. Wahkiakum, 1:30 p.m. Thursday: The Liberty Lancers (16-2) battled Colfax in the Northeast 2B South race. They dropped three sets, all to NWC.

The Mules (11-6) were fourth in the Central League 2B standings.

Chewelah vs. Tri-Cities Prep, 11:45 a.m. Thursday: The Chewelah Cougars (11-9) of the Northeast 2B North went on a run to make it to state.

The Jaguars (14-3) lost only four league sets en route to a second-place finish in the EWAC.

1B

Almira/Coulee-Hartline vs. Shoreline Christian, 9:45 a.m. Thursday): The ACH Warriors (21-1) had no problem in the Northeast 1B South, losing only one set all season.

Next up are the Chargers (6-4), who played only four league matches but won them all.

Oakesdale vs. Providence Classical Christian, 8 a.m. Thursday: The Oakesdale Nighthawks (14-3) had an 11-1 record in the Southeast 1B and posted a win over Pomeroy in the District 9 championship.

The Highlanders (16-5) come from the Northwest 1B, having lost four of their last eight matches.

Odessa vs. Three Rivers Christian, 8 a.m. Thursday: The Odessa Tigers (19-6) of the Northeast 1B South advanced to state with a win over Selkirk last week.

The Eagles (18-4) lost to Firm Foundation Christian twice in league play.

All 1A, 2B and 1B matches played at Yakima Valley SunDome.