Despite remarkable effort, U-Hi misses chance at State

On any other year, the University volleyball team would be competing this weekend in the State 4A high school tournament for the third straight time.

Certainly, the Titans did what they had to on the court.

Unfortunately their season is ended, the victim of the vagaries of state enrollment allocations. For unlike most years, when four teams from the eastern region have qualified for State, this year only three do.

“I know it affects every sport on this side of the state,” said coach Amanda Velasquez. “But look at volleyball in itself and the stronger teams are on this side. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to. It’s a shame someone has to stay home.”

Last weekend in Kennewick, U-Hi finished fourth out of eight teams during the regional tournament.

It was a remarkable postseason effort by a team that did not secure sixth place in the Greater Spokane League to slip into the district playoffs until the final week of season.

From there the Titans won two of four matches both in district and in regional.

“The stuff we’ve been working on all season started to fall together,” said Velasquez. “All the pieces fit.”

Included were two pivotal wins. The first reversed a regular-season opening loss to Gonzaga Prep that secured the district fourth seed to regional. Second was a regional victory over Shadle Park, which guaranteed fourth place, after having lost to the Highlanders three times this year.

“They were matches the girls felt they should have won the first time,” said Velasquez. “Prep, Central Valley and Shadle are matches that slipped away that we should have had.”

But the Titans continually improved and even in the regional opening match in Kennewick they gave Big Nine top-seed Eisenhower fits before losing 25-20, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20.

“We gave Eisenhower a run for their money for sure, and got confidence,” Velasquez said.

University bounced back to eliminate Wenatchee in five games, 18-25, 25-18, 25-14, 17-25, 15-2, and Shadle Park in four, 25-16, 25-20, 25-27, 25-23.

In the State qualifying match, a draining first-game loss signaled the end against Greater Spokane League runner-up Lewis and Clark. The final score was 26-24, 25-13, 25-15.

“We had the lead in the first game, but when they came back and beat us, it sent us into a bit of a tailspin,” Velasquez said.

LC coach Julie Yearout had praise for U-Hi’s effort.

“I wish they’d have gone to State,” she said. “It’s a classy team. Our girls like their girls, and I have a ton of respect for Amanda. If the first game had gone the other way, the match may have gone differently.”

There are five seniors on the team, including fourth-year starter Kara Crisp and third-year veteran Jillian Wilson. Losing State-seasoned players like that is always difficult said Velasquez.

Five will return, four of them sophomores, to form next year’s nucleus.

Locals have their day

For the most part it was an individual kind of day for Valley State cross country participants last weekend.

Anna Layman from Central Valley, Tyler Thatcher, Nick Atwood and Jo E. Mayer from East Valley all brought home medals from the meet.

Valley Christian was the area’s highest placing team. The Panthers earned their first boys team cross country trophy, finishing third.

No other team from among the Valley seven that qualified for State, placed higher than fifth.

Layman finished third in the 4A girls race in 18 minutes, 23 seconds, recording her fastest time by 42 seconds.

She ran with the lead group the entire race, fell back in the latter stages, but had enough sprint speed to regain third.

Layman had placed 13th as a freshman and improved to eighth her sophomore year before injuries prevented her return last season.

Thatcher, a junior, placed fourth in 16:16 and senior teammate Atwood was eighth in 16:23 an exceptional EV 1-2 punch that produced a fifth-place team finish in the 3A race.

Senior State veteran Mayer finished 11th in 19:38, but youth took its toll on her teammates. The Knights girls finished 11th out of 16 teams.

It was the same for West Valley’s boys, who were seventh. Seniors Garrett Hanson (31st overall) and Marc Smith (34th) led the way, but the sophomores succumbed to big meet inexperience.

Not Valley Christian, however. Freshmen Jeff Pope finished eighth and Tyler Stewart 17th among 53 Class B boys runners. Rounding out the third-place team were Josh Pope and Teddy Mattfeld, who finished a second apart, Justin McNamara and Nick Crooks.

WV’s Larsen Agee was 26th among 3A girls. Erica Hattamer was 33rd for Valley Christian in the 1A/B race.

Freeman’s boys were sixth in 1A and the girls tied for sixth in 1A/B. Pete Olmsted in 34th was the top Scotties boy and Kate Tanner in 29th led the girls.

U-Hi soccer season over

University and Richland got a jump on the rest of the State 4A soccer tournament with last Saturday’s match.

The Titan season ended with a 5-0 loss to the Bombers for the fourth straight year. The final score was same as last season.

In 2002, U-Hi lost 2-0 to Richland, which finished third in State that year. Next year, when the Bombers won 2-1, they were State champions.

Following last season’s 5-0 win, Richland was beaten in the next round by Gonzaga Prep. The Bombers will play either the Bullpups or Bellarmine Prep on Saturday.

University went unbeaten during the regular Greater Spokane League season before injuries took their toll. U-Hi lost to G-Prep for the district title, but won twice more before ending its season with a 17-2 record.