It’s about defense for Mead

EVERETT – Prior to the season, Mead head volleyball coach Judy Kight had the idea of making shirts with targets on the back.

The symbolism shouldn’t be lost on anybody.

Mead (31-0) used a bulletproof defense to run its match winning streak to 43 by earning a spot in today’s semifinals in the State 4A Tournament at the Everett Events Center.

Two more wins would equal three consecutive Mead state titles.

In the semifinals, Mead will take on 32-0 Bellarmine Prep, which knocked off Lewis and Clark in the first round. LC survived a loser-out match to continue playing today.

After an easy win against overmatched Puyallup, Mead swept Kentwood 25-23, 25-20, 25-17 in the quarterfinals.

The Panthers displayed a defense that allowed 45 kills in two matches, fighting off attack after attack until they could capitalize.

“We think that defense starts offense,” said Mead senior middle blocker Megan Thigpen, who had 15 kills, 15 digs and four aces in the win over Kentwood (25-7). “We want to get every ball up, so we can run an offense. It’s all mental in getting to that ball.”

That mental attitude is reflected in the Mead motto of “Heart, Guts, Passion,” which applies mostly to defense.

“Defense will wear down a team if you have the tenacity,” Kight said. “It’s all about heart, and this team has a lot of heart.”

Mead also got senior setter Amy Herron back from a sprained ankle, as she split time with sophomore Karyn Mockel, who filled in admirably at regionals.

Mara Ryan had 18 kills and 22 digs on the day for the Panthers, and Cassie Dobson chipped in 18 and 20. Mead was able to rest its starters for long periods in the first round against Puyallup (18-11), with substitutes finishing off the match.

“Today went pretty good,” Thigpen said. “We started off shaky, but as the day went on, we got better.”

Kight still hopes they have another level left.

“We’re still not hitting on all cylinders, but that’s for tomorrow,” Kight said.

For LC, there were questions as to which team would show up in Everett – the young, tentative squad or the aggressive, successful one.

The wrong one showed up, and LC was playing the wrong team to have that happen.

Bellarmine, probably the best team on the West Side, swept the Tigers 25-19, 25-18, 26-24 behind the 13 kills, 12 digs and five aces of two-time Narrows Bay MVP Alita Fisher.

“We looked really tight,” said LC head coach Julie Yearout, leading the Tigers to their first state tournament appearance since 2002. “It’s the first time for everybody except Ivy (Bush), and she was a freshman then.”

Bellarmine blew open a 14-all first game, finishing with an 11-5 run, then beat LC 25-18 in the second game.

LC (28-7) led the third game 12-9 before Fisher’s nasty tennis-like curving serve finally had an effect. Fisher blasted three straight aces during a 6-0 run, but LC came back behind a couple of Bush aces to take a 17-16 lead.

Neither team led by more than a point until Bellarmine broke a 24-all tie with a kill by Alex Davis and a Tigers setting error for the win.

Fisher drew most of LC’s focus, but the Lions picked up eight kills apiece from Davis and Kirstyn Druzianich for a balanced offensive attack.

“I thought we did a good job with (Fisher),” Yearout said. “We didn’t let her get a run on us until the third game. Bellarmine’s a great team, though.”

LC’s problem was offense, as they could handle Bellarmine’s attack, but couldn’t produce much on their own – only 26 kills, led by freshman Oceana Bush’s seven.

“We had very few offensive kills, and we gave them a few too many easy ones,” Yearout said. “Hopefully, we’ll come out well in our next one now that we have one under our belt.”

They did, rallying after dropping the first game to Stanwood (20-10) to win 23-25, 25-17, 25-12 and 25-18. Five Tigers had at least eight kills in this one, paced by 16 from Ivy Bush and 21 from the middle blocking combination of Hannah Zimmerman and Janae Forney. Oceana Bush contributed nine kills and 13 digs.

LC plays Garfield (21-12) in a loser-out match at 9 a.m., with the winner advancing to the fifth-eighth place match.