Mead, LC in 4A semis

KENNEWICK – De ja volleyball.

The Mead Panthers and Lewis and Clark Tigers earned a return trip to the State 4A volleyball semifinals today.

The Shadle Park Highlanders repeated last year’s first-round loss Friday night and will once again try and battle their way through the consolation bracket at the Toyota Center.

Mead faces Rogers-Puyallup and LC meets Kentwood at 3:30.

The Highlanders, last year’s eighth-place finisher, lost 25-23, 25-17, 25-14 to Kamiak to miss out on a quarterfinal matchup with LC, and can finish no higher than fifth place.

The Highlanders meet Bellarmine at 9 a.m.

In State 3A action, the Mt. Spokane Wildcats, playing without setter Jordon Hoffnagle, who was injured last week, lost their only match Friday 25-16, 25-14, 24-26, 25-15 to Camas. The Wildcats, in their first state tournament, meet Sumner at 9 a.m. in a consolation quarterfinal.

The West Valley Eagles made the most of their State 2A appearance, finishing eighth to bring home the first trophy in school history as the only local team to advance to the final day of the tournament. Pullman and Colville were eliminated Thursday.

Mead d. Curtis 25-9, 26-24, 25-16: The four-time defending state champion Panthers came out firing on all cylinders in their quarterfinal match against the Vikings.

Everyone is out to knock off the defending champs, and no one is coming close – despite some tight game scores.

Meg Ryan had 18 digs and eight kills, Alexis Olgard finished with 11 blocks and eight kills and Karyn Mockel had 31 assists, six blocks and an ace in the Panthers’ win.

“The first day was good for us,” said Mead coach Judy Kight, whose Panthers swept Inglemoor in the first round. “I felt like our second match was better than our first, and that’s what we wanted to do.”

Lewis and Clark d. Kamiak 25-27, 25-21, 17-25, 25-16, 15-11: The Tigers showed their resiliency in a back-and-forth quarterfinal battle with the Knights.

After sweeping Bellarmine Prep in the first round, the Tigers were tested by a tall and scrappy Kamiak squad.

“That was a great battle,” LC coach Julie Yearout said. “I think everybody stepped up.”

Standout junior Oceana Bush finished with 21 kills and 18 digs, Chloe Rowand and Laurie Yearout combined for 20 kills and Vally Moua led all players with 28 digs for LC. Rowand, who was off to the hospital after the match with a possible abdominal strain, also had a match-high 10 blocks.

“We gave up a lot of those points,” Yearout added. “When we make plays on the ball good things happen. When we weren’t giving up unforced errors, it wasn’t nearly as close.”

Archbishop Murphy d. West Valley 25-16, 25-14, 25-18: With the loss to the Wildcats, the young Eagles had to settle for the eighth-place trophy, but the positives were not lost on coach Drew Wendle.

“Just being here, they started the tradition,” said Wendle, whose roster included three seniors. “The majority of them get to come back, so they know what it means. They know there is a standard now and that they are more than capable of getting here and doing well when they do get here.”

Bailey Wold, Luryn Abrahamson, Melissa Mauro and Alyssa Wold each had five kills to lead the Eagles. Alyssa Wold also had 14 assists and nine digs.

Freshman Mallorie Schoesler added seven digs and two aces.