State prep volleyball tournaments at a glance

Washington state volleyball

At a glance

4A at Toyota Center, Kennewick; 3A at Toyota Center; 2A at Saint Martin’s University, Lacey; 1A at SunDome, Yakima; 2B at SunDome; 1B at SunDome

All matches Friday and Saturday

4A: Mead, which has won seven state titles, is making its 26th state appearance. … Mead (21-2) opens against Tahoma, the same team it beat in a state opener last year. The match is at 8 a.m. … The Panthers finished fifth last year. … Curtis is defending champ. … Undefeated West Valley (Yakima) is ranked No. 1 and heavily favored to win. Mead is ranked third behind Auburn Riverside. … Curtis and WV-Yakima face each other in an opener. … A potential semifinal showdown between Mead and WV-Yakima looms. Mead dropped a five-set decision to WV-Yakima last month.

3A: Mt. Spokane (18-6) had to go the long route to earn a state berth, not securing the spot at state until a cross-district win over Garfield on Tuesday. … The Wildcats, who are ranked sixth, are making their eighth appearance at state and second in a row. They open against unranked North Thurston at 11:30. Last year’s champ, Kennedy Catholic, moved up to 4A. … Mercer Island is ranked No. 1.

2A: Great Northern League champ Cheney opens against eighth-ranked Steilacoom. Pullman takes on top-ranked Tumwater. … Last year’s champ, Burlington-Edison, did not qualify. … Pullman is making its 15th trip to state.

1A: Defending champ and No. 1-ranked Lynden Christian is on the opposite side of the bracket from Freeman (15-2) and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls). … Fourth-ranked Lakeside (24-3), a three-time champ, is making its 13th trip to state. … Freeman, ranked sixth, is making its sixth straight trip to state and 23rd overall.

2B: Colfax is seeking a fourth straight state title. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1, open against Life Christian Academy. Colfax is making its 32nd appearance at state, including 24 straight under coach Sue Doering. The Bulldogs (25-4) have won 14 titles. The Bulldogs’ four losses have been against three 4A teams and one 3A team. “We don’t emphasize winning a state championship,” Doering said. “We don’t emphasize it because it puts too much pressure on kids.” … Other NE 2B qualifiers are fourth-ranked Wilbur-Creston, Davenport and Northwest Christian. NWC’s Crusaders are making their ninth state appearance. … Wilbur-Creston, a three-time champ, is making its 21st appearance. … Davenport is making its 22nd appearance.

1B: Defending champ and No. 1-ranked Oakesdale (26-6) has five starters back from last year. … Oakesdale, which opens against Neah Bay, is a seven-time champion, including four times as Tekoa-Oakesdale. … Almira/Coulee-Hartline, ranked third, is making its 12th state appearance. … Odessa-Harrington is making its sixth straight appearance. … Valley Christian is making its second appearance.

- By Greg Lee