State volleyball: Wilbur-Creston takes down three-time defending champion Oaksdale for 1B title

YAKIMA – In two matches this season against three-time defending Class 1B champion Oakesdale, Wilbur-Creston-Keller had done what was unlikely – take a set off the Nighthawks.

Thursday night in the 1B state final, the Wildcats did what seemed unthinkable – dethrone Oakesdale.

Controlling much of the action at the net and jumping out to early leads in the last three sets, second-seeded W-C toppled the No. 1 Nighthawks 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-20 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

It’s the school’s first volleyball championship since capturing the fourth of its Class B titles in 1998.

Early on, however, the Wildcats looked as if it would be another milestone for the Nighthawks, who jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening set.

“We came out with the mentality that it’s state and it’s Oakesdale, feeling completely defeated,” W-C coach Brandi Maioho said after climbing into the stands to hug her father. “Throughout the whole season, we’ve kind of been a comeback team and I was having a lot of faith that would ground them.”

Her faith was rewarded.

The Wildcats didn’t win the first set, but they proved they weren’t happy just making the main event, and pushed the Nighthawks.

In each of the remaining sets, W-C grabbed early leads. A 4-1 start in the second set was followed by 5-1 in the third and 6-1 in the final set.

“They always knew they had that capability but getting them to have that confidence was what really stood out today,” Maioho said.

That confidence kept growing, fueled by the play of Wildcats hitters Kidyn Maioho, Rocksie Timentwa and Sina Nelson at the net.

Oakesdale seemed rattled with W-C controlling the action, and committed several uncharacteristic miscues. The Wildcats were the ones making the big hits more often down the stretch.

“That’s really what we emphasized in here big time,” Maioho said. “Especially when that oomph is at the net and they’re used to that pulling them through everything, so we talked about how we shut that down.”

Every Oakesdale rally, often keyed by left-handed junior Bradyn Henley, sophomore Grace Perry or eighth-grader Parker Davis, was answered by the Wildcats, who never trailed after the opening moments of the last two sets.

Thursday’s title match could be a preview of what’s to come in the title bout. W-C has just one senior in its lineup while five of Oakesdale’s eight players are freshmen and none are seniors.

The Nighthawks had won 12 of the previous 14 tournaments before this year, while the Wildcats hadn’t trophied at state since taking sixth in 2B in 2016.

CLASS 2B

FREEMAN TAKES THIRD: The Scotties’ first season in Class 2B ended with a third-place trophy Thursday at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

After falling to second-seeded and eventual repeat champion Manson in a four-set semifinal, third-seeded Freeman responded by sweeping No. Coupeville in the medal round, 25-8, 25-17, 25-19.

It’s the ninth trophy in the last 10 tournaments for Freeman, with all eight of the previous trophies – including last year’s second place – coming in 1A.

The Scotties finished the season 20-3, with their only losses to Manson and unbeaten Chelan, the 1A top seed and heavy favorite to win a fifth consecutive state championship.

Freeman swept through the Northeast 2B, dropping one set in league play.