YAKIMA — While there may have been some first-game jitters for Adna at the state tournament, it sure didn’t look like it.
The top-seeded Pirates were in control from start to finish early Wednesday afternoon, sweeping Warden 25-15, 25-13, 25-15 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Adna coach Wendie Dotson was pleased with the effort and the outcome, and she also noted that they ran a few new offensive sets.
“That worked in our favor,” Dotson said. “We’ve been working on it a little bit more lately. It’s something that we’ve had in our back pocket and it’s something that we knew we would need to pull out in the state tournament.”
Dotson had mixed feelings about the team’s energy. While noting that she felt they came out flat, she also was pleased with how consistent their communication was throughout the match.
The Pirates also had success serving the ball, with Dotson adding that they were aggressive and technical with where they were placing their serves.
“That was a good win for us, but now we have to figure out how to beat the winner over there,” Dotson joked, while pointing to the ongoing Rainier-River View match.
The winner of the quarterfinal this evening will advance to the state semifinals, which begin tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Napavine falls in first round
YAKIMA — It couldn’t have started better.
The Napavine volleyball team raced out to a big lead in its first-round matchup in the 2B state tournament against Okanogan, and eventually took the first set.
From there, however, things quickly went south, as the Bulldogs took over and cruised to a 20-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-9 victory over the Tigers.
Napavine coach Monica Dailey was frustrated with the way the final three sets played out, especially after the Tigers came out of the gates firing.
“They were doing everything they needed to,” Dailey said. “I told them we needed to swing away at them and we continued to play soft.”
The Tigers were plagued by several unforced errors, including dozens of errant passes that killed any potential for a rally before it even began.
“We couldn’t pass to our targets,” Dailey said. “And then when we did our setters couldn’t get the ball to our hitters. We kept oversetting.”
The Bulldogs were quick to strike on any mistake, starting late in the first set. While the Tigers were able to hold on to win the first set, the Bulldogs ended that set on a 7-3 run.
That momentum carried over into the second set, where the Bulldogs began piling on in a hurry.
The Tigers were competitive in the third set, getting within one after trailing 11-3 early, but another Okanogan run buried the Tigers.
The fourth set was the Bulldogs’ best, as they began pouring it on to eliminate any chance of a Tiger comeback.
“I felt like we beat ourselves,” Dailey said. “We lost the game mentally.”
It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Tigers, who could still place seventh or eighth with three straight wins. They will play a loser-out game against No. 15 Kalama at 3:30 p.m.
Mountaineers sweep Panthers, advance to quarterfinals
YAKIMA — For the first time since 1997, the Rainier volleyball team has advanced past the first round of the state tournament, punching their bid to the quarterfinals with a 25-15, 25-16, 25-21 sweep of River View.
The Mountaineers came out swinging from the first point, and they carried that energy over throughout the entire match.
“They kept the pressure on the whole time,” Rainier coach Carrie Ooms said. “They didn’t let up. They played hard and they let nothing drop.”
It’ll be a familiar foe for the Mountaineers in the quarterfinals, as they’ll take on No. 1 Adna at 7:15.
Vikings back in quarterfinals after sweep of Soap Lake
YAKIMA — The No. 3 seeded Mossyrock volleyball team advanced to the 1B quarterfinals, sweeping Soap Lake 25-7, 25-18, 25-21 early Wednesday afternoon.
The Vikings jumped all over the No. 19 Eagles early, jumping out to a massive lead in the first set. While Soap Lake played better in the second and third set, the Vikings were able to put the game away to move on.
“I thought we came out with a lot of composure,” Mossyrock coach Alex Nelson said. I’m really proud of them for that … we came out and took care of business early.”
The Vikings will return to the court at 9 p.m. for their quarterfinal, when they will face Northport.
