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The Tumwater volleyball team earned a trip to its fifth straight state tournament on Saturday, knocking off Ridgefield in four in a district semifinal before falling to Columbia River in the district title game.
“It’s huge for us,” Tumwater coach Kennedy Croft said after the semifinal. “We set goals early in the season, and that’s just another one on the checklist … Super proud of them.”
Croft is in her first season as the T-Birds head coach, and she wasn’t shy with her expectations coming into the year. While playing in Tumwater for her mom, Tana Otton, she won two state championships and three district titles.
“I came in and I expected a lot out of them,” Croft said. “Their buy-in has been amazing. They’ve just really bought into my vision for the program.
“Just bringing some of those traditions and expectations back,” Croft added. “They’re starting to get that edge. They’re starting to figure out that we need to walk into every game like we’re the team to beat, because we are.”
The T-Birds (17-3) will learn its state seeding and Round of 16 opponent on Sunday. They’ll begin play in the state tournament at the Yakima SunDome on Friday.
