YAKIMA — In the moments following Tumwater’s loss to Ellensburg, one that ended their season and run at the 2A State Tournament, coach Molly Cichosz and the Thunderbirds were overcome with emotions.
As her players shared hugs, laughs and tears on the court, Cichosz tried to explain the bittersweet feeling they all shared.
“I’m definitely sad that our season’s over,” Cichosz said. “I’m sad for the seniors, that was their last game. But I’m also excited for the future for Tumwater volleyball. I was excited to get back to State this year and just want to keep rolling with that.”
The Thunderbirds got back to State and even won a game, but they weren’t able to place on Saturday, as they fell to the No. 3 Ellensburg Bulldogs 19-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-17 in an elimination game.
The T-Birds two losses at State came to the No. 2 and No. 3 seeded teams, a brutal break for a team that entered the tournament 17-2.
“I think we overall played really well,” Cichosz said. “It’s hard. This bracket kind of sucks, but I’m really proud with how the girls played.”
Their loss to the Bulldogs was similar to their loss to the Lions less than 24 hours before, as the Thunderbirds struggled against the height they faced at the net.
The T-Birds did get off to a better start, as they took the first set, but once the Bulldogs got rolling, there was no stopping them.
Whitney Van Gorkom and Natalie Montoya-Kilmer had six kills each, while Emily Robello tallied 17 assists and Brooklynn Hayes had a team-high 15 digs.
While Cichosz noted that she is excited for the future of the program as a whole, they will have to fill the roles of Natalie Manning, Briana Zavala, Robello, Hayes, and Van Gorkom, the five seniors who just played their final game for Tumwater.
“They were a really solid senior class,” Cichosz said. They were cool, level-headed and they brought a lot of that calmness that we needed at this tournament.
“It’s definitely gonna be missed, but I’m trusting in the process of who we have filling their spots and I have no doubt that they will be able to do that.”
And while it was a disappointing end for this Tumwater team, Cichosz said that she will remember this season as a positive one.
“They actually are like a family,” Cichosz said. “This was just a whole different vibe the whole year. We had our bumps along the way just as any team does, but we were able to recover, and that takes a lot of grit.”
