YAKIMA — The fact that the Cedar Park Christian-Bothell volleyball team was swept by Lynden Christian in Saturday’s 1A state championship match was an afterthought for an already tight-knit Eagles squad that was drawn even closer together this season by events beyond its control.
In September, Eagles coach Marni Drechsel went into cardiac arrest during a match against Archbishop Murphy.
Thankfully, she was tended to promptly, revived and continued to coach Cedar Park Christian all the way to the brink of a state championship.
Since that night, Cedar Park Christian’s season has been one long spin of the roulette wheel with house money on the table.
“We weren’t disapponted at all,” Drechsel said by phone from the team’s celebratory dinner after the match. “This team faced obstacle after obstacle this year and our season was marked with so many other things that we have no regrets. We left it all out on the floor. We fought hard all weekend and I can’t even say there was any head-hanging afterwards.”
The Eagles were handed another hurdle to overcome in warmups, as Tess Biscup, a key weapon in CPC-Bothell’s offensive arsenal landed awkwardly on her ankle and was less than 100 percent during the match.
“She did a great job for us, but playing and playing hurt aren’t the same thing,” Drechsel said. “We’re not taking anything away from Lynden Christian. They played really well, but we had to adjust our game plan a little bit.”
The Eagles had the luxury of relying on Sam Drechsel, the coach’s daughter, who will play at the University of Maryland next season, and Tess Biscup’s twin sister Chloe.
The Lyncs were led by Kara Bajema, who was officially introduced as a member of Washington’s 2016 recruiting class on Saturday.
Lynden Christian beat the Eagles 3-1 in a district semifinal on Oct. 28 after CPC-Bothell defeated the Lyncs for the district crown in 2014.
“We know them very well,” Coach Drechsel said. “It was just going to be a matter of personnel and who was on. It was a great battle.”
Memories of the Saturday’s loss will fade away, but Drechsel and the Eagles have gained invaluable perspective on what is important in life.
“These girls see that volleyball is a sport that brings us all together, but what matters in friendships and their lives and living in a way that honors God,” Drechsel said. “We live in an area where we are fortunate enough to play a sport that we love. The perspective of it is so much more than the sport.”
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