Meadowdale, Shorecrest advance to state

Published 11:29 pm Saturday, November 15, 2008

FERNDALE — Meadowdale won a thrilling five-game match against Everett for the Class 3A District 1 volleyball championship Saturday.

Everett’s loss meant it had to take the floor 30 minutes later in a winner to state/loser-out match against Shorecrest, who then defeated the stunned Seagulls to take the second and final seed into state.

Meadowdale (9-8 overall) and Shorecrest (17-6 overall) open up 3A state tournament action in Kennewick at the Toyota Center on Wednesday.

As Meadowdale was battling Everett, the Shorecrest Scots, the number one seed going into the district tournament, was battling the Ferndale Golden Eagles just to stay alive for a chance at state. Shorecrest made quick work of Ferndale, advancing 25-12, 25-13, 25-20 to the consolation winner to state match. The Scots would have a long time to wait as Meadowdale and Everett’s match saw the lead and momentum change several times.

Meadowdale took the first game 25-17, but would stumble, and Everett took advantage, taking the next two games 25-19 and 25-22. Meadowdale now found itself in a hole and Everett was only one win away from advancing to state as a number-one seed.

In the fourth game something changed for the Mavericks, after a long rally when both teams were tied at four, Meadowdale began to pour it on and stole the momentum from the Seagulls. Meadowdale won 15 of the next 22 points and took a 19-11 lead.

Everett would bounce back near the end of game four, but Meadowdale hung on to win the game 25-21.

Game five would go much the same way. Everett jumped ahead a few points in the early going, but Meadowdale would come back to take the lead and hang on to win 15-12.

“We’re just enjoying something we didn’t think would happen,” Meadowdale coach Machen Shrum said. “I expected it today, but at the beginning of the season would I have truly honestly thought we were going to be here? No.”

The Mavericks lost a winner to state/loser out game last year. They graduated six seniors and had seven new varsity members this season.

Madi Seeger had 25 digs and three aces for the Mavericks, and Lynsey Rohrbach had 16 kills. Megan Nelson added 45 assists.

“It feels amazing because we have been so close the last few years and we finally made it,” Rohrbach said.

“We played harder today than we have all season,” Seeger added.

Shorecrest took advantage of Everett’s misfortune taking the first game of the next match 25-9. Everett came to life in game two, but Shorecrest was able to weather the storm and took a 2-0 lead with a 25-22 win. Everett would take game three 25-18, and came out in game four like they might be able to make a match of it, but a late run by Shorecrest secured the match with a 25-21 win, and the second seed to state.