Jackson outlasts Kamiak

Published 5:31 pm Thursday, October 27, 2011

MUKILTEO — For the Jackson Timberwolves, a team that won the Class 4A state volleyball championship in 2010, winning this year’s Wesco South title accomplished only one of their many goals for this season.

The Timberwolves achieved that first goal Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory over the

Kamiak Knights. Set scores were 25-23, 17-25, 25-20 and 25-22.

“It’s a step,” Jackson head coach Ashley Allen said.

The victory made Jackson the No.1 seed in the Wesco South and sends the Timberwolves into a District 1 quarterfinal match against Marysville Pilchuck at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Knights face Monroe at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Jackson’s Emmy Allen played brilliantly Wednesday, as she has so many times this season. She came up with kills when the Timberwolves needed them most, including an emphatic one on the final play of the match.

“When it comes down to crunch time and it’s tight, Emmy is able to perform,” Ashley Allen said. “She wants the ball. She is a hungry player. Miah (Diirell) is very similar as well. It just so happened that at the end of the match, Emmy was the one that was in the front row, so we were feeding her nonstop.”

Emmy Allen finished the match with 25 kills, but the Timberwolves didn’t rely solely on her. Diirell had 18 kills and 18 digs and Haley MacDonald had 49 assists for the Timberwolves.

Kamiak was led by Bryce Larson, who finished the match with 21 kills and 11 digs. Ally Bowles had 33 assists and Carly Rohrenbach had six kills and 14 digs.

Larson once again proved just how important she is to the Knights team.

“She was out sick this week,” Bowie said. “So, she wasn’t 100 percent physically and I don’t think there is a kid or parent in the stands tonight that could tell. There was no way that she wasn’t going to play in tonight’s game.

“She constantly exemplifies everything a coach could ask for in a captain.”

The Knights weren’t without opportunities in the match.

Kamiak held a 23-22 lead in the first set only to see Jackson rip off three straight points to take the set. The Knights easily took the second set, so instead of possibly leading the match 2-0, they were tied at a game apiece.

Jackson pulled away from Kamiak late in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Knights appeared like they would force a fifth set, jumping on the Timberwolves with a 7-2 lead in the fourth set. But in the end, Allen was too much for the Knights to handle.

For Jackson and Kamiak, who have stood far and above the other teams in the Wesco South this season, the competiveness of the two matches they have had this season provide helpful experience going into districts.

“It’s really important,” Ashley Allen said. “It would be nice to have one more match so that we can work on what we learned in this match, but our next match will be districts. We will spend a lot of time in practice. We will do a lot of six-on-six stuff.

“Playing (Kamiak) at the end certainly is good. It makes our girls better, it makes their girls better. I wish we could play them more often because everybody gets fired up.”

Bowie agreed that facing Jackson is very important for her team.

“They’re priceless,” Bowie said. “This is the most perfect match you could ever dream of to have right before districts.”

Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Read his live blogs at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/prepzone, follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at aaronlommers@gmail.com.