Lynnwood volleyball advances to 3A district final
Published 10:57 pm Monday, October 31, 2011
OAK HARBOR — It was an upsetting kind of night in Oak Harbor.
The Lynnwood volleyball team moved into the 3A District 1 tournament final after defeating Everett in consecutive volleyball matches Monday. The sixth-seed Royals knocked off No. 3 seed Ferndale in four sets before defeating Evere
tt, which shocked No. 2 seed Oak Harbor in the first round, in four (25-16, 21-25, 25-16 and 25-13) as well. Everett, the seventh seed, travels to Mount Vernon to face the Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Thursday in a consolation semifinal.
Against the Seagulls, senior outside hitter Arianna Garcia led the way with 19 kills and 16 digs. Another senior, setter Jennifer Tsuji had 42 assists and 11 digs and junior Kaitlyn Evers added 10 kills and six blocks.
“We played strong defense against (Ferndale),” Lynnwood head coach Jean Kellogg said in describing the key to her team’s win in the first match. “We got a ton of second efforts. You wouldn’t believe how far the kids were going off the court to make plays.
“The Everett game really started off back and forth,” continued Kellogg, describing the semifinal in which the two teams split the first two sets. “I thought we played a very balanced offense in which we moved the ball around and that really helped us out a lot.”
The wins place Lynnwood in a winner-to-state contest against No. 1 seed Meadowdale on Saturday. The loser of the final will move down to the consolation bracket where it will need to win to earn the second, and final, 3A berth to state.
The Royals essentially need to win one of their next two matches in order to fulfill one of their highest goals entering the season. They will need all five days to prepare for the Mavericks, a team it was swept by in both matches during the regular season.
“We’re going to have to give it our best,” Kellogg said. “We’re going to have to dig very well because they have outstanding hitters and put up a very strong block and really outsmart them.”
Asked what has helped turn around her team’s fortunes as of late, Kellogg answered, “We are moving in the right direction right now. We’re healthy and we’re a cohesive unit.”
First round
Lynnwood 3, Ferndale 1
Dominique Collins finished with 17 kills and nine digs as Lynnwood upset the No. 3 seed Ferndale in four sets by scores of 25-11, 22-25, 25-14 and 25-19. Also coming through for the Royals were Arianna Garcia with 12 kills and Jennifer Tsuji who contributed 36 assists.
Everett 3, Oak Harbor 2
The Seagulls, who lost to the Wildcats twice during the regular season, including by sweep just five days ago in the season finale, beat the Wildcats in a five-set thriller to advance to the district semifinal.
Consolation bracket
Oak Harbor 3, Ferndale 0
The Wildcats swept Ferndale to advance to the consolation semifinal, where they will host Glacier Peak at 7 p.m. Thursday.
