Tough road awaits Dolphins at NWAACC championships

Published 9:44 am Friday, February 22, 2008

SHORELINE — Owners of a month-long winning streak, Shoreline Community College entered this week’s NWAACC volleyball championships as one of the conference’s hottest teams.

But the Dolphins aren’t alone. Two other teams in Shoreline’s half of the bracket are just as dangerous.

Making their third straight postseason appearance, the Dolphins will likely have to get through East Region champion Spokane and South Region champion Mount Hood to reach the finals. Both teams went 12-0 in league play and neither have lost since mid-October.

Mount Hood is the two-time defending NWAACC champion and placed second in 1999 and 1997. Spokane, ranked No. 1 in the final coaches poll, took second to the Saints last year.

Shoreline was scheduled to open the three-day tournament Nov. 21 against Yakima Valley. The winner advances to face the winner of Mount Hood/Pierce.

Mount Hood topped the Dolphins twice at a crossover tournament last month. But Shoreline hasn’t lost since, sweeping its final four league matches and a second-place tiebreaker with Whatcom.

“We were very even (with Mount Hood),” Shoreline co-coach Raquel West said. “We can beat them.”

Since starting the regular season 4-3, the Dolphins have climbed to sixth in the coaches poll and took a 20-10 overall record into the 16-team NWAACC championships at Spokane Falls.

Shoreline finished in the top five at last year’s conference tournament.

“We never worry about the early season,” West said. “We always worry about the last part of the season. And it’s going good. We’re coming up and up. It’s a good sign for the tournament.”