A look at local teams competing at state volleyball tournaments this week

The Class 4A, 3A and 2A state volleyball tournaments take place this week at Yakima Valley SunDome.

The 20-team 3A tournament starts Thursday with the semifinals and the championship match being held Friday. The 16-team 4A and 2A tournaments start Friday with the semifinals and finals being held Saturday.

The top 12 teams in the 3A tournament receive a first-round bye into the double-elimination portion of the tournament. The eight teams seeded 13-20 open play with loser-out games. The winners of those games enter the double-elimination format.

All teams that qualified for state in 4A and 2A play under double-elimination rules.

Teams can not reach their respective state-title match after a loss.

Here’s a look at the six local squads competing this week:

CLASS 4A

LAKE STEVENS

Record: 15-3

About the Vikings: Fourth-seeded Lake Stevens opens its sixth consecutive state tournament appearance with a matchup against 13th-seeded Richland at 8:45 a.m. Friday. The Vikings went unbeaten in Wesco 4A play (8-0) for the second straight full-length season and claimed their sixth consecutive league title. That run of league championships doesn’t include a perfect 9-0 run through the COVID-shortened spring season in 2020. Lake Stevens has placed at state during its past three trips, including a program-best second-place finish in 2019. The Vikings are 5-3 this season against teams that qualified for the 4A or 3A state tournament. They’ve dropped just 10 sets all year and earned 14 of their 15 wins via sweep. Freshman Laura Eichert and senior Bella Christensen make up a dangerous one-two punch of hitters. Eichert averages 3.5 kills per set and Christensen 3.1. Senior Peri Hoshock and Hayli Tri add to a strong frontline, combining for 1.7 blocks per frame. Junior Alyss Kelly leads the team with 3.3 digs per set while Christensen chips in another 2.3 per frame. Christensen also leads the team with 0.6 aces per set. Junior Katelyn Eichert paces the squad with 8.6 assists per frame.

JACKSON

Record: 16-5

About the Timberwolves: Twelfth-seeded Jackson is making its second straight trip to the state tournament and opens play against fifth-seeded Curtis at 7 a.m. Friday. The Timberwolves went 5-3 in league play this season and finished in a tie for second with Glacier Peak in Wesco 4A. Jackson has finished as the runner-up in the league to powerhouse Lake Stevens in each of the past three full-length campaigns. The Timberwolves are in search of the first first-round victory at state since placing third in 2012, and they enter the tournament with a 3-2 record against state qualifying teams in 4A and 3A. Eleven of the team’s 16 victories have come in straight sets. Sophomores Addison Eastwood and Ravenna Coleman lead a balanced attack up front. Eastwood sports a team-high 2.9 kills per frame while Coleman adds another 2.3. Coleman and junior Yanina Sherwood share the team lead with 0.6 blocks per frame apiece. Four different Timberwolves average at least two digs per set, including a team-best 3.8 from senior Sydeny Kunz and 3.2 from senior Reece Nelson. Kunz, Eastwood and senior Aaliyah Lutali combine for 2.4 aces per frame, and Lutali and Eastwood pace Jackson in assists per set with 4.4 and 3.7, respectively.

CLASS 3A

SNOHOMISH

Record: 18-1

About the Panthers: Sixth-seeded Snohomish is back at the state tournament for the fifth consecutive time and opens tournament play against 11th-seeded Bishop Blanchet at 11:45 a.m. Thursday. After losing their first match of the season, the Panthers have won 18 straight, which includes a perfect 15-0 run through Wesco 3A/2A play. The league-champion Panthers also claimed the 3A District 1 title, the program’s first district championship since winning the 4A District 1 title in 2014. The Panthers, who dropped just 16 sets all season and won nine matches via sweep, have placed at state in two of their past four appearances, highlighted by a fifth-place trophy in 2018. Snohomish is 5-0 this season against state-bound teams in 3A, with all five wins coming against squads from District 1. Junior Kelsey Nichols and senior Liviya Harrison lead the Panthers on the attack. Nichols has a team-best 2.6 kills per frame while Harrison is just behind at 2.4. Sophomore Tyler Gildersleeve-Stiles leads the team with 0.5 blocks per set. Junior Anika Smith paces a quartet of Panthers who average at least 2.1 digs per frame. She sports a team-high 2.7. Smith also leads the team with 0.9 aces per set. Senior Ayla Grant dishes out a team-best 7.0 assists per set.

MEADOWDALE

Record: 16-4

About the Mavericks: Ninth-seeded Meadowdale is making its first trip to state since 2013, which starts with a matchup against eighth-seeded North Thurston at 11:45 a.m. Thursday. After dropping their first two matches of the season, the Mavericks are 16-2 since with the only two losses coming to Wesco 3A/2A and 3A District 1 champion Snohomish. Meadowdale finished as the runner-up in Wesco 3A/2A and at the 3A District 1 tournament. The district-title-game appearance was the program’s first since 2011. The Mavericks, who are 2-4 against state-bound teams in 3A, won nine matches in straight sets this season and two of their four losses came in five sets. Senior Tanna Kollen averages 3.7 kills per set on a .200 hitting percentage. She tallied 21 kills in Meadowdale’s district-title match against the Panthers. Senior Steph Grimes posted 4.9 digs per frame with a 2.2 serve-receive rate. Grimes had 28 digs in the district-title match. Senior Aubrey Congdon has dished out 6.7 assists and added 1.7 digs per set. She posted 27 assists in the district-title bout.

LYNNWOOD

Record: 15-5

About the Royals: Fourteenth-seeded Lynnwood is one of eight teams in the 20-team 3A bracket tasked with playing loser-out opening round game. The Royals open tournament play against 19th-seeded Auburn Riverside at 9:45 a.m. Thursday. Lynnwood is making its first trip to state since placing seventh in 2003, which is the only time the program has earned a state trophy. The squad finished fourth in Wesco 3A/2A and is 2-4 against state-bound teams in 4A and 3A. The Royals have won 10 matches via sweep and three of their five losses came in five sets. Junior Hannah Johnson averages 3.1 kills, 1.2 blocks and 0.5 aces per set. Junior Paige Gessey posted 3.0 kills, 3.5 digs and 0.8 aces per frame. Sophomore Sammy Holmer has added another 2.5 kills, 2.8 digs and 0.9 aces per set. Junior Charlie Thomas has dished out 8.7 assists to go with 0.7 aces per frame.

MONROE

Record: 14-6

About the Bearcats: Eighteenth-seeded Monroe is another one of the eight teams in 3A playing a loser-out opening round game. The Bearcats are back at the state for the first time since earning a program-best fourth-place trophy at the 4A tournament in 2018. They open tournament play against 15th-seeded Kelso at 9:45 a.m. Thursday. Monroe showed one of the biggest improvements by teams in Snohomish County this season, doubling last year’s win total of seven on its way to a fifth-place finish in Wesco 3A/2A. The Bearcats won eight matches via sweep this fall and went 1-4 against state-bound teams in 3A.