Once again, the Wesco 4A volleyball crown belongs to Lake Stevens High School.
The Vikings clinched their fourth consecutive conference title last week, adding yet another accomplishment to their success-filled run in recent years.
Lake Stevens (12-1, 12-1 Wesco 4A) has swept 11 of its 13 regular-season matches this season and dropped just four sets, with its only loss coming to second-place Jackson last Thursday.
The Vikings also had strong showings in a pair of September tournaments. They didn’t drop a set while winning the Kent Classic and they placed second in the 64-team Linda Sheridan Volleyball Classic in Spokane.
“(They are) extremely talented and they just play volleyball really well,” Lake Stevens coach Kyle Hoglund said. “It’s fun to coach and fun to be a part of. … And the girls just seem to genuinely care for each other and really love to cheer on each other and the success they have. It’s amazing.”
The Vikings graduated three All-Wesco 4A players and two other seniors from last year’s team, which placed seventh in the Class 4A state tournament for the program’s best state finish since 1989. But Lake Stevens hasn’t skipped a beat this fall, churning out another dominant campaign to improve its conference record over the past four seasons to 53-2.
The Vikings are led by junior outside hitter Samaya Morin, who was a first-team all-conference selection last year. And players such as libero Piper Smith, setter Michelle Fast and middle hitter Karli Tri have stepped up to help fill holes created by the departures.
After closing the regular season Tuesday night, Lake Stevens opens the 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament with a quarterfinal match Saturday afternoon. With a win, the Vikings would move within one victory of their fourth consecutive state berth.
“Each individual player has to do their role, do their job, and then we all get to enjoy the success,” Hoglund said. “… We need to make sure we’re doing our jobs and doing our roles to take care of business.”
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