Going into the state volleyball championships, none of the five Western Conference teams were predicted to earn a top-eight trophy, according to the state coaches association predictions.
Everett proved them wrong.
The Everett High School girls volleyball team went 2-2 this past weekend in the 16-team Class 3A state tournament in Kennewick and won the eighth-place trophy. It is the Seagulls’ first top-eight finish since 1973.
“A big part of it is just that we were peaking at the right time,” Everett coach Heather McLeod said, adding that being the only 3A team in the mostly 4A Wesco North helped prepare Everett for high-level postseason competition.
Leading the way for Everett was junior Emily Liger, a hitter who helped the Seagulls earn loser-out victories over Peninsula and fifth-ranked Timberline on Saturday and advance to the fifth/eighth-place match against seventh-ranked Lakes. In its final match of the season, Everett lost 3-1 to Lakes.
The 6-foot Liger was named to the 3A all-tournament team, selected by a panel of sportswriters who covered the event. Liger had 96 kills, 10 aces and 62 digs in four state matches. She is getting lots of attention from college coaches, McLeod said.
Six seniors contributed to Everett’s long-awaited top-eight performance: Lauren Altman, Haley Rudolph, Molly Burton, Rachel Peterson, Madison Olson and Candice Magbag.
Archbishop Murphy teammates Savannah Fletcher (hitter) and Hannah Linsenmayer (libero) received 2A all-tournament team recognition. Fletcher, a senior, and Linsenmayer, a sophomore, helped propel the Wildcats to second place, the best finish in program history.
Winter sports practice begins
Washington’s boys and girls basketball, wrestling and boys swimming squads had their first practices on Monday in preparation for the 2009-2010 season. Watch for our previews of those sports in the next few weeks. Our basketball preview is scheduled for publication on Nov. 26.
Wesco 4A gridiron teams ousted
All six Wesco 4A football playoff teams are finished. Going into this past weekend’s first-round state games, the two survivors were North Division champion Marysville-Pilchuck and South Division champion Jackson, both previously undefeated. But M-P lost 25-22 at Auburn (11-0) and Jackson fell 48-28 versus Issaquah (8-3) in Everett.
However, it’s not all bad news for Wesco. Meadowdale (11-0) and Glacier Peak (9-2) of the Wesco 3A both advanced. This week they play Union (10-1) and Bellevue (9-2), respectively, in the quarterfinals.
Soccer recruiting updates
Marysville-Pilchuck senior John Crenshaw verbally committed to the University of Washington men’s soccer team and is no longer committed to Seattle University, Crenshaw’s mom said. Crenshaw, The Herald’s 2009 All-Area Player of the Year, initially committed to SU this past spring but in October he decided the UW was a better fit, Crenshaw’s mom said.
Also, Arlington senior Jessica Van Loo recently committed to play soccer for Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Verbal commitments are non-binding. Class of 2010 prep soccer recruits can sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent in February.
Note about Cascade’s Love
Danielle Love is the first Cascade High athlete to receive a full-ride Division I women’s basketball scholarship since Kayla Huss, a 2001 Cascade graduate who signed with Santa Clara University. Love signed with the University of Oregon on Thursday.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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