Shoreline Christian achieved its goal of reaching the state volleyball tournament for just the third time in school history.
But the Crusaders paid the price for neglecting to bring their A-game to last weekend’s Class B state championships in Yakima.
“We looked a little tentative and you can’t do that at state,” Shoreline Christian coach Glenn Hoogerhyde said.
Making their first state appearance since 1999, the Crusaders were eliminated on the first day of the tournament with back-to-back defeats to Pomeroy and LaSalle.
“That’s not what we wanted to see,” Hoogerhyde said. “We just weren’t able to put it together.”
Shoreline Christian never found a rhythm in a 25-18, 25-17, 25-17 loss to fourth-ranked Pomeroy in the opening round.
“We played a little nervous,” Hoogerhyde said. “Our serving percentage was down in both matches, which isn’t typical for us.”
Playing without all-league outside hitter Cristina Nelson, who went down with a knee injury near the end of the Pomeroy match, the Crusaders were swept by LaSalle 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 in consolation play.
“We were ahead in all three games, but we couldn’t put it away,” Hoogerhyde said. “We were hustling and covering the court.”
Hoogerhyde felt the Crusaders had the personnel and chemistry in place to shock a team or two at state. Their early exit was a bit unexpected.
“We set the goal right away to get to the postseason and make it to state,” he said. “I wanted to come home with a trophy. I thought that was a possibility for us.”
Nelson, setter Heather Waller and outside hitter Rachel Visser graduate off a Shoreline Christian team that took second in the Northwest B League and finished the season 13-6 overall.
“We lose three big keys and we bring back six,” Hoogerhyde said. “There’s always surprises and somebody always seems to step up. Our No. 1 concern will be finding a setter and we’ll go from there.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
