MILL CREEK
For Anna Herold and Tori Olsen, the Shorecrest volleyball team’s two senior co-captains, going to state in November is a ritual.
The Scots clinched a No. 1 seed to the state 3A tournament with a 23-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-12 win over Mount Vernon in the District 1 championship game Nov. 3 at Jackson High School.
This will be Shorecrest’s sixth straight trip to the big dance.
Now the only question is how far the Scots can go.
Last year the answer was third place, the best finish in school history.
That was nice, but the Scots, who are on a nine-game win streak, hope to exceed that.
Lurking in the Scots side of the bracket is defending champion Bishop Blanchet. A possible semifinal showdown between the contender and favorite awaits.
“We’re really excited to play Blanchet. We really want to get there,” Herold said. “But we have two matches before that.”
Shorecrest opens play against Timberline at 9 a.m. today, Friday, Nov. 9, at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Herold said at the start of the season that the Scots’ goal was to improve upon last year’s finish. That means making it to the championship game.
“It’s going to take a lot of focus on ourselves and our mentality,” Herold said. “We’re going to have to push ourselves a lot harder than a lot of girls realize this weekend.”
Shorecrest swept its first two matches of the district tournament against Lynnwood and Ferndale, but Mount Vernon rallied from a 19-11 deficit to steal game one in the title match.
The Bulldogs’ 6-foot middle blocker Amber Johnson wreaked havoc up front with several blocks and kills that turned the momentum Mount Vernon’s way.
But the Scots rebuffed the Bulldogs in the remaining three games. They trailed only briefly in game two before they went on to dominate the rest of the match.
Shorecrest runs an active offense with two setters, Herold and junior Kerry Clavadetscher, setting for outside hitters Olsen and Gloria Tseng, and middle hitter Jamie McDonald.
“It’s definitely more complex than last year,” Herold said. “A bit quicker offense.”
Few balls get through the back row with defensive specialist Lauren Deatrick patrolling the court.
Much of the credit for Shorecrest’s sustained success goes to coach Dave Morehouse, who is in his 20th year.
“He does a great job,” Olsen said. “He knows what he’s doing. Great reputation. I feel lucky to be in this program.”
Last year was the most successful season so far.
“I think we just had a lot of returning players,” Olsen said. “It just clicked. It was really good chemistry. We played well together.”
This year looked promising, with only four seniors graduating off last year’s team and eight players with varsity experience returning. Several players, including Clavadetscher, who injured a ligament in one of her fingers, have missed time this year for health reasons. With players injured, the Scots lost league games to Kamiak and Edmonds-Woodway and fell out of the coaches’ poll, which ranked Shorecrest as high as second. But Shorecrest has everyone healthy now except sophomore Gabi Leif, who is nursing a sore back, and are riding a hot streak.
Both Herold and Olsen are four-year letter winners that have grown up in the program.
Anna started playing in fourth grade at St. Luke School in Shoreline and started club ball in sixth grade. Both her sisters, Kelly, 23, and Lauren, 20, were setters at Shorecrest and she’s continued the tradition.
“You grow up watching it and you can’t wait until it’s your turn to play,” she said.
Herold plays club with the Washington Volleyball Academy where her mother, Karen Herold, is the club director. Three other Scots — McDonald, Clavadetscher and Deatrick — play for Washington Volleyball Academy teams.
Olsen started playing as a seventh-grader at Kellogg Middle School. Her mother, Gayle, who worked at the school, was the one who encouraged her to try out for the volleyball team.
In the fall of 2005, during volleyball season, Gayle died of colon cancer.
“We were best friends,” Olsen said.
Olsen missed some time after her mother died but soon returned to the court. Volleyball was an escape.
“It was hard but it didn’t affect volleyball at all,” said Olsen, who plays club for Cascade Volleyball Club. “It was out of my mind when I played volleyball.”
Olsen is applying to colleges now and may try to play at the next level. Meanwhile, Herold said she knows she will play in college somewhere but is unsure where right now.
But for now, their sights are set on the state tournament and what they hope will be a trip to the state final.
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