The Kentwood High volleyball team has qualified for state in each of the past five years.
The Conquerors will try and make it six straight Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6-7) during the 16-team West Central District tournament at Kentwood High.
The top six teams from a stacked field advance to the state tournament, which is slated for Nov. 12-13 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Unlike past years, however, the Conquerors (11-4) don’t enter the tournament among the favorites. In fact, if Kentwood is going to advance, it’ll have to play its best volleyball of the season.
“The way I look at it, very objectively, I think Graham-Kapowsin, Curtis, Puyallup and Auburn Riverside are going to go (to state),” said Kentwood coach Bil Caillier. “The rest of us are going to fight it out for the final two. I think we’re in the mix. I think there are seven or eight teams that can go to state. It’s going to be tough, but it’s definitely possible (for us to go).”
Like previous years, the tournament is loaded with state-level talent. Four of the state’s top 10 will be in competition, including No. 2 Graham-Kapowsin, No. 3 Olympia, No. 7 Gig Harbor and No. 8 Curtis. In addition, Auburn Riverside, which won the South Puget Sound League North Division this year, spent much of the season in the top 10.
Along with Auburn Riverside and Kentwood, local teams include Kentridge (11-4), Tahoma (5-9) and Auburn (8-5).
During this past Saturday’s SPSL tournament at Beamer High in Federal Way, Kentwood was swept in three games by Curtis (25-13, 25-19, 25-14) and will take the fourth seed to district. Korin Hedlund pulled up 18 digs and Erin Campbell racked up eight kills in the loss.
“(Curtis) played pretty well and we played bad,” Caillier said. “The nice thing is that if we win our next two matches (we go to state), it won’t matter how bad this one was.”
While Kentwood struggled, Kentridge rose to the challenge, sweeping Emerald Ridge 25-22, 25-18, 25-16 en route to winning the tournament’s seventh seed.
“It’s just a nice confidence booster for us heading into district,” Kentridge coach Liz Quitiquit said of the win. “It’s always nice to have a win before you start the games that count. Everyone did their job.”
Indeed as the Chargers used a balanced, spread out offensive attack in turning away the Jaguars. Victoria LaBrie led the way with 10 kills followed by Manisha Walia, who chipped in nine. Kelsey Kirkland served up an all-around solid match, collecting 13 digs, adding four aces and delivering five kills. Kentridge setter Michelle Boscole made much of it happen as well, serving up 30 assists in the three-game sweep.
It was a big week for Kentridge, which had to win a pair of matches over Kent-Meridian just to advance to the league tournament.
Now, the Chargers sit just a couple of wins away from state, a place they haven’t been since 2001.
“If my girls can come out, play free and let loose (we can get to state),” Quitiquit said. “I am just hoping they can relax and see what they can do.”
