POULSBO — The North Kitsap Viking girls volleyball team has never been to a state championship since the program began in 1978. That changed today.

North Kitsap faced the Selah High School Vikings in the state tournament at 8 a.m. in the Toyota Center, 7100 West Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick. This season, the Selah team ended 22-4 overall and 15-1 in their league. The Vikings ended 23-8 overall and 11-0 in the Olympic League.

Though it is the Vikings’ first time at state as a team, individually the coaches and many of the players have experienced large tournaments in other sports.

“It’s a really cool experience,” said junior outside hitter Sarah Baugh.

Baugh, who averages more than six kills per game, has played in national volleyball tournaments and knows the colossal size of tournament play. When it comes down to match time, she said not else matters but the game.

“What becomes important is what’s on the other side of the net,” Baugh said.

Before arriving at a match, Baugh said she listens to music with her eyes closed, picturing herself making big plays—better to stay focused before a match than use energy getting pumped up.

Baugh is not the only one on the team who has played in large venues, as many of the other Viking’s have been to state in other sports.

However, volleyball is more intimidating when you step on to the court, said assistant coach Terra Curtis.

Curtis, an assistant coach for the Vikings for four years, has played in state tournaments on other teams. A team can try and prepare for a championship, but when the time comes to finally play, there is only so much preparation that can be done, she said.

“You can talk about it all day long, but there’s really nothing you can do to prepare for something like this,” Curtis said.

But a chance at the state title is something head coach Tim French has worked for all season.

Besides the regular season, he entered the team into two tournaments—the Yakima Sundome Tournament and Capitol City Tournament. These tournaments helped expose the players to larger venues, he said.

This is French’s seventh year as Viking head coach, who has 306 wins and 168 losses coaching. He said the combination of dedicated players and input from his assistant coaches—Curtis and Jennifer Pendergraft—helped bring the team to where it is today.

“It’s really exciting for me to help bring North to state,” French said. “This is a very strong team … They deserve it.”

North Kitsap has drawn a seasoned opponent for its first state championship bid.

The Selah Vikings have competed in the stat tournament every year since 1993. Still, each game is meaningful, said Selah head coach Kay Aberle.

“The first game is always emotional,” she said. “There’s lots of noise and a very intense build up.”