After qualifying for state last week, North Kitsap’s girls volleyball team went up against a red-hot Enumclaw squad in the semifinals of the 2A Bi-District 2-3 tournament at Sammamish High School Saturday.
Seeded seventh, the Hornets blanked the Vikings in three straight sets. In the other semifinal match, fourth-seeded Steilacoom went up against top-seed Washington. There also was a three-set upset there as the underdogs advanced to the tital game, while the Vikings and Patriots faced off for third and fourth.
Steilacoom ended up winning the district title, beating Enumclaw 3-0, while Washington beat North Kitsap 3-1 to take third.
Sequim and White River advanced through the loser’s bracket to also qualify for state with 3-0 wins over Olympic and Fife, respectively.
At state, which starts Nov. 19 at the Sundome in Yakima, the 12th-seeded Vikings will again face fifth-seeded Washington at 7 a.m. That’s right in the morning, not at night.
The winner will play the winner of the fourth-seeded Burlington-Edison vs. 13th seeded Tumwater at 4:15 p.m. The losers will play a must-win game at 2:15 p.m.
To advance to those rounds, the Vikings had to beat White River last week.
When two power-hitting teams match up, it almost always will come down to who can come up with the most digs in the backcourt to keep the ball in play.
That was evident when North Kitsap took on White River, seeded sixth, at Washington High School.
The Vikings got off to a slow start, losing the opening game 16-25. But they came back to win the next three close games 27-25, 25-21 and 25-19.
North Kitsap actually trailed in the second set but with Elle Fultz serving Sophia Baugh’s spike tied it at 24-24. Another spike by Maddie Pryde, a dink and a block put the Vikings over the top.
In the third set, with the game tied at 14-14, Mary Allen’s spike put the Vikings ahead to stay. After a number of long rallies, including one point where the Vikings had three blocks, Fultz’s spike put North Kitsap up, and they were able to serve out the set.
The Vikings controlled the last set going up 18-12 on a block and then a power spike by Fultz. North Kitsap changed it up and the end of the set using dinks to score three of its final points.
Sophia Baugh and Maliyah Reed just miss a block.
Sophia Baugh and Maliyah Reed just miss a block.
Allie Kelley comes up with a bump while Emma Stephens watches.
A birds-eye view shows North Kitsap getting into position as the ball comes over the net.
Elle Fultz gets ready to serve against White River.
Two Viking blockers get smacked by a spike against White River.
