YAKIMA — For the first time since 2014, Adna volleyball has earned some hardware.
The Pirates came out slow, caught fire and kept their foot on the pedal in a four-set victory over Lind-Ritzville/Sprague/Washtucna in a loser-out match to move on to the 7th/8th-place match.
Adna, which dropped the first set to the Broncos, 17-25, roared back with three-straight set victories (25-25, 25-17, 25-23) to secure the victory.
“Feels really good for these girls. I’m so excited,” Adna coach Wendie Dotson said. “No words. No words, honestly. The girls came back from a loss focused and, I didn’t think it was our best game but it was enough to get us through and, hopefully, we’ll be ready to go the next round.”
The Pirates will now play for their first trophy since 2014, which was also their last state appearance, when they placed fifth.
It’s been a mounted comeback for the No. 11 Pirates who fell in straight sets to No. 6 Walla Walla Valley Academy in the first round Thursday morning, then rebounded with a sweep of Warden in the loser’s bracket Thursday night. And that loss to Walla Walla isn’t looking so bad after the Knights upset No. 3 Kalama in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
“It was a very good comeback,” Dotson said of her team. “Sometimes, you never know how resilient these girls can be and they stepped it up and improved for us.”
Dotson praised middle and outside hitter Kendall Humphrey for her all-around performance, and the team overall.
“That was definitely a positive,” Dotson said. “They all contributed at times, but let’s just focus on the next one, game-for-game, for here on out.”
Adna will face the winner of Toutle Lake and Liberty (Spangle) for 7th/8th place at 11:45 a.m. on Friday.
