Previewing The 1B/2B Volleyball State Tournament

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For at least the 1B and 2B ranks, it's state time for the area’s volleyball teams. Just three teams qualified from the Chronicle’s coverage area: Mossyrock, Adna and Rainier. While the Vikings earned one of the top seeds, and have a clear path toward their first state title, the 2B squads don’t have the same luck. 

Read up on first matchups, bracket outlook and who the top contenders are as all the best squads from Washington descend into the Yakima Valley for the state tournament this week. 

1B: No. 2 Mossyrock Path To Success? Keep Doing What They Have Been

No volleyball team in Southwest Washington has been quite as dominant as the squad from Mossyrock. The Vikings have just one loss on their schedule, a five-set loss to 2B No. 8 Toutle Lake, but the Vikings avenged that loss in near-dominant fashion later in the season with a four-set win over the Ducks. 

So the Vikings are one of the few teams in the state that can say they beat everyone on their schedule. 

The Vikings haven’t dropped a set since that four-set win over the Ducks Oct. 18, only dropped one set in league play against Naselle back in September, beat 2A W.F. West in four sets and swept 1A No. 12 La Center in a midseason tournament in two sets in October. 

With a loaded lineup that features hard-hitters Payton Torrey, Paige Houghtelling, Hailey Brooks, defensive stalwarts Abbie Lovan and Jolee Hadaller, and precise passers in Caelynn Marshall and Erin Cournyer, the Vikings are legit title contenders in 1B.

With the second overall seed in the tournament, Mossyrock just needs to keep doing what it has been to make a run at that elusive first volleyball championship. If league play, and their impressive non league and regular season tournament performance is any indication, a deep run seems all but assured. 

First Matchup: Vikings face the winner of No. 18 Pateros and No. 15 Shoreline Christian at 1:30 p.m. at the Yakima Valley SunDome Thursday. 

2B: No. 11 Adna Not Done Any Favors, Could Face No. 3 Kalama In Second Round

After a good run through the 2B District 4 tournament saw the Pirates take home fourth in a loaded district featuring No. 3 Kalama, No. 7 Raymond, No. 8 Toutle Lake, No. 15 Wahkiakum and No. 16 Rainier, No. 11 Adna has some reason to be upset by where they were seeded in the state tournament. 

If the Pirates can dispatch No. 6 Walla Walla Valley Academy in the first round, they would likely match up with the third-ranked and District 4 champion Chinooks in the second round. The Pirates have already played Kalama this season, a sweep by the Chinooks, but the two squads didn’t meet up in the district tournament.  



To get there, though, they’ll have to beat a very solid Knights squad that only lost one game all year in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference. 

Either way, the Pirates have a shot at a pretty good finish at state, even given their seeding. Madison Fay has led the way on the outside all year, powering the Pirates to a second-place finish in the Central 2B League behind Kalama, with help from Kendall Humphrey, Alyssa Davis, and Brooklyn Loose. 

Even if the Pirates stumble against the Knights or the Chinooks, placing fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth is in reach. 

First Matchup: Pirates will take on No. 6 Walla Walla Valley Academy of the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Yakima Valley SunDome. 

2B: No. 16 Rainier Facing Uphill Battle After Miracle Districts Run

The reward for a Cinderella district tournament run that saw the Mountaineers have to play their way into the tournament and then upset numerous teams to qualify for state for the first time in 24 years? They get to match up against the top seed in the field: LaConner. 

LaConner is perfect in league, and only dropped matchups during weekend tournaments to 2A Steilacoom and 3A Auburn Riverside. 

The Mountaineers, meanwhile, needed some craziness to qualify for state and keep their season alive. After finishing league play 1-9, Rainier beat Toledo to even qualify for districts, and then upset South Bend, Ocosta, and Forks in straight matchups to earn a state bid. 

Rainier is led by seniors Natasha Wood, Karisma Adams, Ilanys Osorio, and Autumn Kenney. Freshmen Acacia Murphy and Brooklynn Swenson are also players to watch. 

Toutle Lake and Okanagan are the teams that possibly await Rainier with a win or loss in the opening round. 

First Matchup: The Mountaineers will play the No. 1 overall seed LaConner at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the Yakima Valley SunDome.