After a dominant win over Ilwaco to start 2B District 4 volleyball playoff play in straight-sets, the Napavine volleyball team dispatched the host Raymond Seagulls in five sets, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9, Saturday afternoon to punch a ticket to the district semifinals Wednesday.
The Tigers had a great day from their lone senior, Morgan Hamilton, who stepped up her urgency in two pivotal wins. Hamilton had a team-high 24 kills and 33 digs in the win against Raymond to lead the way in a thrilling win.
“She had a really good day today,” Tigers coach Monica Dailey said. “I’m really proud of her. It’s her senior season and she wants to win, she has that personality, she's a competitor.”
Hamilton also was one of her two players to serve 100%, along with Emily Kang who had 25 digs.
Jessie McCoy added 18 assists at the setter spot, and at the other setter position Avery Schutz had 22 assists, 13 digs, four kills, and three block kills at just 5-foot-2.
Keira O’Neill added 14 kills and seven block kills, and Grace Gall had 26 digs.
“The energy was a little off all day, we really struggled on communication today and that didn’t help, but the girls preserved, they stayed strong,” Dailey said. “They got a little emotional when things weren't going their way, but we calmed down and they recovered really quick. They kept working hard, even though we weren’t communicating, they were working hard and doing smart things.”
In its first game against Ilwaco, a 25-10, 25-6, 25-9 win, Hamilton again led the Tigers with a double-double 13 kills and 11 digs, and O’Neill added another 13 kills. McCoy had a strong all-around first game with 13 assists, four kills, and seven digs.
Now the Tigers will turn their attention to the district semis and a rematch with Toutle Lake on Wednesday.
In the other games in the Raymond pod, Onalaska fell in its first game to the hosts in straight sets, 25-13, 25-3, 25-19, and then fell in five sets to Ilwaco to bring its season to an end.
In the Toutle Lake regional, Morton-White Pass went 0-2, losing in a sweep to Ocosta in the first round and then falling to Wahkiakum in four sets in a loser-out game, 23-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-23.
