North Creek defeats Mount Si in ‘exciting and intense’ title match

Wildcats compete in 4A Wes-King district tournament.

By Andy Nystrom • November 6, 2019 3:30 pm

Mount Si’s Megan Underbrink said it was an exciting and intense match. She felt the Wildcats played some of their hardest volleyball of the season, but they couldn’t pull off the victory.

For the second consecutive season, North Creek (16-2) grabbed the 4A KingCo tournament title, this time with a 25-12, 23-25, 25-16, 25-13 triumph over Mount Si (15-4) on Nov. 5 at Skyline High. Both teams advanced to the 4A Wes-King district tournament.

“I think the best way to get better is to play teams that are a really high level,” said Underbrink, a senior middle hitter, who added with a smile that the Wildcats could get another crack at North Creek at districts. “I think it just really shows us our weaknesses and what we need to work on in practice, so we can go and just get better and go into district strong.”

Tops in the statistics department for Mount Si in the final were Bailey Showalter with 10 kills, nine digs and three aces; Dana Dolan with 18 assists; Breana Fitzgerald with 13 digs; and Kaili Tachell with seven digs.

“I really liked how our whole team didn’t give up the whole time and we stayed in it,” said Fitzgerald, a senior outside hitter. “Even though they’re up by a lot at some points, we battled back. One thing that we always say on the court is, ‘This ball.’ It doesn’t matter how many points we have to get, just get this ball, and I think that’s what helped us.”

Showalter and Fitzgerald had some key plays throughout the second set, which saw Mount Si break a 21-21 tie with an Emily Dann kill and then a Dolan ace. North Creek inched back into the set, but Mount Si held on for the win.

“Everyone doing their jobs, staying disciplined, just being in the right spot at the right time,” Fitzgerald said of the Wildcats’ modus operandi. “Honestly, I feel like this team, every single person believed in our team and themselves, and I think that’s what got us here.”

Underbrink said the team plays with heart and possesses stellar athletes all over the court.

“We spread out the net, we have a good defense and I think we have a good solid team chemistry,” she said. “We just all work so well together and I think that’s got us really far.”

In district action on Nov. 9, Mount Si defeated Mount Vernon three sets to one and advanced to the semifinals against Lake Stevens on Nov. 12, after the Reporter’s deadline. The final is on Nov. 16.