The Mount Si Wildcats volleyball team for the second straight season took sixth at the state 3A volleyball tournament at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. Mount Si ended up there after falling in the third/sixth place game last Saturday, November 13, to West Valley of Yakima, 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-23.
The Wildcats’ dreams of a state title ended earlier last Saturday as they fell in the semifinals to Seattle Prep, 18-25, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 15-7. Mount Si rolled to an easy win in set one, then rallied from way back to make things interesting, including tying it twice late, in the second frame before falling. The Wildcats responded well in set three, then again had to rally from a deficit in the fourth set, once again getting it tied late in that frame before going down. Mount Si was up 5-3 early in the fifth and deciding set, but the Metro League’s Panthers outscored the Wildcats 12-2 down the stretch to blow into the finals, gaining revenge for last weekend’s district tournament loss to Mount Si.
The Wildcats reached the semifinals after two wins Friday, November 12. An ace on match point by Mount Si senior Baylee Sinner locked the door on a 25-13, 25-10, 27-25 scarlet and gray win over Timberline from Lacey in the Wildcats’ first game, sending the ladies into a second-round matchup against local favorite Kennewick. That contest wasn’t expected to be easy, but Mount Si dominated en route to a 25-12, 25-16, 25-5 win over the team from east of the mountains.
The Wildcats, against Timberline, used a 10-0 run midway through the first set to break an 8-8 tie and cruise to the victory in that frame, then closed the middle stanza on a 19-5 run to seal that one up. Things were much closer in set three, and the Blazers at one point held the lead. The Wildcats, though, rallied to take the lead late then, after one last Timberline push, the service ace by Sinner slammed the door shut.
Mount Si, against Kennewick, controlled all three sets, using solid play from their top players, such as seniors Zoe Gogan and Catie Fry, to get things done. The Lions’ frustrations at not getting much going against the strong Wildcats attack boiled over in the third set when their coach had a heated discussion with officials which resulted in a brief delay of the match. That minor distraction, however, didn’t faze Mount Si, who cruised and were able to get to bed at a reasonable time; last year, they weren’t able to fall asleep until after midnight following their second round win over Camas.
The SeaKing District fared well as a group east of the mountains; four of the top eight finishers (Mount Si, Seattle Prep, Eastside Catholic and Bishop Blanchet) came from the district, showing once again why this district is the toughest for volleyball in the state. The Panthers beat the Crusaders for the state title.
