Nash is back, so is Blanchet volleyball

KENNEWICK -- A year ago, Summer Nash had one of the best seats in the house for the 3A state volleyball tournament.

Today, the Bishop Blanchet senior is more than willing to give up her prime viewing spot to take part in the action.

Blanchet opens against Auburn Mountainview at 2 p.m. at Toyota Center.

Nash, at 6-foot-1 one of the top outside hitters in the state, was ineligible to play for the Braves last season.

She bided her time on the JV team, pounding away her frustrations against overmatched opponents.

"It was difficult to go through the season not having much competition," she said. "Especially when you're a competitive person like me. It was sort of a slap in the face."

The entire year wasn't a waste, though. Nash played her club season with Kent Juniors, where she was noticed by the coaches at San Diego State.

She signed her letter of intent with the Aztecs on Thursday morning -- a day late, thanks to a mixup with her address.

"It's my fault," she said. "We moved recently, and I filled out the wrong address in the online questionnaire."

It was an earlier move that caused her to sit out last season.

Her family moved to North Bend her seventh-grade year and lived there until the summer after her freshman year, when they moved to Seattle.

Nash continued to attend Mount Si, though, making a 21/2-hour commute (one-way) daily on the metro bus system.

"I didn't want to change, and since I had the ability to stay, I was going to," said Nash, who played on Mount Si's eighth-place 3A state team as a sophomore. "But I didn't realize how much time it would take. Five hours a day is quite a bit."

She transferred to Blanchet, a Catholic school 20 minutes from her home, but because her move and her transfer didn't coincide, she was forced to sit out a year of varsity sports by WIAA rule.

"I felt real bad for her," said Braves coach Matt Chang, whose team still placed third at state last year. "I wish there was something I could have done to speed the process, because I could see it was wearing her down."

The forced absence, though, gave Nash fresh perspective on the sport she loves.

"It just means a lot more to me now," she said. "I don't take it for granted."

Chang, meanwhile, appreciates Nash's presence for much more than the 4.6 kills per set she gives the team.

"She's been a real good captain and mentor for the younger kids," he said. "That's something you can't measure in the papers."

Now, Nash hopes her presence can propel Blanchet to a fourth state title and first since 2006. She'll have her own rooting section -- her grandparents live in Walla Walla.

But the Braves will have to get through a field that includes Seattle Prep, which beat them in the league and SeaKing District finals, and regional champions Camas and Mount Spokane -- but neither of last year's finalists, champion Shadle Park or runner-up Eastside Catholic.

"Those two losses to Prep were mainly on our hands," Nash said. "But just because we didn't click in those two matches doesn't mean we won't click next time."