Kamiakin, Kennewick volleyball to tackle top WA teams + more local sports news

Morgan Schauble’s Kamiakin volleyball team found a way to qualify for the WIAA 4A state tournament last Saturday.

The Braves had their first chance at a state berth on Thursday, Nov. 14, when they played for the District 6 tournament championship.

However, Kamiakin lost to the Panthers 3-1, forcing the Braves to play Gonzaga Prep in a winner-to-state, loser-out contest on Saturday.

Things didn’t look so good when the visiting Bullpups won the first two sets in the best-of-5 match. But Kamiakin bounced back to win three straight sets — including a 26-24 win in the fourth set — for the win.

Seeded 15th in the 16-team tournament, Kamiakin meets No. 2 Wenatchee at 9:45 a.m. at the Yakima Valley SunDome on Friday, Nov. 22.

Kennewick, meanwhile, was able to grab the 3A District 6 final Washington state tournament berth, also last Saturday.

Brandy Sonderland’s Lions lost 3-0 earlier in the week to Mt. Spokane in a winner-to-state semifinal match, sending Kennewick into the losers’ bracket.

The Lions beat Shadle Park 3-0, before taking down Hermiston 3-1 to earn the district’s third and final state berth.

Here is the catch for Kennewick, though: The Lions are seeded 14th in the 20-team tournament, and they must play No. 19 Eastside Catholic at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in a state play-in, loser-out match at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

If Kennewick wins, it will play No. 3 Prairie in the tournament proper at 11:45 a.m. later in the day.

Here are the final MCC standings for volleyball: 1, Kamiakin 14-2 MCC, 17-3 overall; 2, Kennewick 13-3, 16-4; 3, Hermiston 12-4, 14-7; 3, Richland 12-4, 13-6; 5, Walla Walla 7-9, 9-11; 6, Chiawana 6-10, 6-12; 6, Southridge 6-10, 6-10; 8, Hanford 2-14, 2-16; 9, Pasco 0-16, 0-16.

▪ Hermiston senior libero-defensive specialist Camryn Hagel was named the Mid-Columbia Conference Volleyball Player of the Year by the league’s coaches recently.

Hagel, who just recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball next year for Eastern Washington University, helped lead the Bulldogs to a 14-7 overall record — falling just one game short of a 3A state tournament berth.

Hermiston’s Dan Headley was named the MCC Coach of the Year.

Joining Hagel on the MCC first team are Kennewick senior middle hitter Phoebe Bland; Walla Walla senior setter Jailyn Davenport (who also recently signed with EWU); Hermiston junior outside hitter Carolyn Follett; Chiawana senior middle hitter Kaia Foster; Kamiakin senior outside hitter Kennedy Rose; Kennewick senior outside hitter Cali Schoenberg; and Kamiakin junior setter Bailey Vladimiroff.

College volleyball

Columbia Basin College women’s head volleyball coach Taylor Stewart has her Hawks playing at a top level, and they’re headed to the Elite 8 of the Northwest Athletic Conference championship tournament this weekend at Pierce College in Lakewood.

The Hawks (26-4) won both of the regional tournament games this past weekend to qualifying for the quarterfinals.

CBC, which hosted one of the four regionals, opened play Saturday with a 3-0 win over Clackamas.

In that match, Zuri Reeser (Stanfield) had 15 kills and 19 digs; Kaylie Christopher (Happy Valley, Ore.) added 18 kills and 10 digs; and Yajaira Meraz (Kamiakin) had 36 assists.

That win meant CBC would play Bellevue College on Sunday, and the Hawks would win 3-2 for the region’s No. 1 berth to Lakewood.

In that match, Meraz had 57 assists and 20 digs; Reeser added 25 kills and 20 digs; and Madison Brisco (Arizona) had 23 digs.

So CBC plays Edmonds at 8 p.m., Friday, in the last of four matches.

The rest of the schedule: Match 1, Bellevue vs. Linn-Benton, 11 a.m.; Match 2, Highline vs. Yakima Valley, 2 p.m.; Match 3, Skagit Valley vs. Treasure Valley, 5 p.m.

Besides Reeser and Meraz, other Mid-Columbia athletes on the CBC roster are redshirt sophomore Kambree Baker (Hermiston), freshman Crystal Brooks (Hanford), and freshman Marissa Duncan (Southridge).

A few other Elite 8 participants have a couple local athletes on their rosters.

Yakima Valley has freshman Sienna Black (Grandview), freshman Mia Carlson (Othello), freshman Kalilynn Gomez (Othello), freshman Marina Jimenez (River View), and sophomore Makayla Patrick (Liberty Christian.

Bellevue’s roster includes freshman Malian Burke (Kamiakin) and sophomore Natalie Copeland (Grandview).

Girls swimming

Prosser’s relay teams did well enough at last weekend’s WIAA girls swimming and diving championships in Federal Way to help the Mustangs place ninth out of 40 teams in the 2A meet.

The Mustangs placed fifth in the 200 free relay final. The foursome of freshmen Madison Jobe and Kenna Camp, junior Ebony Mireles, and senior Hannah Perkins worked together to cross the finish line in 1 minute, 48.33 seconds.

The same quartet finished sixth in both the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay.

Those placings gave Prosser 84 team points.

Bainbridge Island took the team title with 316 points.

In the 3A meet, Kennewick senior Delaney Rush had the best finish for any Mid-Columbia individuals, taking seventh in the diving competition.

Slowpitch softball

Chiawana Senior Chase Wirt was named Mid-Columbia Conference player of the year for girls softball, while the Riverhawks’ Brian Thomas and Walla Walla’s Allen Stanley shared Coach of the Year honors.

Besides Wirt (who was named first-team outfielder), five other Chiawana players were named to the first team: senior infielder Gabriella Garza, senior outfielder Alyssa Melendez, senior infielder Jessica Melendez, senior outfielder Samantha Melendez, and junior infielder Amelia Smith.

Walla Walla had four first-team selections in junior infielder Addie Bowen, senior utility player Rory Burke, senior infielder Anna Delarosa, and junior pitcher Madyson Oliveras.

Hermiston senior outfielder Shayla Stewart was also named to the first team.