Class 4A Rankings: State Contenders

District playoffs are fast approaching, and the teams that should contend for the state title are showing up. Here is a breakdown of the teams by order of the October 22nd coaches poll, with the RPI ranking listed as a reference.   1. Lake Stevens 14-0, RPI RANK: 7   Lake Stevens is led by the senior duo of OH [player_tooltip player_id='231549' first='Laura' last='Eichert'] and setter Olivia Gonzalez. Eichert is the top pin in the state and a recent Oregon commit. Gonzalez will be at Western Oregon at the college level, and she will find Eichert all over the court for scoring opportunities. It's a lethal combination, and if a match is tight, a terminal pin is the last thing the other team wants to face. Curtis has convincing wins over Emerald Ridge and Curtis —both matches played in September. Gonzaga Prep did manage a 2-1 tournament victory over the Vikings at the Sundome Festival, also an early-season matchup. The Vikings can start rolling on teams and put them away quickly- opponents will need to weather the storm and take their chances in a long match with Lake Stevens.   2. Camas 9-1. RPI RANK: 2   The Papermakers have a high-level player of their own in [player_tooltip player_id='450701' first='Gabriella' last='Thompson'], who will play at the University of Miami next season. Camas has excellent size along the front line, and a dynamic libero in [player_tooltip player_id='449941' first='Emmah' last='Sanchez']. They are tough to score on, and when they are in system, difficult to stop. Losing Kendall Mairs to graduation left a hole at the setter spot, and the Papermakers have found solutions to spread the ball around to their talented front-line players. A match-up with 3A rival Prairie next week will be a solid barometer for both squads.   3. Emerald Ridge 13-2. RPI RANK: 4   Emerald Ridge runs a high-powered 6-2 offense with two talented setters in [player_tooltip player_id='501666' first='Olivia' last='Puttler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='244074' first='Colby' last='Bellerive']. The Jaguras have several impressive wins, splitting two matches with Curtis and handling Camas and Olympia. The team's offense involves multiple attackers, and the setters do an outstanding job spreading the ball around and finding their hitters' favorable match-ups.   4. Wenatchee 12-1, RPI RANK: 6   Wenatchee has been in the habit of placing high at State over the past several seasons. They lost several important players to graduation, but have retooled and are right in the mix for a top seed heading into the playoffs and state. The Panthers are blitzing their way through the Big 9 undefeated and are led by a strong group of upperclassmen, including MB [player_tooltip player_id='480831' first='Rylee' last='Jones'], OH [player_tooltip player_id='450025' first='Breven' last='Luinstra'], S Jurney Jelsing, and OH [player_tooltip player_id='831207' first='Claire' last='Demirjian']. The Panthers have only had two tough tournament losses versus Ridgeline at The Sundome Festival and Gonzaga Prep at the Shreidan Welch Crossover. We expect the Panthers to be a tough out inside the friendly confines of the Sundome in Yakima.   5. Curtis 14-2. RPI RANK: 1   It's difficult to see the defending 4A champs outside the top four in the state. In a match not listed in the RPI, on October 18th, versus Camas on the road, the Vikings rolled to a three-set sweep. The foursome of seniors [player_tooltip player_id='251023' first='Elaina' last='Duong']-L, [player_tooltip player_id='243689' first='Selana' last='Morales']-RS, and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='459079' first='Kathryn' last='Harris']-S and [player_tooltip player_id='554223' first='Kayla' last='Baker']-MB fill the stat sheet and are big game tested. Curtis has felt the loss of two high-level senior pins from last year's championship squad and has dropped matches to Lake Stevens and Emerald Ridge. However, the Vikings are extremely competitive and know how to rise to a challenge. They will be a difficult team to beat in the playoffs and at state.   6. Gonzaga Prep 12-1, RPI RANK: 5   Gonzaga Prep started the season strong with a win at the Sundome Festival and another tournament win in Spokane at the Sheridan Welch Crossover, posting big wins over Lake Stevens and Wenatchee. The Bullpups inexplicably dropped a match in five to Lewis and Clark, but have rattled off a series of wins since then, handling usual GSL contenders Mead, Mt. Spokane, and Ridgeline. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='244061' first='Noella' last='Migliuri'], OH [player_tooltip player_id='412070' first='Mara' last='Sandberg'], and two young attackers, Rowan Geenfield and [player_tooltip player_id='666956' first='Jayna' last='Humbert'], are leading the offense for Prep. District playoffs should hold a match-up with the Kamiakin Braves for the Bullpups, a familiar foe who have given Gonzaga fits the last two seasons.   7. Kamiakin 14-0, RPI RANK: 3   The perennial favorites in the MCC for several seasons, Kamiakin is 14-0 in league and should finish the season undefeated. It's a team with great depth, solid size, and multiple players who can pass and defend in the back row. It's tough to single out "stars" on such a balanced squad- MB [player_tooltip player_id='828203' first='Delaney' last='Donaldson'] has been a force in the middle, and both setters, [player_tooltip player_id='497246' first='Bailey' last='Vladimiroff'] and [player_tooltip player_id='515092' first='Sawyer' last='Dolven'], are excellent leaders and distributors. The expected District match-up with Gonzaga Prep should give a window into the state possibilities for both teams.   8. Olympia 10-5, RPI RANK: 12   The Bears are led by seniors MB [player_tooltip player_id='828136' first='Addison' last='Wilson'], OH Elle Johnson, and S [player_tooltip player_id='403842' first='Alice' last='Fischer']. The upperclassmen are bringing a young roster with them, and they have taken a few lumps against a challenging schedule. The team is gritty, athletic, serves toough and has been challenged; they will have played teams like Camas, North Thurston, Curtis, and Emerald Ridge as they head into the post-season   9. Graham-Kapowsin 11-3, RPI RANK: 9   The Eagles have talented young players in critical spots, including freshman setter Ana Sei, sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='893861' first='Carmen' last='Stewart'], and sophomore OH Kalani Ioane. The 4A South Puget Sound League is a grinder, and GK recently went through a 3-match losing streak to Curtis, Olympia, and Emerald Ridge- all teams expected to challenge for trophies at state. The team quickly turned it around and posted back-to-back wins.   10. Issaquah 12-2, RPI RANK: 8   Issaquah has a terrific mix of young talent and upperclassmen leading the team. [player_tooltip player_id='501176' first='Casey' last='Kot'] is an outstanding libero, and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='504387' first='Molly' last='Yoshino'] and [player_tooltip player_id='628921' first='Bryn' last='Walcott'] are two of the top players in the 2028 class. The Eagles have only two losses on their record, both to excellent 3A teams: Lakeside and Bellevue. The team will need to battle as they face experienced, high-level teams throughout the playoffs and tournament play.

District playoffs are fast approaching, and the teams that should contend for the state title are showing up. Here is a breakdown of the teams by order of the October 22nd coaches poll, with the RPI ranking listed as a reference.