1B State Championship: Players to Watch
The WIAA State Championship tournaments kick off this week at the Yakima Sundome. Twenty teams are set to compete starting tomorrow in the 1B ranks. The top twelve seeds have a bye through to the second round, with seeds thirteen…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe WIAA State Championship tournaments kick off this week at the Yakima Sundome. Twenty teams are set to compete starting tomorrow in the 1B ranks. The top twelve seeds have a bye through to the second round, with seeds thirteen through twenty starting the day in loser-out matchups. Here are some of the top players to watch as their squads work towards a state trophy in the next few days.
Kaylin Shrives
Kaylin Shrives
An all-state performer a year ago, Shrives has ramped up her play for the 4th-seeded Comets, this season. Three Naselle losses have come at the hand of rival Mossyrock this season, fortunately, if they can advance in this tournament, Mossyrock is on the opposite side of the bracket. Shrives will attack from any spot along the front row, including a slide for the right side at times. Delaney Kragerud is another outstanding attacker with superior length, and the experienced Comets will be looking to improve upon a 5th-place trophy at State last year,
Jillian Herres
Jillian Herres
Pomeroy brought back eleven players this year, and setter Herres leads the experienced team on and off the court. An excellent jump float serve is a devastating weapon for the senior dynamo, and she has put up multiple matches with 4 or more aces this year. Pomeroy played their way in through the tough Southeast 1B League and will face a young but talented Mount Vernon Christian team in their first game. Herres will be running the offense and finding excellent senior attacker Kendall Dixon whenever possible.
Audrey Wellhausen
Audrey Wellhausen
Mary Walker has talent spread through the roster, from senior setter and sparkplug, Macy Gines to 6’1 eighth grader Kailyn Gines (one to watch!). Senior MB Wellhausen is a steadying force with the length to control the net from the middle, and enough skill and touch to rattle off long service runs and attack out of the back row when needed. She has produced monster games when Mary Walker was pushed this year. The Chargers could see #2 seed Mossyrock in what would be a terrific semi-final matchup if no upsets happen before the two teams are scheduled to meet.
Melloney Deife
Melloney Deife
The Tigers setter is an excellent all-around athlete, her game produces prolific amounts of assists and digs. She just passed the 1300 mark in assists for her career which started in eighth grade and passed 500 career digs as well. As the main setter, she runs an offense that keeps Odessa opponents guessing, her three main attackers are each at over 100 kills for the season. A true stat-stuffer, Deife has contributed over 80 kills and 60 aces this season. The Tigers will need to claw past Liberty Christian to triumph in the first game of the tournament and most likely face 4th-seeded Naselle after that.
Erin Cournyer
Erin Cournyer
Part of the 6-2 attack on offense for the Mossyrock squad, Cournyer does an excellent job finding her best attacker Payton Torrey, and has a very solid presence from the serving stripe. This is year two as part of the setter rotation for the sophomore, and she has shown an improved accuracy with her sets, and a better sense of what matchup to exploit along the net. Both setters in the 6-2 for the Vikings have found a second option after Torrey in senior outside Paige Houghtelling, who has come on strong in November.
Kalli Kast
Kalli Kast
An all-state selection a year ago, Kast is a team leader and an excellent attacker for the Lions. She has enough height to compete with anyone along the net, and patrols the middle back spot too. The MLC team overall is experienced with four solid seniors, but otherwise very young, keep an eye on eighth-grader Graycie Kast, she has developed into a good option for the Lion offense. She is joined by another 5 eighth graders and ninth graders on the squad. The kryptonite for the Lions this year proved to be an Entiat team that served tough, MLC will need to handle the serve-receive game to advance.
Davis is one of the more versatile players in the state, not just in this classification. At 5’10 with a long reach, Davis can attack, block, and set with power and finesse. The rare front-row middle, then back-row setter, she is a part of the Nighthawk team that has dominated this season but does not have to dominate play for the Oakesdale side to win. Gianna Anderson, Jessie Reed, Brieyn Henly, and others are experienced, and talented, and have played exceptionally well this season, Anderson is the returning state player of the year at the 1B level. It has been a long time since the Nighthawks placed second to 4A Graham-Kapowsin at the Crossover tournament in Spokane, if the team can find that same intensity in the Sundome, they will be very difficult to beat.