The Whiteboard: News and Notes

The Whiteboard is up for the 2024 High School season here in Washington. Depending on which class teams are in, playoffs are ready to start, and regular seasons are ready to wrap for others. Here is a look at where things stand so far.   Polls, RPI, and More!   The sixth week of the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association (WSVCA) poll was released and will be updated again later this week. We like to compare the poll to the WIAA RPI rankings, which are formula-based and strictly take into account teams' and opponents' records of wins and losses.     4A- WSVBCA Top Five: 1. Curtis. 2. Camas. 3. Wenatchee. 4. Kennedy Catholic. 5. Emerald Ridge.   The RPI rankings match up precisely with the coach's poll. Emerald Ridge and Camas have lost matches against Curtis, and Wenatchee and Kennedy Catholic have stayed undefeated.   3A- WSVBCA Top Five: 1. North Thurston. 2. West Seattle. 3. Seattle Prep. 4. Mount Spokane. 5. Ridgeline.   Ridgeline should move up a spot after taking down Mt. Spokane in five sets. The RPI rankings tell a different story in 3A, with a top five of Ridgeline, Seattle Prep, White River, Prairie, and North Thurston.   2A- WSCVBCA Top Five: 1. Burlington-Edison. 2. Ellensburg. 3. Lynden. 4. Columbia River. 5. Sehome.   The RPI reverses B-E and Ellensburg, and Ellensburg holds a five-set non-league win over Burlington-Edison. Columbia River is the defending champs and looks to be gaining momentum as the post-season nears.   1A- WSCVBA Top Five: 1. Chelan. 2. Cedar Park Christian. 3. La Center. 4. Cashmere. 5. Cascade Christian.   Chelan is first in the RPI, followed by Cascade Christian, Cedar Park Christian, La Center, and Bellevue Christian. A post-season match between Chelan and Cascade Christian would deliver a face-off between incredible talents [player_tooltip player_id='250418' first='Layne' last='Dent'] and [player_tooltip player_id='249310' first='Brynn' last='Hughbanks'].   2B- WSCVBA Top Five: 1. Adna. 2. Manson. 3. Freeman. 4. Rainier. 5. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague.   The RPI has Adna on top, and they have defeated Manson head-to-head this season. Freeman has outstanding size along the front line but dropped a match to Manson during the regular season,   1B- WSCVBA Top Five: 1. Oakesdale. 2. Wilbur-Creston-Keller. 3. Walla Walla Valley. 4, Garfield-Palouse. 5. Fellowship Christian.   Oakesdale holds wins over W-C-K and Gar-Pal, and the title seems to have come through the Nighthawks recently. The RPI jumps Fellowship Christian to the top spot on the strength of their 16-1 record, with the only loss to 2A Sultan.   Teams that finished in the top five of the RPI fared well in the state tournament last season. However, credit the seeding committee, which uses the RPI as a tool only for seeding—the top three seeds or better won the championship at all six levels.     Matchups To Watch This Week!   ARCHBISHOP MURPHY (2A) vs EDMONDS-WOODWAY (3A). These two teams have a combined 27-2 record, with just one loss each on the season. Reinna Mostrales has been excellent at the net for Edmonds-Woodway, and we are looking for [player_tooltip player_id='249447' first='Tatum' last='Gill'], [player_tooltip player_id='435341' first='Laura' last='Esping'], and [player_tooltip player_id='506405' first='Teuila' last='Halalilo'] to lead the way for Archbishop Murphy. E-W is a young squad, and this will test how far they have come since an earlier loss to A-M this season. [player_tooltip player_id='486968' first='Addyson' last='Pontak'] can be a difference-maker at Libero for Edmonds-Woodway.   CAMAS vs PRAIRIE. It's a 4A vs 3A battle between two teams with state title aspirations in South West Washington.   FREEMAN vs LIND-RITZVILLE SPRAGUE. LRS has the home-court advantage in this top-five matchup in the Northeast 2B Conference. Saige Galbreath has been delivering kills for the Broncos, and cousin [player_tooltip player_id='497164' first='Zoe' last='Galbreath'] has been stuffing the stat sheet as a setter and attacker. Freeman counters with offensive powerhouse OH [player_tooltip player_id='266134' first='Aspyn' last='Reed'] and a huge front line with sisters [player_tooltip player_id='268056' first='Brooke' last='Berglund'] at MB and RS [player_tooltip player_id='459087' first='Avery' last='Berglund'].     AVCA PLAYER OF THE WEEK- WASHINGTON   The AVCA and MaxPreps award each state a player of the week. Players (teams and coaches) must update their stats in MaxPreps to qualify for the award. Get on it, coaches; we love to see what the players have done! Check out the awards here: <a href="https://www.avca.org/polls-awards/players-of-the-week/. " target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.avca.org/polls-awards/players-of-the-week/.</a>    Get those stats into MaxPreps. It's great to see players honored when they hit a statistical milestone, and we love highlighting those here on Prep Dig.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Player of the Week 11 (shared October 28, 2024)</h2>    Conner is crushing it indoors for North Thurston after her verbal commitment to play sand at Cal-Poly. The week she was honored, she averaged seven kills a game and totaled 42 in just six games. Her length and explosive scoring ability give the Rams a terminal attacker as they head into the postseason.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Player of the Week 10 (shared October 21, 2024)</h2>    Whitlock is a talented all-around attacker for powerful Burlington-Edison. She has season highs of 16 digs and 33 kills, adding 43 aces on the year. Whitlock is a tremendous, positive leader and the definition of a well-rounded player who understands the game.      <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Player of the Week 9 (shared October 14, 2024)</h2>    Smith is a six-rotation OH ranked twelfth overall for the class of 2027 in Washington. In two matches, she handled 38 serves as a passer, tallied 41 kills, and racked up 28 digs. Although she is only a second-year player for Timberline, Smith has excelled as an athlete and leader on the court.      <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Idaho Report</h2>   Idaho playoffs are in motion, with the State Championships decided October 31-November 2. Coeur d'Alene is seeded in the 6A field, and Lakeland from Rathdrum, Idaho, is seeded 1st overall in the 5A division. Eight-team fields square off across multiple sites this week. Here is a look at several players that stood out for the Vikings and Hawks.   Landree Simon-SR- Lakeland-OH. Simon is a multi-sport athlete with excellent length who has become a terrific all-around player. She nailed down the OH1 spot for the Hawks, helping propel them to a tremendous regular season.   Gracie Legg-SR-CDA -Libero. Legg is the leader of the Vikings' back-row defense. The senior always plays with energy and grit, keeping her team focused and motivated.   Olivia Zazuetta-SR-Lakeland-Setter. The heart and soul for the Hawks, the senior setter is a leader on the court with an outstanding feel for the game. Zazuetta knows how to win and will look to finish her career with a 1st place trophy.   Paisley Goings-SR-OH-CDA. Goings is another senior leader for Coeur d'Alene; the team relies on her steady presence as an attacker on the pon and passer in serve receive. With a match on the line, Goings will take the high-pressure swing for the Vikings.   Ziya Munyer-SR-MB-Lakeland. Munyer will play at Weber State, and she is the most physical player in the North Idaho area. She is a long and strong 6'1" and can swing from the middle and the right side with power and accuracy. Munyer is blasting away with an extraordinary .464 hitting percentage on the season while also affecting opposing attackers with her defensive work as a blocker.

The Whiteboard is up for the 2024 High School season here in Washington. Depending on which class teams are in, playoffs are ready to start, and regular seasons are ready to wrap for others. Here is a look at where things stand so far.