RAYMOND — Despite losses on and off the court on Saturday, Raymond will enter state volleyball competition for the first time in 13 years with a dash of confidence.
With state tickets already in hand, the Gulls pushed Pacific League champion Life Christian Academy to the limit before falling, 25-14, 18-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-10, in the consolation round of the District IV Class 2B Volleyball Tournament at Raymond.
The Gulls then lost a coin flip to Toutle Lake to determine fifth and sixth places. All six district representatives, however, advance to state Thursday and Friday at the Yakima SunDome.
Raymond will be making its first state appearance since 2004.
“I think we’ll do fine,” Seagull coach Bob Swogger said. “It will be a first-time experience for these girls, but we’re still improving.”
For evidence to support the improvement theory, Swogger can point to his team’s two meetings with Life Christian. The Eagles from Tacoma handed Raymond a decisive three-set loss in their Pacific League match-up.
“The first time we played them, they cleaned our clocks,” Swogger recalled.
When power-hitting Life Christian junior Madison Boles delivered six kills and three stuff blocks in the opening set, the rematch seemed to be trending in the same direction.
But Karlee Freeman’s hitting and the serving and setting of Makenna Williams enabled the Gulls to regroup in the second set.
Then, after LCA grabbed a 2-1 lead in sets, Freeman pounded out eight kills in the fourth set alone. With Sadie Warnstadt serving four aces, the Gulls evened the match — scoring the clinching point when Maddi Murray knocked off an Eagle overpass.
Freeman and Boles exchanged kills in the early stages of the fifth set. Megan Konsmo then served five consecutive points to put the Eagles in command at 11-5.
Raymond twice closed the deficit to three. Boles, however, made it 14-10 with a resounding spike that the Gulls bumped into the bleachers, then closed it out with a winning block.
Making her final volleyball appearance on her home court, Freeman wound up with 26 kills in a typically splendid all-around performance. The senior standout had served as a student manager as a junior while recovering from knee surgery.
Murray added 13 kills for Raymond. Senior Myranda Heckard brought up several digs.
