Four Twin Harbors teams split a pair of matches on the opening day of the District IV Class 2B Volleyball Tournament on Saturday.
Raymond, Ocosta, Willapa Valley and South Bend each went 1-1 on Saturday to stay alive in the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
The Gulls outlasted Wahkiakum in five sets but fell to Central League champion Mossyrock in three at Mossyrock.
Ocosta suffered a similar fate, opening with a three-set win over Onalaska but losing in three to Central runner-up Napavine in three on Napavine’s home court.
Napavine had opened with a three-set win over South Bend, but the Indians stayed alive with a three-set win over Onalaska.
At Life Christian’s gym in Tacoma, Willapa Valley rebounded from a five-set loss to Toutle Lake by eliminating Adna in four sets.
The luck of the draw puts the three Willapa Harbor schools in the same section with Northwest Christian in a trio of loser-out matches Wednesday at South Bend’s Koplitz Fieldhouse.
Raymond (12-4) will face South Bend (5-11) at 4 p.m., with Willapa Valley (9-7) taking on Northwest Christian at 5:30. The winners will collide in another loser-out affair at approximately 7 p.m.
The survivor of those games will clinch a state berth.
Ocosta (12-4) must also win twice Wednesday to earn a state berth. The Wildcats first oppose Wahkiakum at 4 p.m. at Willapa Valley’s Tenoski Gym. The winner opposes either Toutle Lake or Ilwaco at 7 p.m.
League champion Life Christian Academy will be the lone Pacific League representative in Wednesday’s semifinals at Raymond. The Eagles will face Napavine in one semifinal, with Mossyrock opposing Kalama in the other semi.
South Bend
The Indians, who needed a victory in their league finale earlier in the week just to qualify for district, performed solidly in a 26-24, 25-19, 25-16 win over Onalaska.
Jessica Sanchez delivered 20 kills, while Karley Reidinger contributed four stuff blocks. Although struggling with the flu bug, setter Hannah Byington had 23 assists. Libero Joshlynne Johnson, a defensive standout throughout, also served five aces.
“I was proud of the way the team came out strong with great confidence,” Tribe coach Tricia Needham said. “Every player on t
he court contributed to the win.”
Sanchez had 10 kills and Reidinger five kills and several solo blocks in an opening 25-8, 25-16, 25-18 loss to Napavine.
Willapa Valley
The Vikings demonstrated physical and emotional resiliency in rebounding from a tough opening loss to Toutle Lake. After fighting off a match point in the third set, they took it to five sets before falling, 25-16, 25-22, 25-27, 23-25, 15-8.
Katelyn McGough and Olivia Betrozoff had eight kills apiece and Hallee Layman five blocks in that contest, which lasted more than two hours. Hannah Cook was cited for serving and Katie Adkins and Brooke Friese for passing.
“It was a great match, a long match with a lot of long rallies,” Willapa Valley coach Lori Snodgrass said. “I was pleased with how we played.”
Fears that the Vikings might have shot their emotional wad surfaced when they dropped the opening set to Adna. But they rebounded for a 14-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15 victory.
“In the Adna match, we overcame the worst serving we’ve had all year,” Snodgrass noted. “We had 15 missed serves and we average three a (match).”
McGough delivered nine kills, while Layman had eight kills and five blocks and Cook seven kills. Setter Sidney Pollard was cited for floor leadership and Cook and Grace Hodel for passing.
Raymond and Ocosta scores and details were not immediately available.
