Prep Volleyball | Tahoma earns first state berth since 1990

COVINGTON — Sally Eager said all the right things.

Play hard. Leave nothing on the court. Have no regrets.

Then her Tahoma High School volleyball team went out and did all the right things Friday to upset second-ranked Graham-Kapowsin, 3-0, in the opening round of the West Central District 4A tournament at Kentwood. Then the Bears, who had to win a three-way playoff to even qualify for district, beat Stadium of Tacoma to secure their first state berth since 1990.

Afterward, even Eager was practically pinching herself.

"It's kind of unbelievable," she said.

Eager, in her first year as Tahoma (Covington) coach after seven seasons at Renton, knows how special the state tournament is. She played on Renton's three championship teams from 1981 to 1983. For the eight seniors on this Tahoma squad, a sense of urgency kicked in.

"It kind of clicked that this is our last chance," co-captain Megan Brothers said.

Few gave the Bears (17-14) much of a chance against a G-K team that barely broken a sweat posting a 3-0 nonleague victory over them a week and a half ago. The Eagles (27-3) admittedly got caught looking ahead Friday.

"We just didn't come out ready to play," coach Loni Parks said.

G-K then eliminated Auburn, 3-0, to set up a huge showdown Saturday with sixth-ranked Gig Harbor (20-2), which lost 3-0 to No. 3 Curtis in Friday's quarterfinals. The winner then must win one more match to advanceto state.

Curtis (18-3), which lost twice to Graham-Kapowsin during the regular season, clinched a return trip to state with the win over Gig Harbor. The Vikings, who placed fifth last season and seventh the year before, play No. 4 Auburn Riverside (23-6) in a 10 a.m. semifinal Saturday. Tahoma faces No. 8 Olympia (29-2) in the other semi at noon. The championship match is at 4 p.m.

Senior Brooke Bray led Riverside back to state after a one-year hiatus with 25 kills in the 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Puyallup.

"It means so much to go (to state) my senior year," Bray said. "We knew we had to go all out."

Olympia, a state semifinalist last year, punched its ticket to state with a 3-0 victory over Kentwood. The Conquerors (16-11) face Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma today at 10 a.m., one of two matches it must win to advance.