Six local teams from Thurston County competed at the 2023 WIAA girl’s volleyball state tournament over the weekends of November 9-11 and 16-18, 2023. Olympia High School placed third in the 4A Bracket. North Thurston placed fourth in the 3A Competition. Rainier High School placed fourth in the 2B Tournament. In the 2A State Tournament, Tumwater and Black Hills competed, with Black Hills capturing the eighth-place trophy.
Pope John Paul II High School reached the 1B Tournament with the #20 seed. They played Mt. Vernon Christian in a loser out first round match but fell (0-3). It was the first time Pope John Paul II has made the state tournament for Volleyball.
Olympia High School entered the state volleyball tournament with the number one seed. The Bears defeated Skyline (3-0) and Puyallup (3-2) before falling to North Creek in a challenging five-set match in the semifinal round. Olympia rebounded in the third/fourth game, defeating Lake Stevens three games to one.
Olympia head coach Christie Oldright was proud of her team’s finish. “The team showed incredible resilience coming off a tough loss,” Oldright noted. “Something we focused on for this tournament was doing what we do no matter the opponent. We did our homework, but our game plan remained the same. Led by an exceptional group of seniors, we stepped on the court every match ready to compete and play our game.”
North Thurston, like Olympia, entered the tournament as the number one seed in the 3A bracket. The Rams defeated Bellevue (3-1) and Prairie (3-1) before a tough semifinal loss to #4 Lake Washington (0-3). North Thurston lost to #2 Lynwood (0-3) in the third/fourth place final game for a fourth-place state finish.
North Thurston Rams head coach Jackie Meyer was excited about the season’s journey and the fourth-place finish. “Getting to state and earning a trophy is not easy and it took a lot of hard work and commitment and I’m proud of my team,” Meyer remarked after the tournament. “The state tournament was competitive this year. Most of the marches went point for point where any team could pull off the win. It was fun and exciting to watch for the fans and experience for the athletes. I thought the WIAA added a few things that made it more fun as well.”
North Thurston will bring a strong team back moving into the 2024 season. “This group of athletes had an unforgettable season!” Meyer stated. “They played for each other all year and represented North Thurston with pride.”
Black Hills and Tumwater represented the Tumwater School District with both teams competing hard at the 2A Tournament. The Lady Wolves won the eighth-place trophy.
Black Hills first-year head coach Karlee Sampson was thrilled for her team. “Placing at state was more than I could have expected out of my first year,” Sampson stated. “As a first-year coach, after I met the team and saw how they played, my goal was to build confidence in these girls and have fun. We had a great team of girls that worked hard and I was proud of them all.” Senior hitter Ashlee Harris set a new school and town record for 404 kills on the season.
Rainier High School defeated River View (3-0) and Adna (3-2) in the first rounds of the 2B Tournament. The wins placed the Lady Mountaineers into a state placement position gaining them a fourth place trophy after falling to Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (3-0) and Colfax (3-1).
