Cougars advance to state with win over Kittitas

QUINCY – With a berth to the 2B State Volleyball Tournament on the line, the Warden Cougars defeated Kittitas 3-1 on Saturday morning in the 2B District 5 tournament at Quincy High School, qualifying for the state tournament for the second consecutive season. 

“Emotions are high, nerves are high when it’s these kinds of games where every point really matters,” head coach Shanna Golladay said. “We did not play our best volleyball today, but we did do what it took to get the job done. It was a rollercoaster.” 

Tied at 14 midway through the opening set, Warden went on an 8-1 scoring run that was capped off with an ace by junior Amaya Erickson and a block by sophomore Hannah Roylance, before eventually taking a 1-0 lead with a 25-19 win in the first set. The final point was scored on a block by senior Lauren Chamberlain. 

Taking hold of the game’s momentum on their scoring run in the middle of the set was key for claiming the set win, Golladay said.  

“You don’t have to have the best hitters, you don’t have to have the best servers – you can lean on energy alone,” Golladay said. “I don’t know what it is about volleyball – and it can change from every five points, it can change from sets.” 

The second set was never in doubt, with Kittitas holding an early 12-3 lead before winning the set 25-10 after a late Cougar rally. When a set gets out of hand like that, sometimes it’s best to move on and focus on what’s coming up next, Golladay said.  

“I knew that if we could get through that set and sit down, reset, clear our minds – it's all about momentum,” Golladay said.  

After winning the third set 25-18, Warden was down 7-1 early in the fourth set Saturday morning; however, the Cougars went on a 7-1 run of their own to tie the match at eight, taking the lead on the next serve.  

“I think it was really good for us just to get that one kill, that one point to give us the momentum,” Chamberlain said. “Once we get that and we’re all encouraging each other, I feel like it’s really good for us to push through.” 

Warden’s lead remained for the remainder of the match, going on to win 25-17 off another block by Roylance. 

“If we can get a couple of points in a row, that helps a lot,” Golladay said. “If the other side starts losing their energy or vibe, you try to attack on that.” 

The Cougars struggled with blocking Coyote spikes early in the game, with Kittitas also tipping the ball plenty of times early in the match. As the match went on, the Cougars were able to adjust and come out with the win. 

“I think something that really helped me was having the mindset of, ‘I can get this next block,’” Chamberlain said. “Hannah (Roylance) had a really good blocking game.” 

The 2B State Volleyball Tournament begins Wednesday at the Yakima Valley SunDome. State brackets were not available in time for publication. 

“I’ve known what it’s like to not go to state, because my sophomore year we lost out, so it’s really good to know that my senior year we can go (to state),” Chamberlain said. 

Box score 

WRD: 25-10-25-25 3
KIT: 19-25-18-17 1 

    Warden junior Jamylex Pruneda (3) serves the ball during the second set against Kittitas on Saturday.
  

    Warden junior Amaya Erickson, left, receives a serve during the third set against Kittitas on Saturday morning.