Eagles conclude season at state tourney
Eagles senior Liana Sushik prepares to serve the ball during the first set in the state tournament.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Brook Dana, a Soap Lake senior, bites down on her medal she earned for sportsmanship during the team’s matchup against Wakiakum.
Freshman Eagles player Olivia Noble prepares to spike the ball during the first set against Wakiakum at the state tournament.
Sage Hart, one of the Eagles’ senior players, prepares for her next serve during the state tournament.
Soap Lake freshman, Marina Zubritskiy gets ready to slam the ball back over the net during the third set against Wakiakum.
Eagles senior Alyson Zufall prepares to bump up the ball during the first round of the state tournament.
Senior Mylee Dana from Soap Lake gets ready to serve the ball during the second set against Wakiakum in the state tournament.
YAKIMA —The Soap Lake Eagles volleyball season came to a close Wednesday morning after falling 1-3 to Wakiakum in the first round of the state tournament. Following the hard-fought battle, Eagles head coach Niki Noble said how proud she was of the way the team played this season.
“I’m proud of them for holding it together,” said Noble. “I told them I was proud of them because nobody gave up and nobody let us down in that way at all this season.”
The Eagles started the first set slower than they had anticipated, keeping up for the first half of the set but then falling behind and eventually losing 15-25. In the following set, the Eagles flipped the script and took a significant lead early on to win 25-15.
The next two sets would come close for both teams, with the Eagles coming out of the gate in the first set carrying the momentum of the second set, but Wakiakum would mount a comeback to win 22-25. The fourth set would stay close throughout, but eventually Wakiakum’s offensive push would end the game 21-25 and bring an end to the Eagles’ season.
“It really came down to we made more errors than they did,” said Noble.
She said throughout the season, the team’s chemistry was strengthened by the bonds of the eight seniors on the team who have been playing together since they were in sixth grade. The seniors were also very welcoming to the younger players on the team and showed willingness to make those players feel like they belonged.
Throughout the season and into the state tournament, the two freshman Eagles were integral to the success of the team. At the state tournament, they made their presence known on the court and Noble said they were even able to bring one of their eighth-grade players along to help out on the sidelines.
The legacy that the seniors are leaving behind on the team is the mindset of never giving up and working hard year-round to make their goals, she said. This leaves her very confident in how the team will develop in the future.
“These seniors showed up in the off-season every single year, and as long as they work hard in the off-season, things will come together during the season,” said Noble.
BOX SCORE:
SPLK: 15-25-22-21: 1
WKKM: 25-15-22-21: 3
Brook Dana, a Soap Lake senior, bites down on her medal she earned for sportsmanship during the team’s matchup against Wakiakum.
Freshman Eagles player Olivia Noble prepares to spike the ball during the first set against Wakiakum at the state tournament.
Sage Hart, one of the Eagles’ senior players, prepares for her next serve during the state tournament.
Soap Lake freshman, Marina Zubritskiy gets ready to slam the ball back over the net during the third set against Wakiakum.
Eagles senior Alyson Zufall prepares to bump up the ball during the first round of the state tournament.
Senior Mylee Dana from Soap Lake gets ready to serve the ball during the second set against Wakiakum in the state tournament.