HS Volleyball: Emerald Ridge Wins Exhilarating Match At Puyallup

9/25/25

Emerald Ridge Jaguars 3, Puyallup Vikings 2 (25-13, 22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13)

(Puyallup, WA) Emerald Ridge and Puyallup met three times last year, with Puyallup winning twice in the postseason. Those matches were five-setters, and with the Jaguars being the second team in the SPSL and the Vikings the third in 2024. The two teams knew this match would be important in shaping the SPSL standings this season and setting up potential future matches against each other.

In the first set, Emerald Ridge got off to a blistering start, taking a 9-2 lead with the help of Peyton Frederick, Olivia Puttler, and Korbyn Hansen, all winning points for the Jaguars. Their great net play continued with Olivia Henderson helping the Jaguars take a 14-6 lead. Puyallup’s Melayna Volkman was great for the Vikings and earned a pair of points off swings, but Emerald Ridge’s lead grew to as large as 17-7, forcing Puyallup to take their second timeout. Puyallup fought hard, but Emerald Ridge’s big lead proved to be too much as the Jaguars took the first set with a 25-13 win.

Puyallup jumped out to a 3-0 lead with Sienna Hanson controlling the net for the Vikings. Emerald Ridge returned with three points in a row to tie the set at three. Puyallup went on another 3-0 run with Hanson getting a block, and Rilyn Kerlee earned a point with a kill to make it 6-3. Kerlee got two more kills to help Puyallup build an 8-5 lead. Kennedy Guinn and Amelia Guardipee each got a kill before Georgia Kafentzis got an ace to make it 12-6 and forcing Emerald Ridge to call a timeout. After Guinn had an ace, Puyallup’s lead grew to 16-8, but Emerald Ridge began marching back into the set. Frederick and Hansen for Emerald Ridge made multiple plays to pull the Jags within three points at 18-15, forcing the Vikings to call a timeout. Emerald Ridge later tied the set at 19 apiece, making Puyallup use another timeout. The two sides made it difficult for points to be won, but Puyallup got an ace from Knapp to make it 22-20 and a kill from Guardipee as Puyallup would take the set 25-22 to tie the match.

The third set would go back and forth between the two teams. They alternated winning points for the first seven points of the set before Puyallup took a 6-3 lead with the help of a Rilyn Kerlee ace. Emerald Ridge again fought back to take a 7-6 lead. After two consecutive phenomenal rallies, Emerald Ridge held an 8-7 lead. The match was tied at eight, nine, and 11 before Puyallup jumped ahead. Guardipee recorded another ace for Puyallup to extend their lead up to 15-11. Sienna Hanson had an ace to make it 17-14 with the Vikings leading, and later on, Guinn, Volkman, and Guardipee all won points for Puyallup. The Vikings were up 23-20, but Emerald Ridge had two straight aces from Olivia Puttler to make it 23-22. Puyallup took a 24-22 lead, but on the first set point, ER’s Frederick earned a point to put the Jaguars one point behind. Puyallup won their second set in a row with a 25-23 third set win to go up 2-1 in the match.

The fourth set started with Puyallup going up 2-1, with Hanson again making another great play at the net for the Vikings. Frederick helped get the lead back for Emerald Ridge with a pair of kills to make it 4-3. The set would be tied at six and eight before Puttler and Frederick got back-to-back kills for a 10-8 ER lead. Puyallup, behind Knapp and Kerlee, each earning points, tied the set at 13 and 14 before Emerald Ridge took a 16-15 lead with Puttler getting another point. Puyallup fought back to tie the match at 19 all with Guinn earning an ace, but ER rattled off five straight points with the help of Frederick and their libero Kaitlynn Matthiesen. Frederick would get another kill to finish off the fourth set at 25-20, setting up a dramatic fifth set.

To no one’s surprise, this great match went five sets, and after Puyallup won the first point, Emerald Ridge won six points straight with Masters getting an ace and Frederick getting back-to-back kills for a 6-1 lead. Puyallup came back with Volkman getting a kill and Knapp winning a point, and eventually tying the set at seven. Frederick won a clutch point for an ER lead of 8-7, but later in the set, Puyallup tied it at nine and 10. Korbyn Hansen broke the tie with an ace to give the Jaguars an 11-10 lead and their lead jumped up to 14-11, forcing match point. Puyallup didn’t back down, with Guardipee getting a point and the Vikings making it 14-13. Emerald Ridge won the next point and would win the set 15-13 and the incredible match 3-2.

Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express Match MVP could’ve been split six ways to Sunday, with so many players having tremendous nights. Emerald Ridge’s junior Peyton Frederick took the Match MVP with her play at the net and was a force all night long, earning points left and right for the Jaguars.

Emerald Ridge’s Olivia Puttler and Ashlyn Masters seemed to be everywhere, making great plays for the Jaguars. Korbyn Hansen was fantastic on the attack, as was Olivia Henderson, and the libero, Kaitlynn Matthiesen, was in the right place, at the right time, seemingly every time, and if there was a silver medal for match MVP, the junior libero would’ve earned it for her contributions.

Puyallup’s Sienna Hanson was amazing for the Vikings. Her play at the net, both blocking and attacking, was stellar, and her serves were good as well. Sam Pirillis covered every square inch of the gym, leaving it all out on the floor. The trio of Melayna Volkman, Ava Knapp, and Rilyn Kerlee was everywhere at the net for the Vikings, winning many crucial points, and Kennedy Guinn was great at setting this up for them to go on the attack.

Emerald Ridge improves to 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in the SPSL. The Jaguars host Spanaway Lake on Tuesday and Curtis on Thursday next week.

Puyallup drops to 2-2 on the year and 0-2 in SPSL play. The Vikings travel to Graham-Kapowsin on Tuesday, before Yelm travels to town on Thursday.

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