HS Volleyball: Timberline Takes Home Match Over Lincoln

10/15/25

Timberline Blazers 3, Lincoln (Tacoma) Abes 0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-4)

(Lacey, WA) Both the Timberline Blazers and Lincoln Abes are tied for second in their division in the PSL, with Timberline in the Nisqually and Lincoln in the Narrows. Time is running out to try and gain ground and be division champions, but this match between two of the top teams in one of the strongest leagues in the 3A classification could spark a late-season charge to the top of the standings.

Timberline took a quick 2-0 lead, but Lincoln battled back with Venetta Taliloa getting a block and Charlotte Fleetwood earning a point to tie it up early. The match would be tied at three and four before Kinley Smith for Timberline broke it with a kill. Timberline went on a run to take an 8-4 lead with Leia Dela Cruz earning a point utilizing the second hit to catch Lincoln off guard and Smith serving an ace. Lincoln came back with Fleetwood and Linda Sio-Fetaui, earning points to make it a 9-7 deficit, and the two teams kept going back and forth. It was 11-10 Timberline with the lead before Miya Jackson and Smith each had a kill, while Jovie Lind recorded an ace to force the Abes to call a timeout as they trailed 14-10. After Timberline’s Emyah Riley made it 17-13, Lincoln again chipped away at the Blazers’ lead with Zion Robinson and Sio-Fetaui on a combo block, getting a point, and Lilo Time getting a kill to make it 17-15. Destiny Mars earned a pair of key points for Timberline to give them a 19-16 lead, and later on, Smith got back-to-back points to make it a 22-17 lead for the Blazers as Lincoln called their second timeout. Smith and Riley had the last three points for Timberline in the set to give them a 25-19 first set victory.

Lincoln took a 2-0 lead with the help of Charlotte Fleetwood, but Timberline went on a 5-0 run, courtesy of Desitny Mars getting a kill and an ace, while Emyah Riley and Kinley Smith added points. After trailing 7-3, Lincoln’s Linda Sio-Fetaui and Lilo Time earned a point, and Robinson had another block and forced Timberline to call their first timeout of the match as they trailed by just one. Fleetwood served an ace and won a point to tie the second set at eight apiece, but Smith, Mars, and Jovie Lind won four points in a row for a 12-8 Timberline lead. Lincoln countered with a 4-0 run of their own, with Linda Sio-Fetaui getting a point and an ace while Lilo Time added a kill. The two sides tied at 13, 14, 15, and 16 before Timberline went on a 5-0 run, with Riley delivering three aces in four serves as Lincoln called a timeout to stop the run at 21-16. It worked as Fleetwood had a kill and Sio-Fetaui had a block, but Timberline jumped back out in front 23-19. Sio-Fetaui served an ace, and the Abes got another point as Timberline took their second timeout. Destiny Mars made it set point after the timeout at 24-22, but Lincoln won another point with Time to pull within one. Riley closed out the set, earning a key point to give Timberline a 2-0 lead going into the third set.

Timberline had a blazing hot start to the third set and rode that momentum the whole way. They took a quick 5-0 lead with Smith getting a block and Jackson winning a point. Lincoln’s Taliloa had a block to end the run, but Timberline built up another one with Smith getting a kill and Lind serving an ace as Lincoln called a timeout trailing 8-1. After Fleetwood got a kill to end the Timberline run and make it 9-2, the Blazers went on a 7-0 run to take a 16-2 advantage. Dela Cruz, Smith, and Riley all earned points while Islee Rebelez had an ace in the run. Later in the set, Dela Cruz had back-to-back points for Timberline to help build their lead of 20-3. Destiny Mars won three of the final four points for Timberline to give them a 25-4 set win and a 3-0 sweep in the match.

Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express Match MVP went to Timberline’s Emyah Riley. Riley had another impactful night at the net for the Blazers and serving three aces in four serves deep in the second set, while winning the final point was a pair of turning points in the match, helping the Blazers get the win and one step closer to back-to-back State Tournament appearances.

Timberline’s Kinley Smith had another dazzling night of serving, defense, powerful swings, and her play on the back line shows why she was a first-team All-State player last year and likely one this year too. Destiny Mars was tremendous all around, like Smith, and seemed to be right where her team needed her to step up and make big plays. Miya Jackson stepped up in a big way for the Blazers, and Leia Dela Cruz earned some crucial points while setting her teammates up nicely to get the win.

Lincoln’s Charlotte Fleetwood was phenomenal, as the senior was in the right place, and the right time, seemingly every time for the Abes. Her attacks were a big reason why Lincoln almost took the first two sets. Lilo Time was all over the place for the Abes, making plays left and right, as were Avary Liotti and Venetta Taliloa. Zion Robinson came off the bench and was wonderful at the net on both the attack and shutting the door on multiple Timberline swings.

Timberline improves to 9-3 on the season and will take on Peninsula on the road on Tuesday and host Lakes on Thursday.

Lincoln drops to 6-5 on the year and goes to Gig Harbor on Tuesday and to Mount Tahoma on Thursday.

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