11/22/25
The 3A State Tournament Championship match was the final WIAA volleyball match for 2025. The North Thurston Rams were in this match last year and took a 2-o lead but couldn’t finish the job and settled for 2nd. The #1 seeded Rams did not lose focus this season and indeed finished what they started a year ago with a straight sets, Championship win.
Below is a re-cap or story written on each and every match from start to finish. ESN’s Sandy Ringer followed the action and provided this amazing coverage of the entire tournament. Congratulations to all the teams who made it to Yakima, that is a special achievement in itself.
All stories written by Sandy Ringer
3A Bracket
Saturday, November 22
State Championship
#2 Mt Spokane 0, #1 North Thurston 3
25-21, 25-21, 25-20
Game Story will be posted on Monday. a technical issue had to be dealt with and Sandy Ringer’s story will be available on Monday.
Trophy Round
3rd/4th Place
Game 29: #4 Prairie 3 #6 Bellevue 1
25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17
Alivia Snyder wanted one more win.
One more celebration with her teammates.
And she helped deliver it.
The savvy senior snagged MVP honors while pushing Prairie (20-2) to the finish line.
It’s the Falcons’ best showing since they won it all in 2012.
Junior Gracie Jacoby was instrumental as well along with senior Alina Shawgo.
Sophomore Yana Tkachenko closed the opening set with an ace and Prairie got some big moments from junior Lexi Whedon, too.
Bellevue (19-4) led 23-20 in the second set, but the Falcons stormed back. The Wolverines got on the board in the third behind the play of seniors Kaitlyn Nguyen and Juleah Leapai.
Prairie pulled away in the fourth set for the victory.
The Wolverines took home their only other state trophy (sixth) in 2016.
5th/6th Place
Game 28: #7 Ridgeline 3, #8 Central Kitsap 0
28-26, 25-19, 25-18
The Falcons proved they weren’t one-hit wonders after claiming a state championship on their first try a season ago as a fourth-year school.
Junior Ryan Libey led a strong attack and garnered MVP accolades.
Sophomore Amy Rose served well for Ridgeline (16-7), which had to survive a ferocious first set by Central Kitsap.
The Cougars (19-6) packed home a trophy for the first time since 2019, when they were seventh. Juniors Liah Lauifi and Penelope Holyoak were sharp in the loss.
7th/8th Place
Game 27: #15 Timberline 3 #13 White River 1
25-22, 21-25, 25-15, 25-19
Seventh? Eighth? At first glance, it seemed almost insignificant for a pair of play-in qualifiers who were hardly expected to get to this point.
Of course, going out on a winning note is preferable – and that’s what the Blazers did.
Junior setter Leia Dela Cruz ran the show and cashed in with the MVP award.
Juniors Kinley Smith and Emyah Riley stood out for their clutch kills.
Timberline (17-8) went 1-2 here a year ago and had not earned a trophy since finishing seventh in 2013.
White River (20-4) was coming off last year’s sixth-place performance. The Hornets relied on juniors Jordyn Kaelin and Marli Miller, who hope to key a return run next fall.
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Semi-Finals Bracket
3A Championship Match Setup
Will there be a first for top-seeded North Thurston?
Or will No. 2 Mount Spokane end a mini drought?
Those are among the storylines at the Class 3A State Volleyball tournament Saturday at the Yakima SunDome.
The title match, set for 7:30 p.m., should be a good one between two worthy contenders.
North Thurston (24-1) thirsts for a long-awaited championship after coming oh-so-close the year before – a five-set loss to Ridgeline.
The Rams return for another chance after beating No. 4 Prairie in the semifinals, 3-1.
Mount Spokane (18-3), which placed third last season after losing to North Thurston in the semis, advanced with a 3-1 victory over No. 6 Bellevue. The Wildcats last won it all in 2019.
Prairie (19-2) and Bellevue (19-3) meet at 2:30 with third and fourth places on the line.
Semifinal Round
Game 25: #2 Mount Spokane 3, #6 Bellevue 1
25-12, 25-23, 25-27, 25-17
Berkeley Nielson doesn’t mess around at the net.
The 5-foot-11 senior backed 10 kills with eight blocks as the Wildcats ended Bellevue’s title hopes.
Fellow seniors Avery Nelson and Dalaney Davis also contributed to the multi-faceted offense.
Bellevue got on the board in a hard-fought third set. Senior Juleah Leapai logged a kill that staved off match point. After a rare hitting error by the Wildcats, junior Sydney Martine found a hole in the defense to close out the set.
Senior Kaitlyn Nguyen led the Wolverines with eight kills and 11 digs.
Mount Spokane sprinted to an 18-12 lead in the fourth set before Bellevue narrowed it to 18-15 on a shot by junior Trinity Aptacy.
Neilson helped the Wildcats pull away for good and the match ended on a pair of miscues by the Wolverines.
Game 26: #1 North Thurston 3, #4 Prairie 1
25-12, 20-25, 25-15, 25-14
The killing machine known as Addy Conner continued to put dents in the floor and take command for the Rams.
The 6-foot-2 senior accounted for five of North Thurston’s final seven points – including the winner.
Senor libero Anna Sheeran contributed an ace down the stretch and junior Audrey Krocker had the kill that got the Rams to match point.
Setter Samantha Humphrey, another senior, piled up the assists. Juniors Ava Almonte and Kaelani Adams provided strong net patrols.
Once again, Prairie was powered by junior Gracie Jacoby and senior Alivia Snyder, who were instrumental in that second-set victory.
Consolation Bracket (Loser Out matches)
Trophy Round Setup
Prairie and Bellevue play for pride – and third place – to highlight the consolation trophy round at the Class 3A State Volleyball tournament Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Yakima SunDome.
Shaking off their semifinal losses will be key. No. 4 Prairie (19-2) stumbled against No. 1 North Thurston (23-1), 3-1, while No. 6 Bellevue (19-3) went down in straight sets against No. 2 Mount Spokane (18-3).
The other trophy tilts feature No. 7 Ridgeline (15-7) against No. 8 Central Kitsap (19-5) to determine fifth and sixth places and No. 15 Timberline (16-8) versus No. 13 White River (20-3) to decide seventh and eighth.
Both are scheduled for 2 p.m.
Consolation Bracket (Loser Out matches)
Game 21: #15 Timberline 3, #12 Stanwood 0
26-24, 25-23, 25-23
It goes down as a sweep, but it wasn’t easy for the Blazers, who had to fend off scrappy Stanwood at every turn.
But then they’ve shown throughout the tournament they are battlers, having to survive a play-in match early Friday to get into the round of 16.
Kinley Smith, a 5-10 junior, sparked the offense and claimed MVP honors. Junior libero Jovie Lind was the defensive star.
Stanwood got noticeable efforts from senior Lyla Henken and junior Whitney Longspaugh. The Spartans sizzled for much of the season, winning 14 in a row at one point, and close at 16-4.
Game 22: #13 White River 3, # 9 Seattle Prep 0
25-16, 25-21, 25-20
The Hornets, too, are making the most of their trip to the tournament as they improved to 3-1, including a victory in Friday morning’s play-in round.
Junior Isabella Fioretti was the force behind a well-rounded offense. Her key blocks and hits factored into her MVP status along with her ability to run the offense.
Jordyn Kaelin, another 11th-grader, came to life in the second set and her serving helped the Hornets battle from behind in the third.
White River will take a trophy home for the second straight season after finishing sixth a year ago.
Seattle Prep closes out its encouraging campaign at 18-9.
Game 23: #7 Ridgeline 3, #3 Lakes 2
25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 12-25, 16-14
Make it two straight trophies for the Falcons, rebounded well from the quarterfinal loss to Mount Spokane.
Senior Jade Livingston got the MVP nod after her well-rounded play.
Ridgeline used a rigid defense to hold off a Lakes team determined to earn some hardware.
The Lancers, who didn’t survive the play-in round last season, showed considerable progress. They forced a fifth set on a kill by senior Allyah Filimaua. Freshman Jenysis Solomua stood out on a team with a several young stars.
Lakes leaves with a 17-5 record.
Game #8 Central Kitsap 3, 24: #5 Lakeside (Seattle) 1
23-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-16
The Cougars will close out the year with something to add to their trophy collection as they rallied from a set down to send Lakeside home.
Alaina Wright, part of the team’s dynamic junior class, was the match MVP.
Fellow 11th-grader Liah Lauifi also played well. Ellie Smith, another junior, came up with the final kill.
It’s CK’s first trophy since the 2019 team took seventh.
Lakeside got notable efforts from senior Lauryn Coleman and junior Sophia Gao. The Lions close out the year at 20-8.
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Friday, November 21
3A Semifinal Setup
No repeat for Ridgeline.
The darling of last year’s 3A State Volleyball tournament, which came in seeded seventh, went down against No. 2 Mount Spokane in the quarterfinals Friday night at the Yakima SunDome, 3-1.
The Wildcats (17-3) play No. 6 Bellevue (19-2) in a noon semifinal Saturday. The Wolverines knocked off No. 3 Lakes Friday, 3-0.
No 1 North Thurston (23-1) faces No. 4 Prairie (19-1) in the other semifinal, also at noon.
The Rams swept No. 8 Central Kitsap Friday, while Prairie blanked No. 5 Lakeside of Seattle. North Thurston has looked especially sharp and is especially hungry after losing 3-2 to Ridgeline in last year’s final.
The quarterfinal losers are now in must-win situations if they want to leave the tourney with a trophy.
Ridgeline (14-7) takes on Lakes (17-4), while Lakeside (20-7) meets Central Kitsap (18-5), both at 10 a.m. The winners then get one more match, which decides fifth and sixth places.
Quarterfinal Bracket
Game 17: #6 Bellevue 3, #3 Lakes 0
25-20, 25-21, 25-20
Senior Kaitlyn Nguyen powered the Wolverines into the semifinals for the first time, crushing 11 kills to claim MVP accolades.
She was also strong at the service line with key runs.
Junior Trinity Aptacy delivered four kills in the opening set, while senior Mia Palcisco pounded four in the second.
Lakes got eight kills from snior Kerra Tualamali’i.
Bellevue lost in the opening round last year to North Thurston after winning a play-in match and stormed back to place seventh. The school’s only other trophy (sixth) came back in 2016.
Game 18: #2 Mount Spokane 3, #7 Ridgeline 1
28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18
The celebration started when Berkeley Nielson buried her final kill to vault the Wildcats back to the semis, where they came up short last year against North Thurston.
But it was Delaney Davis who drew the MVP with an impressive all-around effort.
There was a great deal of familiarity between the teams as they had collided three other times with Mount Spokane winning the first and third.
After Mount Spokane won a wild opening set, Ridgeline rode the hitting of Ryan Libey, Brynlee Allred and Lizzy O’Connell.
Abigail Smith and Kate Rayment stepped up in the third to put the Wildcats back in front and they were in control the rest of the way.
Game 19: #4 Prairie 3, #5 Lakeside (Seattle) 0
25-15, 25-12, 25-20
Persistency paid off for Prairie throughout the match and the Falcons got contributions from multiple sources.
Senior Alivia Snyder and junior Gracie Jacoby both stood out and shared the MVP award. Sophomore Emery Sullivan deserved mention as well.
Lakeside made its strongest push in the third set and lagged just 15-12 at one point. It was 23-17 before the Lions benefited from a service error followed by an ace by sophomore Cosette Lysne, closing the gap to 23-19.
After a time out, Snyder nailed a shot to bring up match point. Lakeside fought one off on a kill by junior Amai Popovic before Jacoby ended it.
Game 20: #1 North Thurston 3, #8 Central Kitsap 0
25-15, 25-18, 25-20
Junior Abby Losey led a balanced attack in a match with few flaws, picking up the MVP.
Samantha Humphrey, one of only four seniors on the squad, played with great energy to keep the Rams on track for what would be their first state title. They also finished second in 2012 – against Prairie.
Liah Lauifi had a solid outing for Central Kitsap.
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3A Consolation Bracket (Loser-out matches)
Game 13: #11 Stanwood 3, #19 Gig Harbor 0
25-16, 25-15, 25-13
Addison Bowie did a little bit of everything to ensure the Spartans stuck around for a second day.
The senior southpaw especially stood out for her passing and serving and she delivered some kills as well. Harper Neyens, Marlee Cumbee and Whitney Longspaugh scored consistently.
Stanwood (16-3) now plays No. 15 Timberline Saturday at 8 a.m. with the winner advancing to the trophy round. The loser is eliminated.
Gig Harbor dropped two straight after winning a play-in match and leaves with a 14-9 mark.
Game 14: #15 Timberline 3, #10 Bishop Blanchet 0
25-23, 25-17, 25-23
Destiny Mars keyed a comeback in the third set and accounted for match point on a tip as the Blazers inched closer to the trophy round.
Not bad for a team that had to survive a play-in match to get into the top-16.
Timberline (15-8) takes on No. 11 Stanwood (16-3) in yet another elimination bout Saturday at 8 a.m. The winner then plays for seventh and eighth places.
Mars made off with MVP honors, but several teammates contributed to the victory. Jovie Lind played solid defense and passed well, while Kaelani Naipo was strong behind the service line. Emyah Riley delivered key kills as well.
Blanchet had chances, especially in the first and third sets, but fell short to finish the season 20-4.
Game 15: #13 White River 3, # 12 Everett 0
25-14, 25-22, 25-14
Junior outside hitter Emery Stevenson sparked comebacks in the second and third sets to claim MVP honors and give the Hornets a shot at a trophy.
Junior libero Ema Froemke was a key factor in the rallies as well.
White River (19-3), which went 2-1 on the day, returns to the SunDome Saturday at 10 a.m. to meet No. 9 Seattle Prep (18-8) in one final loser-out contest. The winner gets the opportunity to play for seventh and eighth places.
For Everett (14-8), Ava Gonzalez and Jammy Thomas proved worthy of mention.
Game 16: #9 Seattle Prep 3, #16 Ferndale 1
25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21
Kauli Tran’s pin-point passing earned her the MVP nod and keyed the Panthers’ survival.
Aubrey Sais controlled the net in the opening two sets. Ferndale got on the board in the third behind the play of Brooklyn Larrabee and Kristen Solomon.
The Golden Eagles threatened to force a fifth set, trailing just 14-13 in the fourth, but Prep pushed it out to 21-14 on a kill by 9 and ultimately won it on a service error.
The Panthers (18-8) return at 10 a.m. Saturday to play No. 13 White River (19-3) with a spot in the trophy round on the line. The winner gets to play for seventh and eighth places, the loser leaves empty-handed.
Ferndale finishes the season 17-6.
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State Opening Round of 16
Game 5: #6 Bellevue 3, #11 Stanwood 1
25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16
Strong net play, led by senior Kaitlyn Nguyen, was the difference for the Wolverines as she garnered the MVP.
Fellow senior Mia Palcisco was also a factor up front along with junior Trinity Aptacy as Bellevue (18-2) moved on to the quarterfinals. Third-seeded Lakes (17-3) is the next opponent.
Stanwood (15-3) stayed close in the second set and got on the board in the third, holding off a late rally. The Spartans will square off with No. 19 Gig Harbor (13-8) in consolation play Friday at 5:15 p.m.
Game 6: #3 Lakes 3, #19 Gig Harbor 0
25-16, 15-20, 25-15
The Lancers (17-3) have been streaky this season and hope to add another win when they play No. 6 Bellevue (18-2) in Friday’s quarterfinals at 9 p.m.
Lakes had won eight in a row before losing 3-1 to North Thurston in their district championship match. Two of the team’s three losses have been to the Rams.
The Landers were in control throughout against Gig Harbor, which they also beat at district, with Kerra Tualamali’i landing the MVP tag. They are known for their defense, anchored by senior Marley Alefaio, the Puget Sound League’s two-time defensive player of the year.
Gig Harbor (13-8), which lost to Lakes for the third time this year, faces No. 11 Stanwood (15-3) Friday at 5:15 p.m. in consolation play.
Game 7: #7 Ridgeline 3, #10 Bishop Blanchet 0
25-16, 25-20, 25-10
The defending champions rode the all-round play of MVP Jade Livingston to move back into the quarterfinals.
Livingston, a senior libero, not only played exceptional defense, but was strong at the service line and was strong in the passing game as well. Brynlee Allred, a 6-foot-3 junior, was a beast at the net.
The Falcons (14-6) play No. 2 Mount Spokane (16-3) Friday at 9 p.m.
Seniors Wylie Del Secco and Lucy Slavik earned mentions for Blanchet (20-5), which battles No. 15 Timberline(15-7) Friday at 5:15 p.m. in an elimination match.
Game 8: #2 Mount Spokane 3, #15 Timberline 1
25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23
They might have been seeded far apart, but the two squads played a competitive match as close as the scores indicate.
Timberline hung tough throughout the match and had chances in each of the final two sets, but Mount Spokane found ways to finish when it counted. Senior Berkeley Neilson, the MVP with 12 kills and four blocks, was the clear catalyst. Her final swing ended the match.
Avery Nelson, another 12th-grader, had some big kills as well, collecting four of them in the first set.
Mount Spokane (16-3) gets defending-champion Ridgeline (14-6) in the quarterfinals Friday at 9 p.m.
The Blazers (15-7), who got a dozen kills from junior Kinley Smith, play No. 10 Blanchet (20-5) in a loser-out bout at 5:15 Friday.
Game 9: #5 Lakeside (Seattle) 3, #12 Everett 0
25-14, 25-21, 25-17
After making quick work of the Seagulls in the opening set, Lakeside had to come from behind in the second and then went on to complete the sweep.
Junior libero Sophia Gao got the job done defensively and was selected MVP.
The Lions (20-6) move on to the quarterfinals, where they will take on No. ?? Friday at 9 p.m.
Everett (14-7) must beat No. ? in the consolation round Friday at 5:15 p.m. to avoid elimination.
Game 10: #4 Prairie 3, #13 White River 1
25-11, 28-26, 22-25, 25-23
White River certainly didn’t look like a team that had to survive a play-in match to reach the round of 16.
The Hornets’ two losses coming into the tournament were to No. 1 North Thurston and No. 3 Lakes.
Prairie did roll in the opening set, which junior Gracie Jacoby ended with a decisive kill enroute to her MVP moniker. But the Falcons nearly let a 24-19 lead slip away in the second as White River forced them to extend play.
The Hornets responded by winning the third set and at times looked as though they would take the fourth with leads of 19-16 and 23-20.
But the Falcons continued to fight. With the score tied at 23, Jacoby buried a ball to get to match point and Sophomore Yana Tkachenko finished it with an ace.
Prairie (18-1), which owes its loss to Camas, a Class 4A contender, puts its title hopes on the line against No. 5 Lakeside of Seattle (20-6) Friday at 9 p.m.
White River (18-4) faces No. 12 Everett (14-7) at 5:15 p.m. The loser is eliminated.
Game 11: #8 Central Kitsap 3, #9 Seattle Prep 0
26-24, 25-20, 25-14
Junior Sydney Lingenbrink launched some thundering kills and was a defensive force at the net to land MVP honors and lead the CK into the quarterfinals.
The Cougars (18-4) find a familiar opponent there in top-seeded North Thurston (22-1). It will be their third meeting over the past 16 days and fourth of the season overall – all wins by the Rams.
Manaia Pasi had a strong serving match and Penelope Holyoak added to the net play. Both are juniors.
For Seattle Prep, senior libero Kayli Tran stood outfor her all-around performance. The Panthers (17-8) square off against No. 16 Ferndale (17-5) in a loser-out match at 7:15 p.m. Friday.
Game 12: #1 North Thurston 3, #16 Ferndale 0
25-20, 25-14, 25-20
Their opening act did nothing to dissuade the notion that the Rams are the real deal and quite capable of becoming state champions.
Addy Conner, the 6-foot-2 senior hitter who can take over when needed, was efficient at the net and came away with MVP honors.
Senior setter Samantha Humphrey drew raves as well as she not only fed Conner, but juniors Kelci Teo and Ava Almonte as well.
North Thurston (22-1) tangles with No. 8 Central Kitsap (18-4) in Friday’s 9 p.m. quarterfinals.
Ferndale got note-worthy play from juniors Brooklyn Larrabee and Svetlana Baydak as well as sophomore Adelle Overson. The Golden Eagles (17-5), which won a play-in game earlier in the day to get to the match against North Thurston, drops into the consolation round against No. 9 Seattle Prep (17-8) at 7:15 p.m. Friday.
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Play-in Matches Loser Out
Game 1: #19 Gig Harbor 3, #14 Monroe 1
21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22
Tough serving by senior MVP Maggie Maharry made the difference as she rattled off seven straight points for the come-from-behind win. She also another key service point in the second set that evened the match.
Two other seniors were especially key as Ellie Hawkins anchored the defense and Hannah Artman sparked the offense. The Tides (14-7) play No. 3 Lakes (17-3) at 11:45 a.m.
Monroe (13-8) was led by juniors Shannara Peebles, Maddie Walker and Kiah Dunbar.
Game 2: #15 Timberline 3, #18 Kelso 1
23-25, 25-13, 26-24, 25-22
Relying on a strong net defense, Kelso claimed the tight opening set, but junior setter Leia Dela Cruz got the Blazers’ offense humming in the second set and they cruised from there as she earned MVP honors.
Timberline (16-6) used a balanced offense that included senior Destiny Mars and juniors Miya Jackson and Kinley Smith. Senior libero Josalyn Moss keyed the defense. Next up is No. 2 Mount Spokane (15-3) and 1:30 p.m.
Kelso’s top performers were seniors Royal Crafton along with juniors Sheena McGregor and Alena Chilton and sophomores Charlee Phillips and Maali Amrine.
Game 3: White River 3, #20 University 0
25-15, 25-22, 25-11
Senior setter Isabella Fioretti helped the Hornets (18-2) make quick work of University for the only straight-sets victory among the play-in matches.
She drew the MVP nod with teammate Emery Stevenson, a junior outside hitter, also in consideration. White River takes on No. 4 Prairie (17-1) at 1:30 p.m.
The Titans finished the season 9-12 with a young roster that included just three seniors.
Game 4: #16 Ferndale 3, #17 Roosevelt 1
25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17
Roosevelt (16-8) threatened to take a 2-1 lead, but the Golden Eagles used a late surge to win that third set, then pulled away in the fourth.
Sophomore middle blocker Adele Overson keyed the victories, emerging with MVP accolades, as Ferndale (17-4) advanced to the opening round with top-seeded North Thurston (21-1) next up at 3:30 p.m.
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