LACEY — The state’s final four has two from Southwest Washington.
The Ridgefield Spudders and Woodland Beavers have reached the Class 2A state volleyball semifinals, each winning two matches Friday at St. Martin’s University.
Ridgefield will face Ellensburg in one semifinal at 1 p.m. Woodland will take on Burlington-Edison on another court, also at 1 p.m. The championship match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” said Ridgefield’s Sarena Bartley. “I”m so stoked for tomorrow.”
“It brought tears to my eyes,” Woodland’s Kenya Byrnes said. “I’m so happy.”
The Spudders advanced with an opening round win over Liberty of Issaquah, then had to take on Archbishop Murphy in the quarterfinals.
It was not a championship match Friday night. It just felt like one for the Spudders.
“It’s like … I have no words,” said Sarena Bartley.
The Spudders’ play said plenty.
Ridgefield rallied after losing the first set, taking down Archbishop Murphy in four. Scores were 14-25, 26-24, 25-14, 25-21.
“I’m just so excited for Ridgefield,” Bartley said.
Tied at 21 in the fourth set, Bartley would get three consecutive kills to put the Spudders in position to win. Anika Nicoll would get a block to finish off the Wildcats.
And just like that, Ridgefield, a team with only one senior, had punched its ticket to the semifinals.
“I am super, super proud of these girls,” Ridgefield coach Sabrina Dobbs said. “I did not even imagine they would get this far.”
Well, maybe not at the beginning of the season, but they certainly figured it was possible Friday night, even after falling behind the Wildcats.
“Relax, have fun, and just go all out,” Bartley said of the talk the team had after losing the first set.
“And believe,” Dobbs added.
Hartley had seven kills in the second set, when Ridgefield survived a 26-24 thriller. The Spudders cruised in the third set. And it got real interesting in the fourth set when the Wildcats rallied to tie it at 21.
“We were on the edge. We were nervous,” Dobbs acknowledged.
The Spudders, though, looked up to their loud crowd in the bleachers.
“Seeing our crowd so pumped got me really pumped. They made everyone pumped,” Bartley said.
It worked. Bartley got her three kills in a row — she had 19 in the match — and the Spudders were celebrating a trip to the semifinals.
Woodland opened the tournament with a five-set win over Pullman, then took down White River in the quarterfinals in four sets.
“This team is something special,” Byrnes said after beating White River. “We play together, and it makes the game so much better.”
Woodland beat the Hornets 25-22, 25-16, 15-25, 25-18.
Kayla Fredricks led the team with 12 kills and three blocks. Byrnes had 10 kills and three blocks.
Freshman Taylor Foster had two blocks just moments after senior Haley Yoder went down with an injury early in the second set. (Yoder had 19 kills in the first match of the day.)
Byrnes said Yoder became an assistant coach on the bench, helping the Beavers who were on the court. And Foster shined when it was clear Yoder would not be able to return to the match.
“It was so awesome to see her do what she could do,” said Byrnes, a senior.
Woodland coach Jeff Nesbitt also credited freshman Elyse Booker and sophomore Vanessa Franke for key moments in pressure situations.
Friday’s wins, heck, this whole season, he said, has been a success because of the team approach.
“They deserve every bit of this,” Nesbitt said. “I would say we’re overachievers. We’re playing on the last day of the season. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Two wins at state guarantees Ridgefield and Woodland a trophy at the state tournament. Ridgefield finished eighth in 2011. Woodland’s last trophy came in 2004.
“To come home with a trophy is huge. This is a great accomplishment,” Nesbitt said.
The Beavers promise to enjoy Saturday, no matter what happens.
“I got all my friends out here. I love this team. I love all of them,” Byrnes said. “This is something special.”
