COVINGTON — If the Camas volleyball team feel pressure to reach next week’s Class 4A state tournament (since it’s been a two-year drought for the program following a 11-year run) they sure didn’t look it early Friday.
That’s because coach Michelle Allen doesn’t want them to feel it, either. Just let it happen, she said.
Especially when there were smiles all around when just about everything went as perfectly as could be in a third-set victory in Camas’ 25-14, 25-18, 25-11 sweep of Enumclaw to open the 4A bi-district tournament at Kentwood High School.
Things got a little more challenging later Friday as the Papermakers fell to Curtis of University Place 25-11, 25-21, 27-25.
Camas will face Kennedy Catholic at noon Saturday, needing to win twice to clinch that elusive state berth.
Friday was the start of what Allen wanted to see, and that’s a team close to its full potential.
She’s seen bits of it when Camas won the Liberty Tournament and finished runner-up at the Kent Classic earlier this season.
And Friday was a good start, too.
“We’re going up in the right direction,” she said.
At one point, the Papermakers’ led Enumclaw in the third set 17-3. This after the final five points of the second set of a 25-18 second-set victory.
Even Enumclaw timeouts with Camas’ lead at 8-0 and 13-3 couldn’t stop Camas’ momentum. Neither could right-side hitter Whitney Quist, who had six of her kills in the match in the final set, or Keelie LeBlanc, who had three aces in a four-point stretch that made the team’s lead its largest at 14 points.
Also Friday, Union swept Auburn Mountainview, 25-22, 25-20, 28-26, after trailing 26-25 in the third set to rally for the third-set win.
Like Camas, Union fell in straight sets in the quarterfinals, losing to Emerald Ridge of Puyallup 25-16, 25-19, 25-15.
Union will face Kentridge at noon Saturday, also needing two wins to reach state.
Coach Lori Piland noted her team’s playing the best volleyball at the right time, and after a strong week of practice. Union last reached state in 2012.
“I told them if you play like you practiced all week, we’ll be just fine,” she said.
3A bi-district
Prairie moved one win away from securing a berth to the 3A state tournament when the Falcons opened the 3A bi-district tournament in Yelm with a 25-17, 25-22, 25-16 win over Lincoln of Tacoma.
Prairie will face Capital of Olympia at 8 a.m. Saturday in the quarterfinals with the winner clinching a state berth.
The loser will have to win twice later Saturday to advance to state.
Three other 3A Greater St. Helens League teams dropped their bi-district openers Friday. Mountain View fell 3-1 to North Thurston of Lacey, Kelso lost 3-0 to Wilson of Tacoma and Hudson’s Bay lost 3-0 to Gig Harbor.
Kelso eliminated Hudson’s Bay 3-0 and will need to win twice Saturday to advance to state.
Mountain View escaped with a 3-2 win over Central Kitsap to stay alive. The Thunder will face the loser of Prairie-Capital at 10 a.m., needing two wins to reach state.
