WOODLAND — If this is the start of what’s to come for Woodland High School’s volleyball program, the distant future is certainly bright.
As for the immediate future that includes the next few weeks — the Southwest District 4 tournament and what first-year coach Danielle Hutton and the rest of the Beavers hopes is a repeat trip to the Class 2A state tournament, it’s all about not letting up the big momentum they have going right now.
That includes what they accomplished Tuesday, defeating Ridgefield in four sets, 25-19, 25-14, 9-25, 25-19 to claim at least a share of the 2A Greater St. Helens League title, and the league’s No. 1 seed into the district tournament. Districts begins Nov. 2 at Tumwater where four 2A GSHL teams are guaranteed in and three state berths are up for grabs.
Said Hutton: “We have to stay focused and get through districts and get back to state. We have to work hard if we want that — or better.”
The school hasn’t won a volleyball league title since 2005, the back end of a string of seven straight league titles from 1999-2005. The Beavers (11-1 overall, 10-0 league) celebrated their league-title share Tuesday against a Spudders team that’s won the past four 2A GSHL titles — and five straight counting its 1A Trico crown in 2012 — and can win it outright Wednesday at Columbia River, a team it defeated in four sets at home Sept. 26.
“We all knew what we were up against,” said Vanessa Franke, one of two seniors. “We all played our hearts out and I couldn’t be more proud of my team.”
Taylor Foster had 14 kills and Franke added seven kills, and the pair combined for five blocks. Emma Swett had 24 assists and seven kills, including back-to-back to seal the match in the fourth set, and Nicole Guthrie had 16 assists, 12 digs and three blocks.
Neither team has had a match as intense since their five-set affair in Ridgefield on Sept. 21. That night, the most lopsided victory in a set was a mere three points.
Tuesday, it was just as intense, but each team had some lopsidedness.
Woodland won the first two sets, including a dominating performance by leading by as much as 23-8 in the second frame. A big difference Tuesday, Hutton said, was adjusting the defense in preparation for Ridgefield’s hitters.
That left the door open for players such as libero Elyse Booker, already the program’s all-time leader in digs, to make big plays all night. She had a match-best 26 digs, but others had big contributions, too. Guthrie and Lila Russell combined for 23 digs.
“She really saved us on defense,” Hutton said of Booker, “and the other girls did amazing.”
Ridgefield coach Sabrina Dobbs almost was at a loss for words for why her team didn’t bring its ‘A’ after an impressive showing at the Mountain View Invitational last weekend, defeating 4A Union in the title match. Tuesday was just the third loss for her Spudders, and the first time in her eight seasons as head coach she’s lost to Woodland.
“They didn’t compete like they should have,” Dobbs said.
The play of Delaney Nicoll (12 kills, 14 assists), Anika Nicoll (six blocks, four kills) and Kohana Fukuchi (19 assists, nine digs, three kills), however, helped the Spudders pull within 2-1 after a commanding third-set win, 25-9. In the fourth, Ridgefield (8-3, 8-2) pulled within two at 20-18 before a mini 3-0 run pulled Woodland away.
Still, she likes what she sees in the second half of the season, especially after she what she called a slow start to the season. The Spudders, who still have 4A Skyview sandwiched in-between their two 2A GSHL opponents left before districts, are the league’s No. 2 team into the district tournament.
“They’ve gradually gotten better and better as a team,” Dobbs said.
