The 2A Greater St. Helens League’s volleyball regular-season might’ve ended Thursday, but this is for certain, players and coaches say: Ridgefield and Columbia River will meet again.
If recent history is any indication, it’ll happen as early as the district tournament, which begins next Thursday at Black Hills High School. Then again, both teams hope it happens since they bring out the best volleyball in each other.
“Everyone plays to the next level,” Ridgefield senior Delaney Nicoll said. “You get a chance to play well and in this game the adrenaline is rushing. You play better.”
Thursday’s match went in Ridgefield’s favor, a four-set victory to conclude another undefeated regular-season. But both teams took away similar positives after the Spudders’ 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17 victory.
First, a competitive, four-set match with three sets separated by a combined 13 points. One of those included River handing Ridgefield just its third set loss of the season.
Second, good momentum heading into the postseason.
Nicoll, bound for Idaho, had a match-high 19 kills and 13 digs, and was one of three Spudders players to reach double figures in kills. Allie Andrew added 11 and Emily Borgstedt had 10.
Nicoll called the match the toughest competition and toughest match the Spudders have had all season. It also gives Ridgefield a boost heading into the postseason, where the reigning state champions have more lofty goals after repeating as league champions.
“We know it’s only going to get harder in the postseason,” she said.
Last season’s run of big matches has fueled a friendly, competitive rivalry between the two league foes. In 2018, the two programs met four times — including for the district title and the state semifinals — and River handed Ridgefield its only loss of the season.
On this night, River (11-3, 10-2 league) did something only Skyview has did all season and that’s hand Ridgefield (14-0, 12-0) a set loss. That happened in the second set when in the two teams traded leads 11 times and neither team had more than a three-point lead.
That back-and-forth play extended to the third and fourth sets. Ridgefield used an 8-2 run late in the fourth set behind big plays at the net by Nicoll, Andrew, Borgstedt and Vossenkuhl to pull away at 22-15. River got as close as 22-17.
Ridgefield swept River in the teams’ first meeting Oct. 8. Back at full strength Thursday, Chieftains coach Breanne Smedley said it was her team’s most competitive match of the season and despite the loss, has big momentum heading into the postseason.
Rylie Reeves led River with 11 kills and 11 digs, Maddie Sheron added 10 kills and Caroline Hansen had 20 assists. Emma Adams had a match-best 36 digs.
