YAKIMA – No matter what round of the state volleyball tournament Columbia River and Ridgefield cross paths, the intensity ticks up.
The past three years, the 2A Greater St. Helens League rivals have met in the Class 2A title match.
The latest rendezvous came in the 2A quarterfinals Friday at the Yakima Valley SunDome. But try telling either team that the stakes weren’t any higher.
“It’s a different type of intensity and atmosphere,” Columbia River senior Sydney Dreves said. “Going into this game, I was definitely very nervous.”
Columbia River’s dream of a fourth consecutive state championship is still alive after four-set win.
Ridgefield made the Rapids earn it. After Columbia River won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-22, Ridgefield stayed alive with a late flurry in the third set to win 25-23.
But Columbia River regained its poise and the momentum to take the fourth set 25-18.
“I give all the grace to Ridgefield,” Dreves said. “They really brought it today. … After the third set it was a tense huddle, but it was a take-a-deep-breath kind of moment.”
Dreves delivered near every time the Rapids needed a crucial point. The Boise State commit finished with 31 kills.
Sophia Gourley had six of her 19 kills in the fourth set, including the match clincher that sent the No. 3 seed Rapids (20-2) into Saturday’s semifinal against No. 2 Burlington-Edison (21-1)
In her fourth state tournament, Dreves has been a guide to her teammates, most of whom played little if any at prior tournaments here.
“You just have to enjoy every second and leave no regrets,” Dreves said. “For the four seniors, this is it for them so they’re just enjoying the moment.”
Junior setter Avery Seley is among those soaking in the state experience.
“Last year I didn’t go in at all against Ridgefield,” Seley said. “It was a completely new experience. I’ve never played at this level before so it was really exciting.”
Seley has spent the season building a strong connection with Dreves and Gourley. That paid off Friday as the pair combined for all but three of the Rapids’ kills.
“I was really impressed with how Syd was hitting in the back row, and so did Sophia,” Seley said. “They were on fire tonight.”
Though Ridgefield dropped two league contests and the district title match against River, the Spudders weren’t intimidated. They pushed the Rapids to five sets Oct. 9.
“For this game, we told each other we were going to play against blank faces,” Ridgefield setter Callie Curran said. “We know it’s River and we’ve lost to them plenty of times. But we decided we were going to play our game and do what we know how to do.”
Ridgefield’s sophomore combo of Ella Burke and Paige Hanes were not overwhelmed by their first state tournament as starters. Burke had 23 kills while Hanes added 17.
Curran, a senior who started in the state tournament as a sophomore, heaped praise on those two outside hitters.
“I was so impressed with their determination and their fight,” Curran said. “When it gets close, those girls don’t back away. They swing as hard as they can.”
Though Ridgefield’s string of five consecutive trips to the state championship match is over, leaving Yakima with a trophy is the next goal. The No. 6 Spudders (16-5) face No. 7 Tumwater (17-4) in the fifth-place semifinal Saturday morning.
Ridgefield beat Tumwater in four sets in last week’s district tournament.
“I think we’re going to want to keep the same energy we had tonight and take it into the next two games,” Curran said. “Before coming to state, we told ourselves we want to come back with a trophy.”
