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| Updated December 07, 2005 :: Home |
Greyhounds Power to Class 2A Semifinals Top-ranked
Grandview faces Meridian, defending champ
After looking all but unstoppable in two one-sided, straight-game victories Friday in the opening day of the Class 2A state volleyball tournament, the Grandview Greyhounds got to settle back and become something they don't often get to be at tournaments. Spectators. And, in a way, scouts. "We've never actually gotten to do that before," Grandview senior middle Danelle Cowan said after racking up 19 kills in the Hounds' 25-18, 25-10, 25-12 quarterfinal throttling of Rochester. "We get to sit out and watch and actually get to pick out people. We have a way to work around it now." Cowan was referring to the opportunity to sit and watch the Meridian-Pullman quarterfinal, which would determine the Greyhounds' opponent in Saturday's 12:30 p.m. second semifinal. Grandview's victory was so fast that the Greyhounds actually got to watch some of another quarterfinal between Woodland and Lynden Christian, then see some of Meridian vs. Pullman. But not much. "We'll watch a little bit," said Grandview coach John LaFever, noting that the Greyhounds didn't plan on doing a lot of adjusting for whoever they might face. Why? Because he likes what he's got. "We have a lot more to offer than we showed right here," he said, referring to Grandview's win over Rochester and its earlier 25-5, 25-17, 25-6 rout of Steilacoom. "I didn't think we played very well. We have a lot better top end than that. "We'll see if we can do it at the right time." They'll need that top end to survive Saturday, because the semifinal foursome is loaded: Grandview, No. 2 Woodland, No. 3 Meridian and No. 7 King's. The Greyhounds' semi foe, Meridian, opened with a four-gamer over Omak, with Angie Alvord getting 12 kills and Carolyn Hayes getting eight kills, six blocks and seven digs. The Trojans then had to rally past a very Pullman bunch 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21, as Alvord and Hayes combined for 41 kills. "They dug everything," Trojans coach Diane Axelson said of Pullman's Greyhounds. "I thought there were amazingly long rallies. I was surprised we had to work so hard, even as well as we played." Saturday's first semi, set for 10:45 a.m., pits defending champion Woodland against King's, which was the highest-ranked team in its quarter-bracket. Of the four semifinalists, Woodland had by far the most challenging road, although its match scores didn't show it. The defending champion Beavers opened against Colville, which had taken Woodland to five games during the Beavers' 2003 title run. But Woodland made it look easy in a 25-19, 25-15, 25-22 sweep, with 2003 2A player of the year Jamie Richards turning in a 17-kill, four-block performance and setter Ashley racking up 37 assists. The Beavers then had to deal with towering Lynden Christian, ranked No. 4, and again had no trouble, rolling 25-19, 25-20, 25-18. "This is really a different team from last year's team," Woodland coach Jeff Nesbitt said. "I keep thinking maybe this is the match, the moment, that these younger kids don't come through. And they just keep coming through." But although the Beavers have four sophomores who play a lot, Woodland's leaders against the Lyncs and their 6-4 middle Janelle Aupperlee were the old pros -- Richards, with 14 kills and 9 digs, and juniors Meghan Theiry and Kim Carter, who combined for 15 kills. King's had to overcome a determined Kiona-Benton squad in the first round, jumping out to a two-game lead, losing the next two and then having to come from behind in the decisive game to win 15-12. The Knights rolled past La Center in a three-gamer in the second round. For Grandview to emerge from that tough foursome, they'll look for another big day from their senior middles, Cowan and Valentina Solis, who combined for 44 kills on Friday, and from the youngest girl on the team. Kealey Johnston, a 14-year-old freshman, had 19 digs against Steilacoom and eight kills against Rochester. "I'm nervous, but I'm trying to do my job," Johnston said with a little grin. "The older girls have all been here and know what to expect, and they make sure I stay relaxed." Johnston, though, knows all about state tournaments. She watched older sister Teegan play in four state tournaments, and Kealey plays like she's already been in several herself. "She's a pretty tough little player," LaFever said. "And she just keeps getting better and better all the time."
No better time for that kind of thing
than right now.
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