Grandview's Christine Penwell (4) and Raissa Licano (5) block a spike by Mount Baker's Kara Bergerson during the first game of the teams' match at the Class 2A state tournament Friday at the SunDome.   BRIAN FITZGERALD/Yakima Herald-Republic

Grandview splits Friday matches, can finish
fifth with two Saturday victories

By PAUL SHUGAR
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

The Grandview volleyball team came into the Class 2A State tournament in the SunDome with high hopes of improving on last season’s sixth-place trophy.

And that is still possible despite opening tournament play Friday with a 27-25, 23-25, 13-25, 25-21, 15-8 loss to Mount Baker in the first round. After defeating Hoquiam 25-10, 25-16, 25-10 in consolation play, the Greyhounds need to win only two more loser’s-out matches to secure a fifth-place trophy.

So while Grandview did make it all the way to the semifinals at the SunDome a season ago, it definitely does have a chance to finish a whole place better than last year. Especially now that a young team with only one senior on the roster got rid of its biggest detriment in the first-game loss — nerves.

“We are a young team and we played like a young team this morning (against Mount Baker),” said Grandview coach John La Fever, whose team is now 13-3 on the season.

“... We missed a lot of serves. We missed four serves in the first game, and in the fourth game we got ahead and started thinking we got them down and we’ve got them beat and they came back on us.”

The Greyhounds didn’t have any of these problems in the second match, staying on top the whole way against Hoquiam. Middle blocker Kinzi Poteet led the way around the net with plenty of kills — finishing with a team-high 25 on the day and six blocks. Teammate Raissa Licano chipped in 20 kills on the day, Tonhya Wysong — the team’s lone senior — had 74 passes for the two games and Kealey Johnston had a well-rounded day with 15 kills, three aces and 90 passes.

One of two freshman on a roster that also has seven sophomores, Poteet didn’t look nervous at all in her second state game. This was far from the mixed feelings she was dealing with in the team’s opener against Mount Baker.

“I was pretty nervous, but I was also excited,” Poteet said. “It’s fun to be a freshman on varsity and make it to state.

“I think we were more relaxed and focused (in the second game). We wanted to win that game and stay in the tournament; that’s what drove us the most.”

Grandview definitely had plenty of spunk from the beginning against the Grizzlies, jumping out to a 10-5 lead in the first game. After getting only 10 points in the first game — mostly off Grandview errors — Hoquiam managed to play better as the match progressed.

Unfortunately, so did the Greyhounds.

When setter Danika Martinez rotated back to take her serving turn with the score tied 5-5 in the third game, she basically closed out the match from there. She held her serve for the next 14 points, helping the Greyhounds build a commanding 19-5 lead.

Martinez finished the day with 17 service points, two aces and 23 passes.

“We were definitely talking a lot more than in the first game,” Martinez said. “In the second game there was a lot more teamwork, we were calling balls and there was just a lot more chemistry.”

Grandview now prepares for another loser’s out match against CWAC rival Connell (8-8) at 9 a.m. Saturday in the SunDome. A win assures the team will finish the season with at least another state trophy. The Greyhounds defeated the Eagles in three straight games in both regular-season matchups this year.

STATISTICAL LEADERS (reported by coaches)
Grandview highlights: Chante Bottineau 4 kills, 9 service points, 11 digs, 67 assists; Tonhya Wysong 74 passes; Jessica Gonzalez 14 service point, 3 aces, 36 passes; Danika Martinez 17 service points, 2 aces, 23 passes; Katie Veloz 17 service points, 6 aces; Kealey Johnston 15 kills, 26 service points, 3 aces, 90 passes; Raissa Licano 20 kills; Christine Penwell 14 kills; Sydney Mottice 11 kills, 23 passes, 2 blocks; Kinzi Poteet 25 kills, 6 blocks.