COLUMBIA BASIN — The 1B and 2B state volleyball tournaments begin Thursday in Yakima, with Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, Soap Lake and Warden all competing in their respective classifications. Read along for a look at each team as they head into state competition.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Back at state for the first time since 2019, the Warriors are aiming for yet another high finish after finishing the regular season and districts with a 17-2 record, earning a No. 4 seed.

“The girls are really excited,” ACH head coach Katie Walsh said. “They know they’re not finished, that they've reached one of their goals, but there’s still work to do. Excited, but also ready to work hard.”

ACH enters the state tournament riding a 10-game win streak, including Saturday’s 3-0 sweep over Northport in the 1B District 7 championship game. With their success on the court over the past month, Walsh said she believes winning the district title gives the Warriors a boost in momentum heading into state.

“We handled Northport pretty soundly in three sets, and we played really consistent, aggressive volleyball defensively and offensively,” Walsh said. “I think it’s a good confidence booster going into state, I think we’re flowing pretty well right now.”

With this year’s qualification, the Warriors have reached the state tournament in 13 of Walsh’s 15 seasons as head coach, with the two outliers being in the 2021 and 2022 seasons after the team lost in the district tournament. ACH placed each year at state from 2012-2019, including top-three finishes in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

The Warriors hit the court at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of No. 13 seed Mount Vernon Christian/No. 20 Pope John Paul II.

“No matter what happens, you give it your all and keep fighting on the court and that will get you to where you want to go,” Walsh said. “We’re just focused on every ball, every play. Not looking too far ahead but knowing where we want to go and what it’s going to take to get there.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague

A year ago the LRS Broncos went 2-2 in the 2B State Volleyball Tournament to take home a sixth-place trophy, a valuable experience for this year’s team who enters the field as a No. 5 seed.

“Last year, especially playing in a placing game, is going to hopefully help us to know the road to placing at state, and help our belief in where we can finish,” LRS head coach Cari Galbreath said. 

    The LRS Broncos are back in the 2B State Volleyball Tournament after placing sixth last season.
 Ian Bivona/Columbia Basin Herald   

The Broncos began the 2023 season with a 13-0 record before losing 3-0 to Davenport in the penultimate game of the regular season. LRS responded with wins over Asotin and Northwest Christian (Colbert) to open the district tournament and clinch a crossover berth before falling to Colfax in the Northeast 2B district title game. In the 2B District 7/9 Crossover, LRS swept Lake Roosevelt 3-0 to go to state.

“I felt like we rebounded pretty well after that loss (to Davenport), and then one of our players got injured and that made it tough in districts,” Galbreath said. “The team really rallied and stepped up, helped fill in the gaps. Set some new roles and really worked to get their goal of going to state and finishing high at state.”

A No. 5 seed in the state tournament, the Broncos aim to begin a deep playoff run with a first-round game against No. 12 seed Coupeville at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. The winner of that match advances to play the winner of No. 4 Goldendale/No. 13 Liberty (Spangle); LRS defeated Goldendale in the first round of last year’s state tournament and swept Liberty during the regular season on Oct. 12.

“We’re just going to have to play really consistent, how we have been playing this season; very balanced, calm but competitive,” Galbreath said. “If they can show up being that well-balanced, calm, competitive team, I think they will reach their goals of placing at state.”

Soap Lake

The Soap Lake Eagles finished third in the Central Washington B district    Soap Lake is back at state for the first time in 32 years after defeating Wilson Creek in the Central Washington B district consolation final.
 Ian Bivona/Columbia Basin Heraldtournament a week ago, punching their ticket to the 1B State Volleyball Tournament with a 3-1 win over Wilson Creek in the district consolation final last Thursday.

Soap Lake (13-4) was given the No. 19 seed in the state bracket, setting up a first-round matchup against No. 14 Darrington at 8 a.m. in the Yakima Valley SunDome. The winner advanced to play No. 3 Mossyrock, while the loser is eliminated from the tournament.

Warden

After beginning the regular season 10-0, four losses down the stretch of the regular season and during districts led to the Cougars being given a No. 16 seed in the 2B State Volleyball Tournament, setting up a match against No. 1 seed Adna.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but there’s nothing we can do about it and that’s the cards we were dealt with,” Warden Head Coach Shanna Golladay said. “We’ve just got to prove to everyone that we’re a better team than they think we are. There’s saying it, and there’s doing it.”

The Cougars were one of four teams from both sides of a talented Eastern Washington Athletic Conference to qualify for the 2B state tournament, joining No. 4 seed Goldendale, No. 8 River View and No. 14 Walla Walla Valley. Warden lost both outings against Rivew View with set scores of 3-1 in both matches, lost 3-1 to Goldendale in the district tournament and went 2-1 against Walla Walla Valley, winning both regular season games before losing to the Knights in the consolation finals of the EWAC district tournament.

    Warden faces a tough matchup in the opening round of the 2B State Volleyball Tournament, matching up against No. 1 seed Adna.
 Ian Bivona/Columbia Basin Herald  

“Those are excellent teams for us to know what kind of teams are going to be seen at the state tournament,” Golladay said. 

Warden will have to quickly move on from its two losses in the EWAC district tournament with its match against Adna beginning at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. 

“We just have to put those behind us, move forward and play some excellent volleyball, is what it’s going to come down to,” Golladay said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.