COLUMBIA BASIN – The Soap Lake Eagles (12-4) finished second in the district tournament after overcoming Entiat 3-2, but fell to Waterville-Mansfield in the district final. The Eagles will compete in the state tournament this week, starting as the 13th seed. 

“I think we accomplished a goal that game (against Entiat), which was to be able to be behind and still keep our heads up and perform and come away with the win,” said Eagles Head Coach Niki Noble. “That’s been a real struggle for us over the years, and we were able to do that, so I was really proud of them.” 

The Eagles entered districts as the second seed, which earned them both first and second-round byes, putting their first game Nov. 4 against the number three-seeded Entiat. This was a tough matchup as they fell behind at first but were able to mount a comeback to win 3-2.  

Their next game was held the following day, where the Eagles then had to face up against the number one-seeded Waterville-Mansfield, whom, at the end of the regular season, the Eagles had pulled off a 3-2 victory against. This time, Waterville gained the upper hand to win first place in the Central Washington B league, with Soap Lake finishing second and both heading to the state tournament. 

Noble said she has been working with the players to speed up their game and improve the basics as they get closer to the state tournament. At practice, the Eagles have been running different offensive situations and making sure that the serves are on point. 

“We only missed three serves in the last game against Waterville, so that was a huge improvement,” she said. 

It will be important for the Eagles to maintain their composure, especially if they get down in a set during the state tournament, as that makes a difference in the outcome of the game, said Noble.  

“They’re really excited,” said Noble. “There’s always nervousness, and there’s a little bit of sadness just because I have so many seniors and this is their last shot and fulfilling some of our goals.” 

The Eagles have made it to the state tournament the last two years, with this year marking their third straight appearance. She said each year they have won in the first round but were then eliminated in the second round of play. This year, the team is going to work to push themselves even further. 

“It’s always an exciting event, being in the SunDome and all the teams playing and all the teams around us,” said Noble. “Just being able to watch high-level volleyball play is good for all of them.” 

Soap Lake will be entering the state volleyball tournament with some accolades as Mylee Dana and Sage Hart both First-Team All-League for North Central Washington 1B Volleyball and Noble earned the award for Coach of the Year. Noble said both Dana and Hart have put in great effort throughout their senior seasons and is proud that they have earned this honor. 

The Eagles will play in their first game of the state tournament Wednesday at 8 a.m. against Wahkiakum. 

    Soap Lake senior Mylee Dana prepares to serve at the Eagles’ last regular season home game. Dana was chosen as one of the First-Team All-League players for the 2025/26 season.
  

    Sage Hart, a senior for the Eagles, gets ready to serve during a road game earlier in the season. Hart made the North Central Washington 1B All-League First-Team for 2025/26.