Erin Campbell felt the adrenaline kick in.
It could not have come at a better time for Campbell or her Kentwood High volleyball teammates, either. Behind Campbell’s 14 kills along with 27 assists and four aces from setter Kayla Hanus, the Conquerors turned back Stadium in three games (25-22, 25-21, 27-25) to a clinch a state berth during last Saturday’s West Central District tournament.
A loss would have ended the season for Kentwood (14-5).
“I guess the adrenaline kicked in knowing that it was the final match to make state,” admitted Campbell, who opened the tournament a day earlier with a 20-kill performance in a four-game win over Central Kitsap.
Kentridge (11-6) also advanced to the district tournament, but was eliminated in two matches after falling to Curtis and Rogers.
In a season in which Kentwood’s four-year dominance over the South Puget Sound League North Division came to an end, many questioned whether the Conquerors had what it took to advance to the state tournament for a sixth straight season.
After knocking off Stadium, the Conquerors took several moments to celebrate.
“They were jumping around screaming and yelling,” said Kentwood coach Bil Caillier. “It was pretty exciting. Nobody expected it, but we all felt we had a chance. Everybody thought that since we graduated so many kids that it wasn’t going to happen.”
The Conquerors opened the state tournament on Thursday against Issaquah (results unavailable at press time).
Kentwood won three of four matches at the 16-team district tournament. The top six teams from the tournament earned state berths. Curtis upended Olympia for the title. Other teams from the tournament advancing to state include: Auburn Riverside, Tahoma and Gig Harbor.
Kentwood opened the tournament with a four-game win over Central Kitsap (25-15, 23-25, 25-9 and 25-20), before falling to Curtis (25-19, 25-6, 25-14). Along with Campbell, Ally Patterson enjoyed a big opener, pounding out 15 kills. Korin Hedlund collected 40 digs in the win.
The loss to Curtis, however, forced the Conquerors into a pair of loser-out games. Kentwood pulled through with a four-game win over Bellarmine Prep (25-19, 25-22, 18-25 and 25-18).
Earning the state berth was huge, Campbell admitted, particularly during a season in which some have doubted the Conquerors’ ability.
“It was one of our main goals to make it to state,” she said. “We really wanted to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we could make it again.”
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