They got off to a fast start, then hit a slight bump along the way. But the Kentwood High volleyball team still found itself in familiar territory last Friday evening in the Class 4A West Central District tournament at the Kitsap Sun Dome in Silverdale.
The Conquerors were the lone local team to pick up wins in each of their two district matches, thus qualifying for state for the fifth straight time.
“I wouldn’t say we played to our potential,” Kentwood coach Bil Caillier said . “But even though we didn’t play as well as I think we can, knowing we’re going to state is a big goal we wanted to achieve. You can’t be completely disappointed.”
The Conquerors (27-1) breezed through their opening match, sweeping away Kentridge in three games, 25-18, 25-18, 29-27. What followed was a bit of a surprise to the second-ranked Conquerors. Unranked Bethel, which finished third in the South Puget Sound League South Division, pushed Kentwood to four games.
The Conquerors still came away with the state-clinching win, however, turning away the Braves, 25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19.
That put Kentwood into the district semifinals for the third straight year. The tournament will resume on Saturday in Silverdale. The Conquerors play Puyallup, which finished second in the SPSL South, at 4 p.m. Saturday. Rogers will play Curtis in the other semifinal.
Jessie Genger and Lauren Campbell combined for 25 kills in the first-round victory against Kentridge. That same tandem added a combined 34 kills in Kentwood’s state-clinching quarterfial win against Bethel.
But it was unheralded junior Elle Mortensen who played a key role, delivering 10 kills in the quarterfinals.
“She led us in hitting efficiency,” Caillier said.
Kentwood was the only Kent school to seal a state berth, but Kentlake and Kent-Meridian remain alive. Kentridge was eliminated in two matches.
The top six teams from the field of 16 advance to next week’s state tournament, which will be played at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Kentlake is shooting for a fourth straight trip to state. The Falcons opened with a win against Graham-Kapowsin 12-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-19 before falling to Curtis in five, 11-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 15-9.
The Falcons play Bethel on Saturday at noon in a loser-out match.
Kent-Meridian, playing in its first district tournament since 2001, delivered a veteran performance in its opener, sweeping past Stadium, 25-14, 26-24, 25-15. The Royals then hit a roadblock in Rogers, the SPSL South No. 1 seed and a team expected to play Kentwood for the title. The Rams did away with the Royals in three games, 26-24, 26-24, 25-15.
Kent-Meridian, which has enjoyed a big resurgence this year, hasn’t qualified for state since 1998. The Royals resume their district schedule Saturday at noon against Auburn Riverside in a loser-out match. The Royals already have beaten the Ravens once this year.
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