MARYSVILLE The Tomahawk volleyball team took the shortest long road in their postseason performance all of their matches were three-game sweeps.
In their closest match of the weekend of district play, M-P beat Jackson in three games, 25-21, 25-21, 27-25, opening their postseason with a victory Nov. 1.
One of our goals was to win three in a row, so wed be rested for the second match, M-P coach Shelly Johnson said after her team defeated the Timberwolves.
The win set the Tomahawks up for a winner-to-state match 45 minutes later against Wesco powerhouse Kamiak, a team that held Marysvilles Wesco North nemesis Monroe to just one game win in two matches.
Despite Kamiaks dominance, Johnson said she hoped the M-P girls would fare better against a less familiar foe.
I think thered be more pressure if they were playing Monroe, to tell the truth, Johnson said looking ahead to the match against the Knights. They just have to go after Kamiak like theyd go after Monroe.
Unluckily, Kamiak was too talented for the Tomahawks. They were swept in three games, falling 25-13, 25-12, 25-13. The home team emerged on the other side of the match needing to win the rest of their matches to secure the third Wesco slot to state in Kennewick Nov. 9-10.
The girls rallied to sweep Mountlake Terrace 3-0 in their first match Nov. 3. The win put them back in a winner-to-state match against Edmonds-Woodway, who had defeated them 3-2 in mid-September.
While last year M-P had won the consolation slot to state against Edmonds-Woodway, this year, the Tomahawks fell in three games, 25-14, 25-20, 25-12. Their season was over.
In their playoff opener against Jackson, M-P played a persistent game, overcoming deficits in every game, including one as large as seven points in the decisive game three.
The Tomahawks stats for the game were spread around. Seniors Kristeen Juarez and Anna West led the offense with 11 and nine kills respectively, while Emily Boerger and Jessica Masters chipped in another seven each.
For West, who also plays on the basketball and fastpitch teams, the team element is one of her favorite parts of the sport.
Thats mainly why I play, she said. My teammates are awesome girls.
While Johnson has fretted about improving details in the teams game, the Tommies win over Jackson proved the girls have intangibles that just dont show up on the stat sheets after the game.
They come back, stay aggressive, serve solid, Johnson said. They surprise me. They come up with a big play.