Kentwood volleyball team takes fourth at state tournament

After taking third and fourth respectively at the last two Class 4A state volleyball tournaments, Kentwood High had big designs on going even further this past weekend at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

The Conquerors didn’t quite surpass their last two state performances, but certainly came home with plenty to be proud of.

Kentwood was eliminated from title contention in its second match on the first day — falling in three games to eventual champion Lewis & Clark — but followed up with a pair of wins to take fourth.

“This feels pretty good. We’ve gone fourth, (third) and (third) with this group — before that, we finished seventh and eighth,” said Kentwood coach Bil Caillier. “We’re going to lose seven girls, so it’s a nice way for them to finish, winning their last match.”

The Conquerors had to go five games in their Friday morning opener, pulling out a 25-10, 25-27, 19-25, 25-12, 15-5 win over Issaquah, but were dropped into the consolation bracket after a 25-17, 27-25, 31-29 loss to eventual state champion Lewis & Clark of Spokane. Kentwood bounced back with a 25-14, 25-18, 27-25 win over Marysville-Pilchuck on Saturday, then earned the fourth-place trophy in a five-game battle against defending state champ Mead of Spokane, 19-25, 25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 15-11.

The Conquerors will graduate half of the 14-girl state roster, bringing back just two starters next fall — 5-foot-9 outside hitter Elle Mortensen, who will be a senior next year, and 5-foot-9 junior-to-be Erin Campbell.

Caillier will have to find a new setter to replace Stephanie Shumaker, who recorded 141 assists in the four state tournament matches, as well as South Puget Sound League North Division co-MVPs Jessie Genger and Lauren Campbell.

Strong opener

The Conquerors came out of the gates with a flurry, thrashing Issaquah in the opening game. But the Eagles managed to get on track to win games two and three, overcoming Kentwood rallies in both sets to take a 2-1 lead. But the Conquerors got back the momentum they started with in game four and easily rolled past the Eagles for the win.

Genger finished the match with 19 kills while Lauren Campbell chipped in 12. Shumaker recorded 40 assists and Katie Grajewski finished with 42 digs.

LC too much

The game was the first meeting this season between the top-ranked Lewis & Clark Tigers of Spokane and the second-ranked Conquerors. And though the Tigers pulled it out in three games, both coaches said it was a fight.

The match became something of a showdown between KW hitting ace Genger and LC’s Oceana Bush, a 5-foot-6 leaping dynamo with one of the more powerful strokes in the tournament. Bush was the force early in game one, putting down five shots in the set to give the Tigers the game-one win.

Kentwood jumped out to an early lead in game two behind Genger and Lauren Campbell, but LC fought back to take a 7-6 lead. The Tigers maintained a 1 to 2-point lead until the end as Bush finished the second game with eight kills, compared to seven for Genger.

Game three was a battle for momentum — Lewis and Clark took an early six-point lead. Kentwood battled back to tie. LC pushed out to a six-point edge again, and the Conquerors kept coming from behind to catch the Tigers. The set was tied 10 times after a 20-20 deadlock, but two hits from Bush after Kentwood had tied the match at 29 gave LC the win.

“This was a good match for both sides,” said Caillier. “It took us a little while to get into a comfort zone against these guys, but once we did, we actually played very well.”

Genger finished just slightly better at the net than Bush, putting down 19 kills to 14 for the LC star. Lauren Campbell finished with 10 kills while Shumaker had 20 assists

Still alive for a trophy

The Conquerors came out quickly against Marysville-Pilchuck, pushing out to leads of 7 and 8 points in the first two games and cruising to wins in both. Marysville-Pilchuck was up for more of a battle in the third game, forcing 13 ties and taking a small lead before Kentwood got two kills from Genger and an M-P unforced error to end the match.

Shumaker registered 40 assists in the win, with Genger putting down 19 kills. Lauren Campbell finished with nine kills, and Rianna Venn added eight.

Strong finish

Mead featured the biggest girl in the tournament in 6-foot-5 junior Alexis Olgard, who already has committed to play at USC. Olgard’s size, however, didn’t matter against the Conquerors, who were led by the defensive fronts of the Campbell sisters, Genger and Venn.

“Fortunately, Alexis can only play up front for three rotations — not too many girls like her come around,” Caillier noted. “One of the things we emphasized was to serve well and lay off the middle of the net, she’d get less opportunities. Our game is designed to work from the left, and that’s where our best hitters work from.”

Olgard was a force for the Panthers early, dropping in four kills to lead Mead to a early 13-5 lead in the opener, a gap the Panthers were able to maintain until the end the first game. But Kentwood battled back behind Genger and Lauren Campbell, who combined for 21 kills over the next two games to put the Conquerors up 2-1.

Kentwood appeared ready to finish off Mead in game four, but the Panthers managed to rally midway through the set to win it and send the match into a fifth game. Mead jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the final game before Kentwood rallied — a kill by Mortensen gave Kentwood a 10-9 lead.

Lauren Campbell and Genger put down shots to put Kentwood in position to get the win at 14-11. Mortensen then challenged Olgard, slamming a kill over the Mead giant’s hands that hit the floor on the Panthers’ side of the net and sealed the Kentwood victory.

Genger finished her final match as a Conqueror with 19 kills, followed by Lauren Campbell (18), Mortensen (8) and Venn (7). Shumaker had 41 assists in the win.