VOLLEYBALL: Skyview claims third after Lewis & Clark ends title hopes

Devon Brown (3) finds it hard to get the ball past Lewis and Clark’s Chloe Rowand (8) and Emily Clary (2) in Skyview’s semifinal loss. (Kai-Huei Yau/For The Columbian)

KENNEWICK — At the end, it was all smiles for Skyview volleyball.

Oh, the Storm didn’t capture the biggest prize at the Class 4A state tournament. But after rallying to beat Olympia 3-0 for third place late Saturday, there was a sense of accomplishment.

“It feels pretty good,” senior Jenna Watson said. “To come back and win that last game was a great way to finish.”

After winning the first two games of the third-place match 25-17 and 25-20, Skyview fell behind by nine points before rallying to clinch the match with a 26-24 victory.

To win third place, the Storm also had to come back from their first loss of the season, a competitive three-game defeat to eventual state champion Lewis and Clark of Spokane in Saturday’s semifinals.

Coach Cheyenne Knight gave her players one hour to mourn the semifinal loss. She reminded them that third place was a reward they deserved, and her players responded with a strong start against Olympia.

Skyview was preparing to play Olympia as Lewis and Clark got the championship trophy.

“It was hard to watch. We wanted that to be us,” Watson said. “It definitely fired me up for (the third-place match).”

Devon Brown had 17 kills against Olympia, including a smash to the court that ended the match. Leanna Ludes had 34 assists.

In its run to the state semifinals, Skyview did not encounter much adversity. Nor had the Storm crossed paths with an opponent that has a pair of Division I-caliber hitters and a setter as respected as their own.

But that changed on Saturday against Lewis and Clark of Spokane in the semifinal round. And, though they had their chances in each game, the Storm weren’t quick enough to slow down the Tigers’ big hitters as Lewis and Clark beat Skyview 3-0.

After dropping only one game in match play this season, Skyview couldn’t take a set from Lewis and Clark in the semifinals. The scores were 25-19, 25-23 and 25-21 as the Tigers surged late in each set to earn the victory. After placing second the previous two years, Lewis and Clark swept Kamiakin of Kennewick in the championship match.

Skyview struggled to block the attacks of Oceana Bush (14 kills, three blocks) and Chloe Rowand (14 kills, five blocks). The 5-foot-6 Bush, who is considering playing for Washington State in college, is a quick hitter who kept the Storm defense guessing. The 6-1 Rowand has made a verbal commitment to Auburn.

“We had a difficult time putting up a block, and a few too many service errors,” Knight said.

She said the Storm needed to be quicker to get their blocks set up, but that the quickness and power of Bush’s swings made it difficult.

“She’s fast. She’s got a real fast arm and we were just to slow” to get blocks against her, Knight said.

Partly, that was a tribute to Lewis and Clark setter Hilary Koenig, a senior who had 37 assists, and kept the Tiger offense moving.

Knight added that her players needed to be more settled on defense instead of trying to anticipate attacks. Digging on the move led to occasional inconsistent passing for the Storm.

“They had more power coming from their hitters, and they’ve been in that situation a lot and knew what they needed to do,” Ludes said.

Brown, a junior, had a team-high 10 kills for the Storm. Setter Ludes had 30 assists.

Skyview also got solid contributions from Moritz (seven kills) and freshman Taylor Barrus (seven kills), but the Storm didn’t score the big points to turn a set their way late.

Knight said she was proud of the way her team played while pushing the Tigers in each game.

“Lewis and Clark is a very, very good team,” Knight said. “We haven’t seen a team like that all year. Our girls played well. We had our moments.”

While it wasn’t the championship moment they dreamed of, it was a special way to finish a special season.

“It feels great just to know all the work we put in this season, and we got a trophy,” senior Kayla Swanson said. “Third place is pretty good.”