Storm regain strength to reach state

Skyview volleyball rallies in fifth game to beat Bothell

You can call the Skyview volleyball team battle-tested now.

The Storm, who have not had much competition in Southwest Washington the past few years, are going to the Class 4A state tournament after surviving Saturday’s five-game, winner-to-state playoff with Bothell.

In a match with several plot twists, the Storm found themselves trailing 11-5 in the fifth game — a game that only goes to 15 points. But a kill from Gabby Moritz got the Storm going, then Devon Brown and Nicole Hamilton connected for kills. There was another from Moritz, then Hamilton. Later, Moritz made the dig to save the season, and Brown made the point to keep the momentum for Skyview.

Taylor Barrus made her presence known with a block, followed by a kill.

And when the Cougars hit the ball into the net to give the Storm a 17-15 decision and a 3-2 victory, it was bedlam at Skyview High School. Scores were: 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 17-15.

“During one of the timeouts, everyone just took a deep breath,” Barrus said. “We said, ‘Look how far we’ve come as a team. We can do this.’ Oh, it feels so great.”

Brown led the Storm with 23 kills, including one that tied the fifth game at 13-all and another at 14-all.

“You just have to go out all like there’s no tomorrow,” Brown said. “Really, if we would have lost, there wouldn’t have been a tomorrow.”

Skyview had big leads in each of the first three games. The Storm did not seem to be in any danger in the first two wins, and then held a 19-14 lead in the third game, six points away from advancing to state.

But Bothell, behind the play of Haley Bedell and Sarah Norris, scored the next seven points to take the lead. Norris would get kills on the final three points for a two-point victory. Norris, who finished the match with 24 kills, led Bothell to a start-to-finish win in Game 4.

Then the Cougars took the big early lead in the decider.

At that time, the Storm did a little soul searching.

“My main concern was not playing as a team and not enjoying possibly our last game together,” said Moritz, a senior. “I just wanted us to fight together and play like we know how.”

Skyview coach Cheyanne Knight challenged her squad.

“I talk a lot about them making choices and choosing how they’re going to play,” Knight said. “How are we choosing to play right now? Our we playing like a state-caliber team, or are we not?”

With this win, Skyview is going to state for the third consecutive season. Guess that was an answer to the coach’s request.

In a match with 216 points, it is impossible to pinpoint one as the play of the day. But a Moritz dig followed by a Brown kill would certainly be a candidate.

With Bothell ahead 13-12, Norris got a clear look at a kill attempt, but Moritz dove and got the ball just before it touched to the floor. The ball also went directly to Skyview setter Courtney Schaub, who placed the ball perfectly to Brown for a kill of her own, making it 13-all instead of 14-12 for Bothell.

“I like being in that spot because I’m confident in my defensive skills,” Moritz said. “That’s maybe even more fun than getting a kill. I like being able to stop the other team from getting a kill.”

A couple minutes later, Barrus made her plays to give the edge to the Storm, and Skyview finished off the five-game thriller.

Brown, who had never played in a five-game match, said this was a case of both teams playing “awesome” with a trip to state on the line.