9/29/2026
Tumwater 3, W.F. West 0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-21)
(Tumwater, WA) The W.F. West Bearcats and Tumwater Thunderbirds began a new Evergreen 2A campaign on Tuesday night as league volleyball got underway. It was quite a surprising start to the season for both teams in very different ways. For W.F. West, they began the season with a 4-2 record and some impressive wins as they attempt to fight their way into districts for the first time since 2024. Meanwhile, a loaded non-league slate had Tumwater sitting at 0-6 as the runners-up in District 4 were very battle tested and hungry for their first victory of 2026.
1st Set
Both teams were off to sloppy starts in the opening set as they traded errors to settle in. WF West had the first good run of the match with Emma McGreal running things at the net for the Bearcats. Tumwater wouldn’t take too long to go on their own run as Naomi Ash served six points in a row to allow Tumwater to open up a 10-5 lead. Sydney Wilson was the dominating force at the net for Tumwater but it was Audrey Overbay and Lauren Montoya-Kilmer setting things up at the net. The Bearcats would not go away however and Aspen Gist went on a five-point run at the line with a couple of aces as WF West fought back. The two traded points with both still making some mistakes to prevent either team from going on a run. A late charge by Corinne Sadlemyer allowed Tumwater to sneak out of the first set, 25-21.
2nd Set
Set number two was a much different story as Tumwater started very fast and never looked back. WF West scored the first point of the set but it was Tumwater going on the run after. Lauren Montoya-Kilmer served eight consecutive points for Tumwater with two aces as the Bearcats dealt with some big miscommunications. Sydney Wilson and Abbey Kummer continued to handle things at the net for Tumwater as the T-Birds did not allow WF West to gain any momentum. A three-point run for Naomi Ash with an ace included just continued to build upon the lead for Tumwater. In the second set, Montoya-Kilmer served a total of 12 points for Tumwater as the T-Birds rolled to a 25-12 win.
3rd Set
That second set seemed to be an outlier as the third set was much like the first. WF West looked a lot cleaner in the third set with Jamiah Wood finding a spark and becoming quite the X-factor for the Bearcats. Emma McGreal continued to be a force at the net while Aspen Gist and Paige Duncan were very good on the back line and with the setting game. Brooklyn Spencer and Ayanna Harmon also got settled in for the Bearcats in a very back-and-forth set. Tumwater would get a little run at the service line from Audrey Overbay, but it was answered right back by Mila Riis for the Bearcats. With Tumwater leading 16-15, Kay Kay Malroy would have a big block at the net which seemed to be the turning point after the set. Tumwater fed off of that block and the momentum was too much for WF West to overcome. The T-Birds would complete the sweep over the Bearcats by taking the final set, 25-21.
Chehalis Holiday Inn Express MVP of the Game
Our Chehalis Holiday Inn Express MVP of the Match went to Sydney Wilson for Tumwater. She was a consistent and dominant threat at the net for the T-Birds and seemed to always be right there to put a stop to every WF West threat. Consistent kills and a few big blocks as well prevented Tumwater from needing to go to a fourth set while earning their first win of the year.
What’s Next?
Tumwater earns their first win of the season to move to 1-6 after a very tough non-league schedule and begin EvCo 2A play at 1-0. They will host Centralia on Thursday at 7pm. W.F. West drops to 4-3 overall on the year and start league play at 0-1. The Bearcats return home on Thursday in search of their first league win as they host Shelton at 7pm.
Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)
West 42 Sports Postgame Show
Video Highlights
WF West Starts Fast
Sydney Wilson Blocks Free Ball
Malroy Block Stops Bearcat Run
www.West42Sports.com