11/14/2026
(Yakima, WA) the 1A and 2A state volleyball tournaments get underway on Friday, November 13, and will conclude on Saturday, November 14. Below is the schedule and results of each and every match as both tournaments progress over the next two days.
Veteran high school reporter for decades with the Seattle Times, Sandy Ringer, is in Yakima for us and she’ll be writing game stories on all of the placing games and, of course, the state championship. We’ll keep up as quickly as we can with the schedule and where each team moves on as the tournament progresses.
1A Volleyball State Tournament
Day 2
State Championship Match
Game 26/Court 3: (1) Cashmere 3, (7) Lynden Christian 0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-21)
By Sandy Ringer
Their historic finish had meager beginnings.
Cashmere High School isn’t mentioned among the powerhouses of state volleyball in the state of Washington.
But the top-seeded Bulldogs (24-1) could be building one after capturing their first championship, blitzing No. 7 Lynden Christian in the final of the Class 1A tournament Saturday night at the Yakima SunDome, 26-24, 25-18, 25-21.
And it’s what their six seniors envisioned back when they were in seventh grade, when the School’s lone state entry was back in 1997.
“This is everything we’ve been working for since seventh grade,” Taylor Kunz said. “Since the first time I touched a volleyball, I’ve been playing with these girls. It’s my life. They’re my best friends and I wouldn’t want to share it with anyone else.”
“It’s a bond like no other,” Teagan Kerns added.
Coach Kathryan Broadbent could see it coming.
“They’ve been building this culture since they were in seventh grade together,” she said. “The six seniors have built a culture of trust and excellence and they’ve got each other’s back. They are leaving a legacy for the other kids.”
As sophomores, they helped Cashmere claim its first trophy – fifth place. Then last year they reached the semifinals before losing 3-2 to Chelan, which went on to win an unprecedented sixth consecutive championship. The Bulldogs wound up third.
They weren’t settling for anything except a title this season, although Lynden Christian intended to have a say in that.
And the surprising Lyncs, who pulled one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by knocking off Chelan in the quarterfinals, indeed made Cashmere work for the big prize.
Lynden Christian (18-6), which handed Cashmere its long loss in mid-October, started strong and built leads of 7-3 and 17-10 in the opening set.
But Cashmere was clutch from there. After a timeout, Kunz laced a kill then followed with three straight aces that started an 8-2 run and cut the lead to 19-18.
LC took advantage of a pair of hitting errors to stretch it to 21-18. Cashmere answered with a pair of kills from Kiana Baty and another by Kunz to tie it.
A tip by Jocelyn Eshuis gave the Lyncs a set point at 24-23, but the Bulldogs sandwiched a pair of Kunz kills around an ace by Cali Diaz.
Lynden Christian trailed just 14-13 midway through the second set before Cashmere pulled away. The two teams were tied at 21 late in the third, when Faith Courtney started a 4-0 run that Macie Smart finished with back-to-back kills.
Smart led the Bulldogs’ balanced attack with 14 kills and three aces. Kunz also had three aces to go with 11 kills, while Courtney put together nine kills and two blocks. Diaz dished out 35 assists and libero Mandy Barba anchored a stingy defense.
LC won a title in 2018 and has taken a trophy home in each tournament since, including fifth place last season. Eshuis, a senior, logged a team-high 11 kills, while sophomore Jess Delong had nine. Sophomore Emeri Fritts finished with 14 assists.
The Lyncs have enjoyed their recent success despite several coaching changes, which prompted Kimberly Grycel to return to the helm this year. She had retired in 2021 after 25 seasons.
“We came in as the seventh seed, right?” she said. “No one thought we would be here and get this far. So, it’s been great. I’m so proud of the seniors.”
Trophy Round
3rd/4th place match
Game 25: (6) Lakeside 3, (5) Meridian 2 (25-21, 25-23, 10-25, 23-25, 15-13)
Junior Layla Jones took charge with the third-place trophy on the line, delivering a stinging kill to tie the fifth set at 13-all and closing it out with an ace after sophomore Scarlet Garner got them to match point.
The Eagles from Nine Mile Falls (18-4) were a step away from playing for the championship for the first time since winning it all in 2016, but lost 3-0 to No. 7 Lynden Christian in the semifinals. They hadn’t taken home a trophy since 2021, when they were sixth.
Seniors Sienna Weinberger, Bella Tobeck and Harper Christen helped key the run.
Meridian (15-7), which lost 3-0 to No. 1 Cashmere in the semis, showed lots of composure after falling behind Lakeside 2-0. The Trojans came from behind late in the fourth set and erased a 12-8 deficit in the fifth before falling short.
Junior Melanie Short was the driving force with a bevy of rocket swings.
Meridian, which finished second to Chelan here last season, goes home with a fourth straight trophy.
5th/6th place match
Game 24: (2) Chelan 3, (4) La Center 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-15)
After sweeping the past six 1A championships, the Mountain Goats found themselves in an unfamiliar position.
In the loser’s bracket.
Chelan lost to No. 7 Lynden Christian, 3-1, and had to win two straight to claim the fifth-place trophy.
It took a hard-fought, 3-2 victory over Cascade Christian to stay alive, battling back from a 2-1 deficit.
The Mountain Goats (18-5) looked more like themselves against La Center. Freshman Cataleya Phelps came up with a sharp kill to get them to match point and they closed it out on a La Central hitting error.
Fellow frosh Townley Elliot had some big swings along with sophomore Jayze Hughbanks. Senior Esther Petersen had a solid all-around performance.
La Center (22-3) collected its fifth consecutive trophy. The Wildcats, who rode a 12-match win streak into the tournament, placed fourth in 2024 and ’25. They were led by seniors Paige Sherry and Annicka-May Fagerlie.
7th/8th place match
Game 23: (10) Seton Catholic 3, (12) Kalama 1 (25-14, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23)
After failing to reach the trophy round the previous two seasons, the Cougars (19-5) finished the tournament on a three-match win streak to earn some hardware for only the second time in school history. They placed third in the 2011 1B event.
Seton Catholic’s lone loss in this week came in Friday’s opening round to No. 7 Lynden Christian, which went on to play No. 1 Cashmere for the title.
This was the third meeting of the year between these two Trico League foes. The Cougars won both regular-season matches, 3-0 and 3-1, and went up 2-0 before Kalama got on the board in the third on a kill by Colbie Manninen, on of the Chinooks’ two seniors.
Kalama (16-9) rolled to a 15-4 lead in the fourth set, but Seton Catholic rallied for the win with senior Peyton LaPointe and sophomores Riley Hastings and Addie Seymer fueling the comeback.
The Cougars, who dropped their opener to No. 5 Meridian, claimed their first trophy since finishing fourth in the 2B tourney. Sophomore Alex Oelke and junior Zella Storedahl provided some highlights.
Semi-finals (winners to state championship match, losers to third-place match)
9 am
Game 21: (7) Lynden Christian 3, (6) Lakeside 0
Game 22: (1) Cashmere 3, (5) Meridian 0
Consolation Round (Loser out)
9 am
Game 17: (10) Seton Catholic 3, (11) Hoquiam 0
Game 18: (12) Kalama 3, (9) Annie Wright 1
10:45 am
Game 19: (2) Chelan 3, (3) Cascade Christian 2
Game 20: (4) La Center 3, (8) King’s 0
Day 1
Consolation Bracket (Loser Out)
2:30 pm
Game 9: (11) Hoquiam 3, (14) Connell 2
Game 10: (10) Seton Catholic 3, (15) Naches Valley 1
Game 11: (12) Kalama 3, (13) University Prep 2
4:15 pm
Game 12: (9) Annie Wright 3, (16) Eastside Prep 1
Quarterfinals (Winners to Semi-finals, Losers to Consolation Bracket)
4:15 pm
Game 13: (6) Lakeside 3, (3) Cascade Christian 0
Game 14: (7) Lynden Christian 3, (2) Chelan 1
Game 15: (5) Meridian 3, (4) La Center 2
Game 16: (1) Cashmere 3, (8), King’s, 0
Round of 16 (Winners to Quarterfinals, Losers to Consolation Bracket)
9 am
Game 1: (11) Hoquiam 2, (6) Lakeside 3
Game 2: (14) Connell 0, (3) Cascade Christian 3
Game 3: (10) Seton Catholic 0, (7) Lynden Christian 3
Game 4: (15) Naches Valley 0, (2) Chelan 3
Game 5: (12) Kalama 0, (5) Meridian 3
10:45 am
Game 6: (13) University Prep 0, (4) La Center 3
Game 7: (9) Annie Wright vs. (8) King’s
Game 8: (16) Eastside Prep 0, (1) Cashmere 3
2A Volleyball State Tournament
Day 2
State Championship Match
Game 26/Court 3: (4) Ridgefield 3, (2) Ellensburg 0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-21)
By Sandy Ringer
Paige Hanes knew she had another shot.
So, she didn’t hang her head when her Ridgefield High School team failed to qualify for the 2A state volleyball tournament last season after a nine-year trophy run.
“We were sad about it, but we were just really excited to come back from it and try again next year,” she said.
And the fourth-seeded Spudders turned tears into cheers when they got another chance, winning the title with a 3-0 victory over No.2 Ellensburg Saturday night at the Yakima SunDome, 25-21, 25-11, 25-21.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” Hanes said after delivering a team-high 10 kills. “It’s the best way I could have ended my career – definitely the way I wanted to go out.”
Coach Sabrina Dobbs couldn’t stop smiling.
“It’s probably one of the most complete feelings I’ve had in a long time,” she said. “It just finishes out what my six seniors that have worked so hard for these last four years.”
The added bonus for Hanes was playing winning with her sister, freshman Daphne Hanes.
“Getting to help coach her and grow together has been so fun,” she said. “Me and her cheering each other on has been so amazing.”
The 5-foot-11 Daphne made her presence felt with nine kills – including a well-place free ball that gave Ridgefield a 23-20 lead in the final set – to go along with four blocks.
Fellow frosh Kennedy Lowe added nine aces and seven assists. Two of those aces helped fuel a 5-0 Ridgefield run after Ellensburg had rallied for a 19-17 lead after trailing 16-12.
It was the 20th straight victory for the Spudders after an 0-3 start and came after a clutch, come-from-behind win over top-seeded Lynden, the defending champion, in the semifinals. Lynden led that one 2-0 before Ridgefield turned the tide and ultimately won on an ace by senior Isabelle Walker.
This was the program’s sixth championship overall. The Spudders won back-to-back in 2018 and ’19, then finished second to Columbia River three times in a row. They placed sixth in 2024.
Ellensburg (17-3) played the runner-up roll for a third straight season. The Bulldogs were swept by Lynden last year after dropping a 3-2 thriller to Columbia River in 2024 after leading 2-1.
But coach Jesse Steuckle had nothing but praise for his players.
“They really worked hard this season,” he said. “They’re resilient in terms of the mindset we had. We came to work every day….I’m truly proud of the effort they came to work with and how they loved playing the game with each other and for each other.”
The Bulldogs never really got in a rhythm offensively. Kylie Ayling and Hadley Potts finished with seven and six kills, respectively. Ava Steuckle distributed 10 assists. They are among the team’s six seniors.
Trophy Round
3rd/4th place match 4:15 pm
Game 25: (1) Lynden 3, (6) Sehome 1 (17-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-18)
They came to defend their championship.
But when that dream died with a 3-2 loss to No. 4 Ridgefield in the semifinals, the top-seeded Lions were left figuring out how they would respond.
It didn’t look good when they dropped an opening set to rival Sehome, a team they had beaten twice during the regular season while building a 20-0 record.
But Lynden regained its swagger and reeled off the next three to earn the third-place trophy and finish the season 23-1.
Junior Emma Assink got the Lions to match point and senior Lexi Hermanutz finished things off. Sara McVie and Finley Parker, two other 12th-graders, contributed to the final run as well and freshman Mia Burke had some big moments as well.
Sehome (20-6), which lost 3-1 to No. 2 Ellensburg in the semis, matched last year’s fourth-place finish. The Mariners, who lost to Lynden in the semifinal a year ago, were paced by senior Paige Flory, junior Brooklyn Flamer, sophomore Cora Noskoff Sanchez and freshman Sophia Gage.
5th/6th place match 4:15 pm
Game 24: (3) Pullman 3, (9) Orting 0 (30-28, 25-11, 25-13)
Just when it looked like Bainbridge might force a fourth set, leading 23-22 in the third, freshman Amaline Gautreaux came to Pullman’s rescue, closing out the match with three straight aces.
Senior Kitty Kean and junior Ella McNannay also stood out in the match as the Greyhounds (23-1) improved on last year’s eighth-place showing and collected their fifth consecutive trophy. Their lone loss of the season was to No. 6 Sehome in the quarterfinals.
Bainbridge (22-2) also had come into the tournament unbeaten, but came up short in the quarterfinals against red-hot Ridgefield, the No. 4 seed.
The Spartans, who placed seventh last year, had been eliminated in the 2024 tourney by Pullman. Their top performers in their finale were senior Zariyah Francis and juniors Jocelyn Waibel and Josie Knapp.
7th/8th place match 4:15 pm
Game 23: (7) Columbia River 3, (12) Mark Morris 1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-15, 25-14)
The Rapids made it a clean sweep of their league rivals as they met for the third time of the season.
After two intense sets, they pulled away decisively and finished the tournament on a high note, winning their final three matches after dropping the opener to No. 10 Prosser, 3-2.
It was the eighth straight trophy for Columbia River (19-4), which was third last season after sweeping four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024. The Rapids were paced by senior Sophie Gourley and freshman Gisele Diehl.
Mark Morris (17-7) picked up its first trophy since logging back-to-back seventh-place finishes in 2021 and ’22.
The Monarchs’ standouts were senior Aela McNielly along with juniors Hadley Bartell and Alena Anderson.
Semi-finals (winners to state championship match, losers to third-place match)
10 am
Game 21: (2) Ellensburg 3, (6) Sehome 1
Game 22: (4) Ridgefield 3, (1) Lynden 2
Consolation Round (Loser out)
12:45pm
Game 17: (7) Columbia River 3, (11) Selah 0
Game 18: (12) Mark Morris 3, (8) Tumwater 2
Game 19: (3) Pullman 3, (10) Prosser 0
Game 20: (5) Bainbridge 3, (9) Orting 1
Day 1
Consolation Bracket (Loser Out)
6:15 pm
Game 9: (11) Selah 3, (14) North Kitsap 1
Game 10: (7) Columbia River 3, (15) Nathan Hale 0
Game 11: (12) Mark Morris 3, (13) Chief Sealth 1
Game 12: (8) Tumwater 3, (16) Sequim 0
Quarterfinals (Winners to Semi-finals, Losers to Consolation Bracket)
8 pm
Game 13: (6) Sehome 3, (3) Pullman 2
Game 14: (2) Ellensburg 3, (10) Prosser 1
Game 15: (4) Ridgefield 3, (5) Bainbridge 0
Game 16: (1) Lynden 3, (9) Orting 0
Round of 16 (Winners to Quarterfinals, Losers to Consolation Bracket)
10:45 am
Game 1: (11) Selah 0, (6) Sehome 3
Game 2: (14) North Kitsap 1, (3) Pullman 3
12:45 pm
Game 3: (10) Prosser 3, (7) Columbia River 2
Game 4: (15) Nathan Hale 0, (2) Ellensburg 3
Game 5: (12) Mark Morris 1, (5) Bainbridge 3
Game 6: (13) Chief Sealth 0, (4) Ridgefield 3
2:30 pm
Game 7: (9) Orting 3, (8) Tumwater 1
Game 8: (16) Sequim 0, (1) Lynden 3
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